BACKGROUND: Surgical resection is an important curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, some patients experience an unexpected recurrence even after hepatectomy. The present ...study aimed to investigate risk factors and predictive criteria for early and late recurrence of HCC after resection.METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 398 Chinese patients who received curative resection for HCC was conducted. Patients were divided into three groups: without recurrence, early recurrence and late recurrence. Prognostic factors and predictive criteria for early and late recurrence were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The cumulative recurrence-free survival rates at1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years were 75.5%, 58.2%, 54.1%, 40.5%, and28.7%, respectively. The distribution of the time to recurrence suggested that recurrence could be divided into early phase(before 2 years; n=164) and late phase (after 2 years; n=83)Cox’s multivariate proportional hazard model analysis revealed that multiplicity of tumors (P=0.004) and venous infiltration(P=0.002) were independent risk factors associated with early recurrence. In contrast, indocyanine green retention rate at 15minutes (P=0.007), serum albumin level (P=0.045), and HBeAg status ( =0.028) proved to be significant independent adverse prognostic factors for late recurrence. Patients with at least 1of the 2 early recurrence risk factors (multiplicity of tumors ≥2and venous infiltration) or with 2 or more late recurrence risk factors are often susceptible to recurrence (P=1.36e-4 and 1.0e-6respectively).CONCLUSIONS: Early and late recurrences correlate with different risk factors and predictive criteria. Early recurrence primarily results from intrahepatic metastases, while late recurrence may be multicentric in origin.
The behavior of luminol electrochemiluminescence (ECL) at a paraffin-impregnated graphite electrode (PIGE) at different applied potentials was studied. Five ECL peaks were observed at 0.31, 0.59, ...1.09, 1.54, and −0.58 V versus SCE, respectively, being related to potential scan direction and ranges, N2, O2, pH of the solution, and KCl concentration. The emission spectra of various ECL peaks at different potentials showed that all ECL peaks were initiated by luminol reactions. X-ray diffraction demonstrated that a simple mixture was formed between graphite and paraffin. The fluorescence spectra on the surface of the PIGE suggested that certain groups on the graphite were oxidized when the positive potential was applied to the electrode. In the presence of O2, three main ECL peaks were obtained in 0.1 mol/L KCl at pH 12.2. The ECL peak at 0.59 V with a shoulder is likely due to the reaction of luminol radicals with O2 and further electrooxidation of luminol radicals. The ECL peak at 1.54 V was suggested to be due to the electrooxidation of OH- to HO2 - at higher potential and then to O2 •-, which reacted with luminol to produce light emission. Moreover, the oxygen-containing functional groups formed by the oxidation of the surface of the graphite electrode might enhance the ECL. At −0.58 V, the dissolved oxygen in solution was reduced to HO2 -, resulting in light emission. At a potential higher than 1.64 V, ClO- was formed, leading to a broad emission wave and enhancement of the ECL peak at −0.58 V upon the reversal scan. Under nitrogen atmosphere, an ECL peak appeared at 1.09 V. At this potential, OH- was oxidized to O2, followed by the reaction with luminol to generate light emission. At pH 13.2 or 0.5 mol/L KCl, the shoulder of the ECL peak at 0.59 V became an ECL peak at 0.31 V. The conversion of luminol radicals into excited 3-aminophthalate may undergo two routes. Under these conditions, two routes might proceed at a different rate to form another ECL peak. It is concluded that luminol ECL could be readily excited by various oxygen-containing species electrogenerated at different applied potentials. Three strong ECL peaks obtained at different potentials on the PIGE might be of a potential to improve analyticalselectivity and sensitivity for the detection of some analytes.
Anodic near-infrared electrochemiluminescence (ECL) from CdTe quantum dots was achieved at low potential on a glass carbon electrode and a strategy for greatly enhanced band-gap ECL was presented.
Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have played a critical role in cellular biological functions. Recently, some peptides or proteins originating from annotated ncRNAs were identified in organism development and ...various diseases. Here, we briefly review several novel peptides translated by annotated ncRNAs and related key functions. In addition, we summarize the potential mechanism of bifunctional ncRNAs and propose a specific "switch" triggering the transformation from the noncoding to the coding state under certain stimuli or cellular stress. The coding properties of ncRNAs and their peptide products may provide a novel horizon in proteomic research and can be regarded as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of various diseases.
Objectives. Type 2 diabetic kidney disease (DKD), a chronic microvascular complication of diabetes, may exhibit a complex interrelation with coagulation function. This study is aimed at elucidating ...the association between coagulation function and DKD. Methods. This was a real-world observational study conducted in Beijing, involving 2,703 participants. All patients with diabetes were classified into two groups, viz., DKD and non-DKD groups. Effect magnitudes are denoted as odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). To mitigate potential bias in group comparisons, we employed propensity score matching (PSM). Results. After adjusting for variables such as age, gender, systolic blood pressure (SBP), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), triglyceride (TG), c-reactive protein (CRP), platelet (PLT), and serum albumin (sALB), it was discerned that fibrinogen (FIB) (OR, 95% CI, P: 1.565, 1.289-1.901, <0.001) and fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) (1.203, 1.077-1.344, 0.001) were significantly correlated with an increased risk of DKD. To facilitate clinical applications, a nomogram prediction model was established, demonstrating commendable accuracy for DKD prediction. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that elevated levels of FIB and FDP serve as potential risk indicators for DKD, and coagulation function may play an important role in the occurrence and development of DKD.
