Heparin is an effective treatment for preventing liver failure after hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is one of the most important causes of death following liver resection. Heparin, an established anticoagulant, can protect liver function through a number of mechanisms, and thus, prevent liver failure. AIM: To look at the safety and efficacy of heparin in preventing hepatic dysfunction after hepatectomy. METHODS: The data was extracted from Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) v1. 4 pinpointed patients who had undergone hepatectomy for liver cancer, subdividing them into two cohorts: Those who were injected with heparin and those who were not. The statistical evaluations used were unpaired t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, chi-square tests, and Fisher's exact tests to assess the effect of heparin administration on PHLF, duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, need for mechanical ventilation, use of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), incidence of hypoxemia, development of acute kidney injury, and ICU mortality. Logistic regression was utilized to analyze the factors related to PHLF, with propensity score matching (PSM) aiming to balance the preoperative disparities between the two groups. RESULTS: In this study, 1388 patients who underwent liver cancer hepatectomy were analyzed. PSM yielded 213 matched pairs from the heparin-treated and control groups. Initial univariate analyses indicated that heparin potentially reduces the risk of PHLF in both matched and unmatched samples. Further analysis in the matched cohorts confirmed a significant association, with heparin reducing the risk of PHLF (odds ratio: 0.518; 95% confidence interval: 0.295-0.910; P = 0.022). Additionally, heparin treatment correlated with improved short-term postoperative outcomes such as reduced ICU stay durations, diminished requirements for respiratory support and CRRT, and lower incidences of hypoxemia and ICU mortality. CONCLUSION: Liver failure is an important hazard following hepatic surgery. During ICU care heparin administration has been proved to decrease the occurrence of hepatectomy induced liver failure. This indicates that heparin may provide a hopeful option for controlling PHLF.

Predicting hepatocellular carcinoma: A new non-invasive model based on shear wave elastography.

BACKGROUND: Integrating conventional ultrasound features with 2D shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) can potentially enhance preoperative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) predictions. AIM: To develop a 2D-SWE-based predictive model for preoperative identification of HCC. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 884 patients who underwent liver resection and pathology evaluation from February 2021 to August 2023 was conducted at the Oriental Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital. The patients were divided into the modeling group (n = 720) and the control group (n = 164). The study included conventional ultrasound, 2D-SWE, and preoperative laboratory tests. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify independent predictive factors for malignant liver lesions, which were then depicted as nomograms. RESULTS: In the modeling group analysis, maximal elasticity (Emax) of tumors and their peripheries, platelet count, cirrhosis, and blood flow were independent risk indicators for malignancies. These factors yielded an area under the curve of 0.77 (95% confidence interval: 0.73-0.81) with 84% sensitivity and 61% specificity. The model demonstrated good calibration in both the construction and validation cohorts, as shown by the calibration graph and Hosmer-Lemeshow test (P = 0.683 and P = 0.658, respectively). Additionally, the mean elasticity (Emean) of the tumor periphery was identified as a risk factor for microvascular invasion (MVI) in malignant liver tumors (P = 0.003). Patients receiving antiviral treatment differed significantly in platelet count (P = 0.002), Emax of tumors (P = 0.033), Emean of tumors (P = 0.042), Emax at tumor periphery (P < 0.001), and Emean at tumor periphery (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: 2D-SWE's hardness value serves as a valuable marker for enhancing the preoperative diagnosis of malignant liver lesions, correlating significantly with MVI and antiviral treatment efficacy.

