An exploration of the value of NLR, PLR, LMR, and WBC × CRP for the diagnosis and treatment of influenza B in adults.

The aim of the study was to study the diagnostic and therapeutic utility of NLR (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), LWR (lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio), PLR (platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio), and WBC × CRP (WBC: white cell count, CRP: C-reactive protein) in patients with influenza B. This retrospective study included 122 adult patients with influenza B, 176 adult patients with bacterial infection, and 119 adult healthy physical examinees for routine blood examination and CRP testing, calculation of NLR, LMR, PLR, and WBC × CRP for relevant statistical analysis, monitoring of NLR, LMR, PLR and WBC × CRP in patients with influenza B during relevant treatment. All indicators, except for WBC and NLR, had no statistical differences between the influenza B group, the normal control group, and the influenza B group and bacterial infection group, respectively, and showed no statistical significance for the differences between the groups. The diagnostic effect of LMR and WBC × CRP was deemed good or excellent in patients with influenza B, healthy people, and patients with a bacterial infection. Conversely, NLR and PLR could only distinguish patients with influenza B from healthy people but remained unable to identify different pathogens. Moreover, many false negatives were noted for WBC and CRP during the diagnosis of influenza B. Also, NLR, LMR, PLR, and WBC × CRP exerted a good effect in evaluating curative effect and conditions for influenza B. LMR and WBC × CRP have a relatively high value in the early diagnosis of adults suffering from influenza B. Also, NLR and PLR excelled at differentiating adult patients with influenza B from healthy people. Therefore, NLR, PLR, LMR, and WBC × CRP can all be used for disease course monitoring and efficacy evaluation.

Establishment and validation of a nomogram-based predictive model for idiopathic aldosteronism / 中华内科杂志

Objective: To establish and validate a nomogram-based predictive model for idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with the collected clinical and biochemical data of patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) including 249 patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism (UPA) and 107 patients with IHA, who were treated at the Department of Endocrinology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from November 2013 to November 2022. Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and plasma renin concentration (PRC) were measured by chemiluminescence. Stepwise regression analysis was applied to select the key predictors of IHA, and a nomogram-based scoring model was developed. The model was validated in another external independent cohort of patients with PA including 62 patients with UPA and 43 patients with IHA, who were diagnosed at the Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. An independent-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ2 test were used for statistical analysis. Results: In the training cohort, in comparison with the UPA group, the IHA group showed a higher serum potassium level [M(Q1, Q3), 3.4 (3.1, 3.8) mmol/L vs. 2.7 (2.1, 3.1) mmol/L] and higher PRC [4.0 (2.1, 8.2) mU/L vs. 1.5 (0.6, 3.4) mU/L] and a lower PAC post-saline infusion test (SIT) [305 (222, 416) pmol/L vs. 720 (443, 1 136) pmol/L] and a lower rate of unilateral adrenal nodules [33.6% (36/107) vs. 81.1% (202/249)]; the intergroup differences in these measurements were statistically significant (all P<0.001). Serum potassium level, PRC, PAC post-SIT, and the rate of unilateral adrenal nodules showed similar performance in the IHA group in the validation cohort. After stepwise regression analysis for all significant variables in the training cohort, a scoring model based on a nomogram was constructed, and the predictive parameters included the rate of unilateral adrenal nodules, serum potassium concentration, PAC post-SIT, and PRC in the standing position. When the total score was ≥14, the model showed a sensitivity of 0.65 and specificity of 0.90 in the training cohort and a sensitivity of 0.56 and specificity of 1.00 in the validation cohort. Conclusion: The nomogram was used to successfully develop a model for prediction of IHA that could facilitate selection of patients with IHA who required medication directly.

Research on the formulation and revision of standard limits for antimony,boron and vanadium in the "Standards for Drinking Water Quality (GB5749-2022)" in China / 中华预防医学杂志

China is rich in antimony, boron, and vanadium mineral resources, which have been detected in environmental water bodies and drinking water. During the revision process of the "Standards for Drinking Water Quality (GB5749-2006)", research and evaluation are focused on three indicators: antimony, boron and vanadium. Vanadium is added and the limit value of boron is adjusted. This study reviews and discusses the technical contents related to the revision of the antimony, boron and vanadium, including the environmental presence levels, exposure status, health effects, and the revision of the standard limits of these three indicators. Suggestions are also made for the implementation of this standard.

New insights on aldosterone-producing cell clusters in the pathogenesis of primary aldosteronism / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Primary aldosteronism(PA) is one of the most common secondary hypertension, the pathogenesis is still not fully understood. Aldosterone synthase(CYP11B2) was thought to be continuously expressed in the zona glomerulosa of the adrenal cortex. In recent years, it is found that there were discontinuous CYP11B2 positive cell clusters in adrenal cortex via immunohistochemical staining, and proposed the concept of aldosterone-producing cell clusters(APCC). Thenceforwarding a growing body of studies suggest that there may be a potential causal link between APCC and PA. This article summarizes the latest studies on APCC and provide an update on the potential role of APCC in the pathogenesis of PA.