Ticks are important vectors of zoonotic diseases and play a major role in the circulation and transmission of many rickettsial species. The aim of this study was to investigate the carriage of ...Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae (CRT) in a total of 1168 ticks collected in Inner Mongolia to elucidate the potential public health risk of this pathogen, provide a basis for infectious disease prevention, control and prediction and contribute diagnostic ideas for clinical diseases that present with fever in populations exposed to ticks. A total of four tick species, Haemaphysalis concinna (n = 21), Dermacentor nuttalli (n = 122), Hyalomma marginatum (n = 148), and Ixodes persulcatus (n = 877), were collected at nine sampling sites in Inner Mongolia, China, and identified by morphological and molecular biological methods. Reverse transcription PCR targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA (rrs), gltA, groEL, ompB and Sca4 genes was used to detect CRT DNA. Sequencing was used for pathogen species confirmation. The molecular epidemiological analysis showed that three species of ticks were infected with CRT, and the overall positive rate was as high as 42%. The positive rate of I. persulcatus collected in Hinggan League city was up to 96%, and that of I. persulcatus collected in Hulun Buir city was 50%. The pool positive rates of D. nuttalli and H. marginatum collected in Bayan Nur city and H. concinna collected in Hulun Buir city were 0%, 28% and 40%, respectively. This study revealed the high prevalence of CRT infection in ticks from Inner Mongolia and the first confirmation of CRT detected in H. marginatum in China. The wide host range and high infection rate in Inner Mongolia may dramatically increase the exposure of CRT to humans and other vertebrates. The role of H. marginatum in the transmission of rickettsiosis and its potential risk to public health should be further considered.
A new megastimane sesquiterpenoid, cassianol A (1), and five known analogues (2-6) were isolated from the leaves extract of Cinnamomum cassia. Their structures were elucidated by extensive ...spectroscopic methods and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. All the isolates were isolated from C. cassia for the first time. The anti-inflammatory activities of compounds 1-6 were evaluated against nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages.
Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz. is a famous medicinal plant. Scutellarin and chlorogenic acids are the primary active components in this herb. However, the mechanisms of biosynthesis and ...regulation for scutellarin and chlorogenic acids in E. breviscapus are considerably unknown. In addition, genomic information of this herb is also unavailable.
Using Illumina sequencing on GAIIx platform, a total of 64,605,972 raw sequencing reads were generated and assembled into 73,092 non-redundant unigenes. Among them, 44,855 unigenes (61.37%) were annotated in the public databases Nr, Swiss-Prot, KEGG, and COG. The transcripts encoding the known enzymes involved in flavonoids and in chlorogenic acids biosynthesis were discovered in the Illumina dataset. Three candidate cytochrome P450 genes were discovered which might encode flavone 6-hydroase converting apigenin to scutellarein. Furthermore, 4 unigenes encoding the homologues of maize P1 (R2R3-MYB transcription factors) were defined, which might regulate the biosynthesis of scutellarin. Additionally, a total of 11,077 simple sequence repeat (SSR) were identified from 9,255 unigenes. Of SSRs, tri-nucleotide motifs were the most abundant motif. Thirty-six primer pairs for SSRs were randomly selected for validation of the amplification and polymorphism. The result revealed that 34 (94.40%) primer pairs were successfully amplified and 19 (52.78%) primer pairs exhibited polymorphisms.
Using next generation sequencing (NGS) technology, this study firstly provides abundant genomic data for E. breviscapus. The candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis and transcriptional regulation of scutellarin and chlorogenic acids were obtained in this study. Additionally, a plenty of genetic makers were generated by identification of SSRs, which is a powerful tool for molecular breeding and genetics applications in this herb.
Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses are important zoonoses, threatening human health seriously and gradually attracting more attention in the world. SFG rickettsiae are classified as neglected ...pathogens. If these pathogens are detected at all, they are usually recognized very late in the infection through indirect detection of specific antibodies. Previous studies have shown that
Rickettsia raoultii
(
R
.
raoultii
), a member of the SFG rickettsiae, occurs with increasing incidence in remote countries. Therefore, a rapid detection method for
R
.
raoultii
is in urgently need. In this study, a
R
.
raoultii
diagnosis method by closed dumbbell-mediated isothermal amplification (R-CDA) assay targeting a conserved sequence of the outer membrane protein A (
OmpA
) gene with high sensitivity and specificity was developed. This assay offered a rapid and simple method for on-site detection of
R
.
raoultii
. Firstly, four pairs of R-CDA primers were designed and the optimum primer set was selected to amplify target gene specifically and effectively. Then, a pair of outer primer was designed to accelerate the reaction based on the inner primers to establish the RO-CDA reaction. In addition, the results of real-time amplification curves, melting curves and end-point colorimetric judgements showed that the established visual RO-CDA reaction could accurately detect
R
.
raoultii
without cross-reaction with other closely related pathogens. Furthermore, the detection limit of visual RO-CDA assay was 10 copies/μL, which was feasible for on-site detection with merits of easy-operation, rapidity, high sensitivity, and specificity. In conclusion, the developed RO-CDA detection method could be helpful for pathogen screening and epidemic prevention at the point of care.
Osteosarcoma is the most common bone tumor that occurs in children.
To identify co-expression modules and pathways correlated with osteosarcoma and its clinical characteristics, we performed weighted ...gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) on RNA-seq data of osteosarcoma with 52 samples. Then we performed pathway enrichment analysis on genes from significant modules.
A total of 5471 genes were included in WGCNA, and 16 modules were identified. Module-trait analysis identified that a module involved in microtubule bundle formation, drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, and IL-17 signaling pathway was negatively correlated with osteosarcoma and positively correlated with metastasis; a module involved in DNA replication was positively correlated with osteosarcoma; a module involved in cell junction was positively correlated with metastasis; and a module involved in heparin binding negatively correlated with osteosarcoma. Moreover, expression levels in four of the top ten differentially expressed genes were validated in another independent dataset.
Our analysis might provide insight for molecular mechanisms of osteosarcoma.
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