Clinical significance of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein U1 subunit 70 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background & Aims: Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein U1 subunit 70 (SNRNP70) as one of the components of the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) is rarely reported in cancers. This study aims to estimate the application potential of SNRNP70 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) clinical practice. Methods: Based on the TCGA database and cohort of HCC patients, we investigated the expression patterns and prognostic value of SNRNP70 in HCC. Then, the combination of SNRNP70 and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in 278 HCC cases was analyzed. Next, western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of SNRNP70 in nucleus and cytoplasm. Finally, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and scratch wound healing assays were used to detect the effect of SNRNP70 on the proliferation and migration of HCC cells. Results: SNRNP70 was highly expressed in HCC. Its expression was increasingly high during the progression of HCC and was positively related to immune infiltration cells. Higher SNRNP70 expression indicated a poor outcome of HCC patients. In addition, nuclear SNRNP70/AFP combination could be a prognostic biomarker for overall survival and recurrence. Cell experiments confirmed that knockdown of SNRNP70 inhibited the proliferation and migration of HCC cells. Conclusion: SNRNP70 may be a new biomarker for HCC progression and HCC diagnosis as well as prognosis. SNRNP70 combined with serum AFP may indicate the prognosis and recurrence status of HCC patients after operation.

Dexmedetomidine ameliorates liver injury and maintains liver function in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy: a retrospective cohort study with propensity score matching.

Background: Although dexmedetomidine (DEX) is widely used during the perioperative period in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its clinical effects on liver function and postoperative inflammation are unclear. This study aimed to explore effects of DEX on postoperative liver function and inflammation in patients with HCC after hepatectomy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study with propensity score matching was performed. A total of 494 patients who underwent hepatectomy from June 2019 to July 2020 and fulfilled the eligibility criteria were included in this study. Baseline data, liver function indexes and inflammation-related biomarkers were collected and compared between the two groups. Survival analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of DEX on the overall survival (OS) of patients. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize bias between the two groups. Results: The study cohort comprised 189 patients in the DEX-free group and 305 patients in the DEX group. Patients in the DEX group had lower levels of alanine transaminase (ALT, P = 0.018) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, P = 0.046) and higher level of serum albumin (ALB, P < 0.001) than patients in the DEX-free group before discharge. A total of 107 pairs of patients were successfully matched by PSM. Results consistently suggested that ALT and LDH levels were significantly lower (P = 0.044 and P = 0.046, respectively) and ALB levels were significantly higher (P = 0.002) in the DEX group than in the DEX-free group in the early postoperative period. No significant differences of inflammation-related biomarkers were observed between two groups after PSM. Neither the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis nor the multiple Cox regression survival analysis identified DEX as a contributing factor that would affect the OS of patients after PSM. Conclusion: DEX exerts protective effects on liver function while has little effects on inflammation-related biomarkers in the early postoperative period in patients undergoing hepatectomy due to HCC.

Clinical outcomes of lenvatinib plus transarterial chemoembolization with or without programmed death receptor-1 inhibitors in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) inhibitors have been approved as second-line treatment regimen in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but it is still worth studying whether patients can benefit from PD-1 inhibitors as first-line drugs combined with targeted drugs and locoregional therapy. AIM: To estimate the clinical outcome of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitors for patients with unresectable HCC (uHCC). METHODS: We carried out retrospective research of 65 patients with uHCC who were treated at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from September 2017 to February 2022. 45 patients received the PD-1 inhibitors, lenvatinib, TACE (PD-1-Lenv-T) therapy, and 20 received the lenvatinib, TACE (Lenv-T) therapy. In terms of the dose of lenvatinib, 8 mg was given orally for patients weighing less than 60 kg and 12 mg for those weighing more than 60 kg. Of the patients in the PD-1 inhibitor combination group, 15 received Toripalimab, 14 received Toripalimab, 14 received Camrelizumab, 4 received Pembrolizumab, 9 received Sintilimab, and 2 received Nivolumab, 1 with Tislelizumab. According to the investigators' assessment, TACE was performed every 4-6 wk when the patient had good hepatic function (Child-Pugh class A or B) until disease progression occurred. We evaluated the efficacy by the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST criteria). We accessd the safety by the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, v 5.0. The key adverse events (AEs) after the initiation of combination therapy were observed. RESULTS: Patients with uHCC who received PD-1-Lenv-T therapy (n = 45) had a clearly longer overall survival than those who underwent Lenv-T therapy (n = 20, 26.8 vs 14.0 mo; P = 0.027). The median progression-free survival time between the two treatment regimens was also measured {11.7 mo [95% confidence interval (CI): 7.7-15.7] in the PD-1-Lenv-T group vs 8.5 mo (95%CI: 3.0-13.9) in the Lenv-T group (P = 0.028)}. The objective response rates of the PD-1-Lenv-T group and Lenv-T group were 44.4% and 20% (P = 0.059) according to the mRECIST criteria, meanwhile the disease control rates were 93.3% and 64.0% (P = 0.003), respectively. The type and frequency of AEs showed little distinction between patients received the two treatment regimens. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the early combination of PD-1 inhibitors has manageable toxicity and hopeful efficacy in patients with uHCC.