The Application of the EP9-A Protocol in the Analysis of the Performance of the Immunofluorescence Assay for HCG Detection.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to evaluate the comparability of the results of two methodologies for detecting human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) to assess whether the immunofluorescence method for detecting HCG is adequate for clinical applications. METHODS: Referring to the protocol requirements of the American Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) EP9-A2 (methodological matching and bias assessment with patient samples), we collected 40 fresh serum specimens from our outpatients and inpatients, including 20 specimens with abnormal HCG concentrations (eight samples with different concentration ranges were selected daily and HCG was measured simultaneously with the two testing systems for five consecutive days). The assays were performed on a Dxl 800 fully automated immunoassay analyzer from Beckman Coulter Inc., USA, as a comparative method and on a Jet-iStar 3000 immunoassay analyzer from Zhonghan Shengtai Inc. as an experimental method. Methodological comparison and bias assessment of the results of the two methods for HCG detection were performed. The OLR regression model was used for calculating bias and regression analysis, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used for correlation analysis. The correlation and comparability of the two systems were calculated based on the results of the analysis. RESULTS: A good correlation in HCG results in the range of 5-50,000 U/mL was obtained from the two assay systems (r = 0.998) with the regression equation of y = 1.020x + 12.96. The estimated deviation was within the permissible deviation and acceptable. CONCLUSION: The results of HCG measurement by the two different assay systems were well correlated and comparable.

The novel long intergenic noncoding RNA UCC promotes colorectal cancer progression by sponging miR-143.

The human genome contains thousands of long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs). However, the functional roles of these transcripts and the mechanisms responsible for their deregulation in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain elusive. A novel lincRNA termed upregulated in CRC (UCC) was found to be highly expressed in human CRC tissues and cell lines. UCC levels correlated with lymph node metastasis, Dukes' stage, and patient outcomes. In SW480 and SW620 cells, knockdown of UCC inhibited proliferation, invasion, and cell cycle progression and induced apoptosis in vitro. Xenograft tumors grown from UCC-silenced SW620 cells had smaller mean volumes and formed more slowly than xenograft tumors grown from control cells. Inversely, overexpression of UCC in HCT116 promoted cell growth and invasion in vitro. Bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assays, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays showed that miR-143 can interact with UCC, and we found that UCC expression inversely correlates with miR-143 expression in CRC specimens. Moreover, mechanistic investigations showed that UCC may act as an endogenous sponge by competing for miR-143, thereby regulating the targets of this miRNA. Our results suggest that UCC and miR-143 may be promising molecular targets for CRC therapy.

MiR-143 Targeting TAK1 Attenuates Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Progression via MAPK and NF-κB Pathway In Vitro.

BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) is one of the major regulators of inflammation-induced cancer cell growth and progression. MiR-143 dysregulation is a common event in a variety of human diseases including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). AIMS: To identify the interaction between TAK1 and miR-143 in PDA. METHODS: Data mining of TAK1 expression in PDA patient gene profiling was conducted. QRT-PCR and western blot were performed to detect the expression of TAK1 in PDA tissues and cell lines. Ectopic miR-143 and TAK1 were introduced to PDA cells. Cell growth, apoptosis and migration were examined. Xenograft models were used to examine the function of TAK1 in vivo. Western blot and luciferase assay were carried out to investigate the direct target of miR-143. RESULTS: PDA patient gene profiling data (GSE15471 and GSE16515) showed that TAK1 mRNA was aberrantly up-regulated in PDA tissues. TAK1 protein levels were overexpressed in PDA tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of TAK1 was strongly associated with positive lymph node metastasis. Inhibition of TAK1 suppressed cell growth, migration, and induced cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Further studies demonstrated that TAK1 was a direct target gene of miR-143. MiR-143 also inhibited PDA cells proliferation and migration, induced apoptosis and G1/S arrest. Moreover, TAK1 depletion inactivated MAPK and NF-κB pathway, mimicking the function of miR-143. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights that miR-143 acts as a tumor suppressor in PDA through directly targeting TAK1, and their functional regulation may provide potential therapeutic strategies in clinics.

Noncoding RNAs and pancreatic cancer.