Bioinformatics Analysis Identifies ASCL1 as the Key Transcription Factor in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression.

Methods: Differentially transcription factors (DETFs) were identified from differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GSE62232 and transcription factors. Then, they were analyzed by regulatory networks, prognostic risk model, and overall survival analyses to identify the key DETF. Combined with the regulatory networks and binding site analysis, the target mRNA of key DETF was determined, and its prognostic value in HCC was evaluated by survival, clinical characteristics analyses, and experiments. Finally, the expressions and functions of the key DETF on the DEmRNAs were investigated in HCC cells. Results: Through multiple bioinformatics analyses, ASCL1 was identified as the key DETF, and SLC6A13 was predicted to be its target mRNA with the common binding site of CCAGCAACTGGCC, both downregulated in HCC. In survival analysis, high SLC6A13 was related to better HCC prognosis, and SLC6A13 was differentially expressed in HCC patients with clinical characteristics. Furthermore, cell experiments showed the mRNA expressions of ASCL1 and SLC6A13 were both reduced in HCC, and their overexpressions suppressed the growth, invasion, and migration of HCC cells. Besides, over-ASCL1 could upregulate SLC6A13 expression in HCC cells. Conclusion: This study identifies two suppressor genes in HCC progression, ASCL1 and SLC6A13, and the key transcription factor ASCL1 suppresses HCC progression by targeting SLC6A13 mRNA. They are both potential treatment targets and prognostic biomarkers for HCC patients, which provides new clues for HCC research.

High incidence combination of multiple primary malignant tumors of the digestive system.

BACKGROUND: Clinical reports of multiple primary malignant tumors (MPMTs) in the digestive system are increasing. In China, although the survival rate of patients with MPMTs is increasing, the quality of life is very low. Many patients have reached the advanced stage when the second primary tumor is found, resulting in no early intervention and treatment. This is due to the misunderstanding of MPMTs by clinicians, who treat such tumors as metastases. Therefore, before a patient has a second primary tumor, doctors should understand some common combinations of digestive system MPMTs to provide clinical guidance to the patient. AIM: To explore the high incidence combination of digestive system MPMTs under heterochronism and synchronization. METHODS: A total of 1902 patients with MPMTs at Peking Union Medical College Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. They were divided into metachronous MPMT and synchronous MPMT groups, and then the high incidence combinations of the first primary cancer and the second primary cancer in metachronous cancer and synchronous cancer were sorted. Sex and age differences between metachronous and synchronous tumors were tested by the chi square test and t test, respectively. A P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant, and SPSS version 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, United States) was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Among the 1902 patients with MPMTs confirmed by pathology, 1811 (95.2%) cases were secondary primary cancers, 89 (4.7%) cases were tertiary primary cancers, and 2 (0.1%) cases were quaternary primary cancers. Most (88.2%) of the secondary primary cancers were identified as metachronous multiple primary cancers six months after diagnosis of the first primary cancer. The top ten most common MPMTs in the first primary cancer group ranged from high to low as follows: Breast cancer, thyroid cancer, nonuterine cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, uterine cancer, bladder cancer, rectal cancer, and gastric cancer. The highest incidence rate of the first primary cancer in male metachronous cancer was lung cancer (11.6%), the highest incidence rate of the second primary cancer was still lung cancer (24.9%), the highest incidence rate of the first primary cancer in female metachronous cancer was breast cancer (32.7%), and the highest incidence rate of the second primary cancer was lung cancer (20.8%). Among them, breast cancer, nonuterine cancer and uterine cancer were female-specific malignant tumor types, and thyroid cancer also accounted for 79.6% of female patients. The top five metachronous cancer combinations, independent of female-specific malignant tumor types and thyroid cancer, were colon cancer and lung cancer (26 cases), kidney cancer and lung cancer (25 cases), rectal cancer and lung cancer (20 cases), gastric cancer and lung cancer (17 cases), and bladder cancer and lung cancer (17 cases). The most common synchronous cancer combination was colon cancer and rectal cancer (15 cases). CONCLUSION: Screening for lung cancer should be performed six months after the detection of colon cancer while rectal cancer screening should be performed within six months.

Overexpressed Histocompatibility Minor 13 was Associated with Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression and Prognosis.

Among primary liver carcinoma cases, the proportion of liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) cases is 75%-85%. Current treatments for LIHC include chemotherapy, surgical excision, and liver transplantation, which are effective for early LIHC treatment. Nevertheless, the early symptoms of liver carcinoma are atypical, so a large proportion of LIHC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Histocompatibility minor 13 (HM13), located in the endoplasmic reticulum, is responsible for catalysing the hydrolysis of some signal peptides after cleavage from the precursor protein. Here, we studied the role of HM13 in LIHC development through bioinformatics analysis. Database analysis showed that HM13 was of great significance for LIHC tumorigenesis. Compared to normal liver tissues, HM13 expression was increased to a greater extent in LIHC tissues. After analysis of Kaplan‒Meier plotter and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) datasets, we discovered that highly expressed HM13 exhibited an association with shorter overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and disease-specific survival (DSS). We conducted Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses to analyse HM13-related genes, and the data indicated that these genes obviously participated in rRNA processing, ribosome biogenesis, spliceosome, Huntington's disease, and ATP-dependent helicase activity. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and Transwell assay showed that reducing HM13 expression hindered LIHC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In conclusion, these findings indicate that HM13 is a biomarker and is related to the poor prognosis of LIHC. Our results are conducive to discovering new targets for LIHC treatment.

Post-hepatectomy liver failure prediction and prevention: Development of a nomogram containing postoperative anticoagulants as a risk factor.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is a serious complication after hepatectomy, and its effective methods for preoperative prediction are lacking. Here, we aim to identify predictive factors and build a nomogram to evaluate patients' risk of developing PHLF. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of a training cohort, including 199 patients who underwent hepatectomy at the Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, was conducted. Independent risk variables for PHLF were identified using multivariate analysis of perioperative variables, and a nomogram was used to build a predictive model. To test the predictive power, a prospective study in which a validation cohort of 71 patients was evaluated using the nomogram. The prognostic value of this nomogram was evaluated by the C-index. RESULTS: Independent risk variables for PHLF were identified from perioperative variables. In multivariate analysis of the training cohort, tumor number, Pringle maneuver, blood loss, preoperative platelet count, postoperative ascites and use of anticoagulant medications were determined to be key risk factors for the development of PHLF, and they were selected for inclusion in our nomogram. The nomogram showed a 0.911 C-index for the training cohort. In the validation cohort, the nomogram also showed good prognostic value for predicting PHLF. The validation cohort was used with similarly successful results to evaluate risk in two previously published study models with calculated C-indexes of 0.718 and 0.711. CONCLUSION: Our study establishes for the first time a novel nomogram that can be used to identify patients at risk of developing PHLF.

The Short- and Long-Term Clinical, Radiological and Functional Consequences of COVID-19.

As with the rapid increase of the number of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 globally, there needs to be a major shift of the focus from rapid pathogen detection, treatment and prevention to the promotion of better recovery. Notwithstanding the scarcity of our understandings, recent studies have unraveled a plethora of pulmonary and systemic consequences which require medical attention. These consequences remained as of the end of follow-up which ranged from 1 month to 1 year. Here, we review the consequences of COVID-19 in terms of the residual symptoms, radiological and functional manifestations, and identify the potential risk factors that contribute to a prolonged recovery. We also summarize the benefits of clinical interventions (particularly the pulmonary rehabilitation program), and address several undetermined concerns and key future research directions.