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) represent a class of RNA molecules that typically do not code for proteins. Emerging data suggest that ncRNAs play an important role in several physiological and pathological conditions such as cancer. The best-characterized ncRNAs are the microRNAs (miRNAs), which are short, approximately 22-nucleotide sequences of RNA of approximately 22-nucleotide in length that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level, through transcript degradation or translational repression. MiRNAs can function as master gene regulators, impacting a variety of cellular pathways important to normal cellular functions as well as cancer development and progression. In addition to miRNAs, long ncRNAs, which are transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides, have recently emerged as novel drivers of tumorigenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms of their regulation and function, and the significance of other ncRNAs such as piwi-interacting RNAs in pancreas carcinogenesis are largely unknown. This review summarizes the growing body of evidence supporting the vital roles of ncRNAs in pancreatic cancer, focusing on their dysregulation through both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, and highlighting the promise of ncRNAs in diagnostic and therapeutic applications of pancreatic cancer.

Application of SNPstream for medical genetics research / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To introduce the principle, procedure, efficacy and application of SNPstream genotyping technology.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Genotyping results of 152 SNPs were used to analyze the feasibility, call rate and accuracy of SNPstream technology.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>For the 152 selected SNPs, 122 SNPs can be genotyped with SNPstream, for which 116 SNPs were successfully genotyped. Replication study showed that the repeatability of genotyping is 99%. When the allele cluster was clear, the accuracy can reach 100%. But when the allele cluster was obscure, the accuracy was only 93.8%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SNPstream technology has the advantages of high accuracy, flexible throughput, and high cost performance, and may have a wide application for medical genetics research.</p>

[Relationship between acute dipterex poisoning and oxidative stress and free radical damage].

OBJECTIVE: To study relationship between acute dipterex poisoning and oxidative stress and free radical damage. METHODS: Eighty-two patients with acute dipterex poisoning (ADPP) and ninety-two healthy adult volunteers (HAV) were enrolled in the study with randomized controlled trial design. Plasma levels of vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE), as well as level of lipoperoxide (LPO) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the red blood cells (RBC), were determined by spectrophotometry. RESULTS: Levels of VC and VE, and activities of SOD and AChE were (37.35 +/- 9.98) micromol/L, (16.57 +/- 4.54) micromol/L, (1 785 +/- 154) U/g Hb and (213.1 +/- 57.6) U/g Hb, respectively, in the ADPP group, significantly lower than those in the HAV group, (55.34 +/- 15.98) micromol/L, (25.66 +/- 7.24) micromol/L, (2 124 +/- 185) U/g Hb and (305.3 +/- 83.6) U/g Hb, respectively. Plasma level of LPO was (35.20 +/- 5.29) nmol/g Hb in the ADPP group, significantly higher than that in the HAV group, (27.87 +/- 4.66) nmol/g Hb. Partial correlation analysis suggested that there existed negative correlation between activity of AChE in the RBC and plasma level of LPO (r = -0.274, P = 0.013) and positive correlation between activity of AChE in the RBC and plasma levels of VC and VE, and activity of SOD in the RBC (r = 0.333, P = 0.002, r = 0.269, P = 0.015 and r = 0.248, P = 0.026, respectively) in the ADPP, adjusted for age. Coefficient of reliability alpha was 0.682 (P < 0.001), with a standardized alpha of 0.868 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: There exist severe oxidative stress and free radical damage in patients with acute dipterex poisoning.

Relationship between acute dipterex poisoning and oxidative stress and free radical damage / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study relationship between acute dipterex poisoning and oxidative stress and free radical damage.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty-two patients with acute dipterex poisoning (ADPP) and ninety-two healthy adult volunteers (HAV) were enrolled in the study with randomized controlled trial design. Plasma levels of vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE), as well as level of lipoperoxide (LPO) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the red blood cells (RBC), were determined by spectrophotometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Levels of VC and VE, and activities of SOD and AChE were (37.35 +/- 9.98) micromol/L, (16.57 +/- 4.54) micromol/L, (1 785 +/- 154) U/g Hb and (213.1 +/- 57.6) U/g Hb, respectively, in the ADPP group, significantly lower than those in the HAV group, (55.34 +/- 15.98) micromol/L, (25.66 +/- 7.24) micromol/L, (2 124 +/- 185) U/g Hb and (305.3 +/- 83.6) U/g Hb, respectively. Plasma level of LPO was (35.20 +/- 5.29) nmol/g Hb in the ADPP group, significantly higher than that in the HAV group, (27.87 +/- 4.66) nmol/g Hb. Partial correlation analysis suggested that there existed negative correlation between activity of AChE in the RBC and plasma level of LPO (r = -0.274, P = 0.013) and positive correlation between activity of AChE in the RBC and plasma levels of VC and VE, and activity of SOD in the RBC (r = 0.333, P = 0.002, r = 0.269, P = 0.015 and r = 0.248, P = 0.026, respectively) in the ADPP, adjusted for age. Coefficient of reliability alpha was 0.682 (P < 0.001), with a standardized alpha of 0.868 (P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There exist severe oxidative stress and free radical damage in patients with acute dipterex poisoning.</p>