Como consecuencia del rápido aumento del número de pacientes que se han recuperado de la COVID-19 en todo el mundo, es necesario cambiar el enfoque de la detección rápida del patógeno, el tratamiento y la prevención para promover una mejor recuperación. A pesar de la escasez de nuestros conocimientos, estudios recientes han desvelado una plétora de consecuencias pulmonares y sistémicas que requieren atención médica. Estas consecuencias se mantienen al final del seguimiento, que oscila entre 1 mes y 1 año. Aquí se hace una revisión de las consecuencias de la COVID-19 en términos de síntomas residuales y manifestaciones radiológicas y funcionales y se identifican los posibles factores de riesgo que contribuyen a una recuperación demorada. También se resumen los beneficios de las intervenciones clínicas (en particular el programa de rehabilitación pulmonar) y se abordan varias preocupaciones no resueltas y direcciones clave de investigación futura.

Mechanism Analysis of LINC00665 and Its Peptides CIP2A-BP in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: More and more studies show that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have miniature open reading frames that can be translated into short peptides. Here, we identify the long non-coding gene LINC00665 and its short peptides (CIP2A-BP) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore how they contribute to HCC progression. Materials and methods: First, GSE101728 data were acquired through the Gene Expression Omnibus for identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to find enriched biological pathways. Then, further bioinformatics analysis was carried out on the screened long non-coding genes, and LINC00665 expression was detected in HCC and normal liver samples. The relations between LINC00665 expression, HCC prognosis, and clinical characteristics were studied. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was also applied to verify the LINC00665 prediction in HCC prognosis. In addition, pertinent experiments on LINC00665 and CIP2A-BP were also carried out to explore their roles in the progression of HCC. Results: As a result, we screened out 332 DEGs in total, including 130 upregulated and 202 downregulated DEGs. These DEGs were mainly enriched in posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, RNA processing, nucleolus, and gene silencing biological pathways. In addition, we found that LINC00665 was increased in HCC samples, which substantially indicated its poor prognosis. Compared with normal tissues, LINC00665 had higher expression in the pathological stages III and IV, tumor-free groups, people no more than 60 years old, and stages T3, T4, N0, N1, and M1. ROC curve indicated that the variable INC00665 had certain accuracy in predicting overall survival (OS). Moreover, in functional experiments, LINC00665 knockdown could significantly decrease HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while overexpressed CIP2A-BP could markedly increase HCC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Conclusion: Our findings not only disclose a unique mechanism by which CIP2A-BP encoded by LINC00665 promotes HCC carcinogenesis but suggest that these long non-coding genes and short peptides could be used as biomarkers for HCC diagnosis and prognosis and new targets for HCC therapy.

Evaluation of nuclear PGAM2 value in hepatocellular carcinoma prognosis.

Phosphoglycerate mutase (PGAM) is a critical enzyme in glycolysis. PGAM2 is abundant in several types of tissues and malignant tumours. However, there is limited information regarding their clinicopathological significance in dysplastic nodules and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of PGAM2 as a new biomarker for HCC. The PGAM2 expression level was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in liver cirrhosis (n = 10), low-grade dysplastic nodules (n = 15), high-grade dysplastic nodules (n = 15) and HCCs (n = 20) and 178 pairs of HCC and adjacent peritumoral liver tissues. We selected X-tile software for counting cut-point based on the outcomes for prognosis analysis, and used Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression analysis can assess the prognosis of clinicopathologic parameters. Nuclear PGAM2 was significantly overexpressed in peritumoral liver tissues compared with HCC tissues (P = 0.0010). Kaplan-Meier analyses of 178 HCC samples revealed that nuclear PGAM2's high expression level, but not cytoplasmic PGAM2, was significantly related to good overall survival rate (OS). In addition, univariate and multivariate Cox analyses indicated nuclear PGAM2 expression could be regarded as valuable predictors for OS in HCC. PGAM2 was highly expressed in HCC tissues than liver cirrhosis tissues, and nuclear PGAM2's high expression might demonstrate HCC patients have poor postoperative results. Thus, nuclear PGAM2 can be regarded as valuable predictors for OS in HCC patients after surgery.

Association Between Procalcitonin and Post-hepatectomy Liver Failure in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients.

Objectives: Procalcitonin (PCT) has long been proved as an early diagnostic signal for postoperative outcomes. The purpose of this study is to explore the value of serum procalcitonin levels in predicting post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF), and further to declarethe relationship between postoperative PCT and short-term prognosis in patients after hepatectomy. Methods: Clinical data of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent hepatectomy from June 1st, 2019 to September 31st, 2020 at Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital had been retrospectively analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors related to PHLF. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the PHLF rate and 30-day survival after surgery. Results: A total of 885 patients with complete data were finally included in analysis, 311 of them with elevated serum PCT (≥1 ng/ml). Results of the logistic regression analysis suggested a significant association between PCT and PHLF [HR, 95%CI; 3.801 (1.825, 7.917), p < 0.001]. Other significant risk factors for PHLF included portal hypertension, portal blocking time (>30 min) and blood transfusion (>200 ml). Kaplan-Meier analysis also suggested a higher PHLF rate in elevated PCT patients [9.0% (95% CI, 7.3 to 12.8 VS. 1.9% (95% CI, 1.1-4.3)); p < 0.001]. For secondary outcomes, elevated PCT was also highly associated with postoperative sepsis, ICU admission, 30-day mortality and 3-month mortality. Conclusion: Elevated procalcitonin level in patients after hepatectomy is related to higher PHLF rate, with lower 30-day survival and poor short-term postoperative outcomes.

[Effects of exercise intervention on mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c in the germ cells of obese men].

Mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c (MOTS-c) is a newly discovered mitochondrial-derived peptide with the main functions of promoting glucose metabolism and reducing adipose tissue. MOTS-c was found to be a substance that can mimic the motor effect and improve the motor ability. It is sex-related and the circulating MOTS-c level is decreased in obese males. Obesity can cause male reproductive dysfunction, while exercise can improve obesity-induced reduction of male reproductive function. This article discusses the effect of exercise intervention on the mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c in the germ cells of obese men.

Diverse Polycyclic Polyprenylated Acylphloroglucinol Congeners with Anti-Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Activity from Hypericum forrestii.

The new polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols, hyperforcinols A-J (1-10), were isolated from the fruits of Hypericum forrestii, together with 30 biogenetic congeners of known structures. The structures of hyperforcinols A-J were determined by HRESIMS and 1D/2D NMR spectroscopic analysis, and their absolute configurations were determined by a combination of the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) exciton chirality method, ECD calculations, and X-ray diffraction analysis. A selection of 25 isolates, possessing seven types of carbon skeletons, were assessed for their in vitro effects against nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) using a free fatty acid-induced L02 cell model. Compounds 20 and 40 significantly decreased intracellular lipid accumulation. QRT-PCR analyses revealed that compounds 20 and 40 regulate the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes, including CD36, FASN, PPARα, and ACOX1.

MISSIM: An Incremental Learning-Based Model With Applications to the Prediction of miRNA-Disease Association.

In the past few years, the prediction models have shown remarkable performance in most biological correlation prediction tasks. These tasks traditionally use a fixed dataset, and the model, once trained, is deployed as is. These models often encounter training issues such as sensitivity to hyperparameter tuning and "catastrophic forgetting" when adding new data. However, with the development of biomedicine and the accumulation of biological data, new predictive models are required to face the challenge of adapting to change. To this end, we propose a computational approach based on Broad learning system (BLS) to predict potential disease-associated miRNAs that retain the ability to distinguish prior training associations when new data need to be adapted. In particular, we are introducing incremental learning to the field of biological association prediction for the first time and proposed a new method for quantifying sequence similarity. In the performance evaluation, the AUC in the 5-fold cross-validation was 0.9400 +/- 0.0041. To better assess the effectiveness of MISSIM, we compared it with various classifiers and former prediction models. Its performance is superior to the previous method. Besides, the case study on identifying miRNAs associated with breast neoplasms, lung neoplasms and esophageal neoplasms show that 34, 36 and 35 out of the top 40 associations predicted by MISSIM are confirmed by recent biomedical resources. These results provide ample convincing evidence of this approach have potential value and prospect in promoting biomedical research productivity.

Identification of Interleukin-9 Producing Immune Cells in Endometrial Carcinoma and Establishment of a Prognostic Nomogram.

Background: Interleukin-9 (IL9) plays a critical role in immunity and the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer (EC), especially endometrioid EC (EEC). This study aimed to identify the IL9+ immune cell subsets and their pleiotropic functions and establish an optimized prognostic nomogram towards the promotion of personalized treatment of EEC. Methods: 1,417 EC patients were involved in the present study. 143 patients from the tertiary gynecology centers in Shanghai between 2013 and 2019 were recruited, and the study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital. The genomic data of the other 1,274 patients were extracted from the TCGA and the MSKCC datasets, respectively. Immune and stromal scores were calculated using the ESTIMATE R tool, and the tumor infiltration of immune cells was analyzed using the TIMER platform. Metascape and GEPIA datasets were used for bioinformatic analysis. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All statistical analyses were performed with GraphPad Prism and R studio. Results: 552 genes that were correlated with leukocyte infiltration, lymphocyte activation, and regulation of innate immune response were up-regulated in the high immune score group. More IL9+ cell infiltration was detected in the highly and moderately differentiated EC (p = 0.04). High IL9+ lymphocyte infiltration was related to a better overall survival (p = 0.0027). IL9 positive cell clusters included ILC2s, Vδ2 γδT cells, mast cells, macrophages, and Th9 cells. Parameters such as FIGO stage, IL9 score, Vδ2 + γδT cell infiltration, classification of differentiation, and diabetes mellitus were assigned a weighted number of points in the nomogram for a specific predicted 3-, 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS). IL9-IL9R axis played a vital role in EEC, IL9R positive cell subgroups were also identified, and the related function was analyzed in the present study. Additionally, PR (Progesterone Receptor, or PGR) expression was relevant to a higher density of IL9+ lymphocyte infiltration. However, PGRMC1 (Progesterone Receptor Membrane Component 1) was negatively relevant to IL9R (p = 4.26e-8). Conclusion: We observed a significant infiltration of IL9+ cells and the overrepresentation of IL-9R in tissue specimens of patients in EC cases. The nomogram incorporating the IL9 could accurately predict individualized survival probability in EEC. Additionally, this study not only established a prognostic nomogram but also assist in the firmer understanding of the relevance of the IL9-IL9R axis and IL9-producing cells in EC immunity.

[Comparison on feeding habits of Cervus wallichii and sympatric ungulates and domestic animals in green grass period]. / 西藏马鹿与同域野生有蹄类、家畜草青期食性比较.

Tibetan red deer (Cervus wallichii) is an endemic species to China, which was once considered extinct in the wild. As there are several other wild ungulates and domestic animals with similar feeding habits within its habitat range, it's thus essential to study interspecific competition and co-existence between Tibetan red deer and other cohabiting ungulates in the highly unique environment of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Using microscopic analysis on fresh fecal samples collected in Sangri Tibetan Red Deer Nature Reserve from August to September in 2013 and 2014, the trophic niche width and overlap index were calculated on the basis of diet composition of C. wallichii, Cervus albirostris, Procapra picticaudata, Bos mutus and Capra hircas in green grass period. We analyzed and compared the overlap and differentiation of feeding habits between Tibetan red deer and other wild ungulates and domestic animals. The results showed that C. wallichii fed on similar edible plants with other species, but differed in proportion of different dietary components, with the main edible plants of C. wallichii being mostly the secondary edible plants to other species. Leontopodium pusillum was the common main edible plant for C. wallichii (percentage in animal recipes was 11.2%) and B. mutus (10.2%), Salix xizangensis was the common main edible plant of C. wallichii (9.6%) and C. albirostris (11.4%). At plant family level, Leguminosae was the common main edible plant family for C. wallichii (21.4%) and P. picticaudata (42.5%). Cyperaceae was the common main edible plant family for C. albirostris (49.2%), B. mutus (33.4%) and C. hircas (50.3%). Compositae was main edible plant family for C. wallichii (29.6%), as well as the secondary edible plant family for C. albirostris (7.6%), P. picticaudata (11.6%), B. mutus (17.3%) and C. hircas (14.1%). As the secondary edible plant family for C. wallichii (7.1%), Gramineae took up a lower proportion than that of the other ungulates (C. albirostris (13.6%), P. picticaudata (12.3%), B. mutus (11.5%) and C. hircas (16.0%)). Food overlap indices between C. wallichii and the other ungulates were all higher than 0.5, and the highest with B. mutus (0.65). The food diversity index (1.32), evenness index (0.37) and niche width index (15.79) of C. wallichii were all at high values. Compared with the results from 2007 to 2008, dietary composition of Tibetan red deer changed greatly as the proportion of Leguminosae increased while that of Cyperaceae decreased, resulting in improvement of food quality. In addition, there was greater competition of food resources between C. wallichii and domestic animals, which would further affect the distribution range and living space of C. wallichii.

Lrrc34 Is Highly Expressed in SSCs and Is Necessary for SSC Expansion In Vitro.

Objective To discover critical genes contributing to the stemness and maintenance of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and provide new insights into the function of the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) family member Lrrc34 (leucine-rich repeat-containing 34) in SSCs from mice. Methods Bioinformatic methods, including differentially expressed gene (DEG), gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, were used to uncover latent pluripotency-related genes. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence analyses were utilized to verify the mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively. RNA interference of Lrrc34 using siRNA was performed to detect its transient impact on SSCs. Results Eight DEGs between ID4-EGFP+ (G) and ID4-EGFP+/TSPAN8High (TH), eight DEGs between G and ID4-EGFP+/TSPAN8Low (TL) and eleven DEGs between TH and TL were discovered, and eleven protein-protein interaction (PPI) modules were found to be significant in the PPI network of DEGs. One of the DEGs, Lrrc34, was selected as a potential pluripotency-related gene due to its differential expression among ID4-EGFP+ spermatogonia subsets and its interaction with fibroblast growth factor 2 in the fifth module. Immunofluorescence experiments exhibited specific expression of Lrrc34 in a subpopulation of undifferentiated spermatogonia marked by LIN28A, and RT-PCR experiments confirmed the high expression of Lrrc34 in SSCs from P7 and adult mice. The transient knockdown of Lrrc34 in SSCs resulted in reduced colony sizes and significant changes in the transcriptome and apoptotic pathways. Conclusion Lrrc34 is highly expressed in mouse SSCs and is required for SSC proliferation in vitro through effects on transcriptome and signaling transduction pathways.

The Effects of Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health/Family Planning Intervention Based on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Among the Domestic Migrant Population of Reproductive Age in China: A Randomized Community Study.

Background: Domestic migrant populations are highly mobilized at a sexually active age, and often fail to meet their needs for contraception. Moreover, they assume sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks and utilize fewer family planning services. Method: A quasi-experimental trial (community intervention) was adopted. Two-stage stratified cluster sampling was applied to recruit participants in Beijing and Chongqing. A comprehensive SRH/family planning intervention was implemented from August 4 2014 to August 3 2015. Propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariate probit models were adopted. Results: In total, 2100 and 2024 eligible participants were involved, and 815 and 629 pairs were matched by PSM in Beijing and Chongqing, respectively. The knowledge and attitudes of the participants regarding SRH and contraception were significantly improved through the comprehensive intervention. Reversible contraceptive methods were the most prevalent; couples largely decided to utilize condoms and family planning services. Conclusions: The comprehensive intervention had positive effects on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) for SRH/family planning among the domestic migrant population. The results acquired can be extrapolated to some extent, and the pattern of this intervention is well geared toward other similar settings in China.