Background and Aims: Postendoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (PEP) is one of the most common and serious complications after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography ...(ERCP). This study aims to test the hypothesis that the incidence of PEP declined over time due to improved patient selection and/or endoscopic equipment and endoscopic techniques. Therefore, we compared the incidence and risk factors of PEP between four arbitrary chronologically stratified groups. Methods: A total of 7,168 cases of ERCP procedures were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different developmental stages of ERCP equipment and techniques, cases were divided into four groups. The incidence rates and major risk factors for acute PEP were compared between groups. Results: Among the 7,168 cases, the overall incidence of PEP was 3.70% (265/7,168). When analyzed against each stage of ERCP development, the incidence of PEP was 4.09% (77/1,884) in stage I, 5.79% (86/1,489) in stage II, 3.95% (62/1,568) in stage III and 1.80% (40/2,227) in stage IV. By univariate analysis, pancreatic stent placement (OR: 0.300) and use of propofol-balanced anesthesia (OR: 0.632) seem to be protective factors for acute PEP. By multivariate analysis, the following risk factors for PEP could be identified: repeated cannulation (OR: 3.462), pancreatic duct injection (OR: 3.218), balloon dilation of biliary sphincter (OR: 2.847), papillae precut (OR: 2.493), nonselective high-pressure injection (OR: 1.428), excessive electrocoagulation incision (OR: 1.263), history of pancreatitis (OR: 3.843) and suspected sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (OR: 1.782). Conclusions: Improved technical procedures were associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of PEP. Risks for developing PEP may be minimized by constant improvement in ERCP techniques, such as routine use of a guidewire, highly selective cannulation, pancreatic stent placement and cautious incision.
To investigate the relationship of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) polymorphisms COX-2 −765 G/C (rs 20417) and susceptibility to hepatitis B-related liver cancer in Han Chinese population. The polymorphisms ...of COX-2 −765 G/C was detected by polymerase chain reaction based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 300 patients with hepatitis B, 300 patients with cirrhosis, 300 patients with primary liver carcinoma and 300 health controls. The COX-2 −765 G/C genotypes were GG, GC and CC. There frequencies in the hepatitis B patients were 80.33, 17.67 and 2.00%; in the cirrhosis patients were 77.67, 18.00 and 4.33%; in the patients with primary liver carcinoma were 65.67, 28.33 and 6.00% and in the heathy controls were 87.00, 12.33 and 0.67%, respectively, COX-2 −765 C allele carriers had an increased risk of hepatitis B-related liver cancer. COX-2 −765 C allele carriers having drinking history or family history of liver cancer had higher risk for HCC. COX-2 −765 C allele genotype, drinking history and family history of liver cancer may increase the susceptibility to hepatitis B-related liver cancer in Gansu province, China.
Cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2, also known as prostaglandin synthase 2) influences carcinogenesis through regulation of angiogenesis, apoptosis, and cytokine expression. COX-2 is encoded by the gene PTGS2. ...Several studies have suggested that PTGS2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are involved in gastrointestinal carcinogenesis. In this study, we observed the PTGS2 Val511Ala (5939T/C) polymorphism in the Chinese population for the first time, and investigated whether this polymorphism might contribute to gastric cancer in a case-control study conducted in the Gansu province of China, a high-risk area for gastric cancer.
We determined the genotypes of 110 gastric cancer patients and 138 controls using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Data were statistically analyzed using a chi-squared test and a logistic regression model.
In our analysis, PTGS2 5939C allele carriers were at increased risk of gastric cancer (odds ratio OR 1.742; 95% confidence interval CI 1.009, 3.005; p = 0.045). We also found an interaction between Helicobacter pylori infection, a family history of gastric cancer, and presence of the 5939C allele. This study further indicated that H. pylori-positive status and family history jointly contribute to a higher risk of gastric cancer.
PI3K/AKT constitutes an important pathway regulating the signaling of multiple biological processes and plays a critical role in carcinogenesis.
PIK3CA
gene missense mutations have been reported in ...many human cancer types. The mutation of it in hepatocellular carcinoma cases varies with different races and regions. In this study, we investigated
PIK3CA
mutation in Chinese hepatocellular carcinoma patients. A total 90 Chinese patients of hepatocellular carcinoma were recruited in this study. Exons 9 and 20 hotspots mutations of
PIK3CA
gene were detected by PCR-based DNA sequencing. Two point mutations (E542K and D549H) in exon 9 were found in only one patient (1/90; 1.11%), no mutation was found in exon 20 in any cases. 57 patients are associated with HBV infection (57/90; 63.3%), and 8 patients with HCV infection (8/90; 8.9%). The frequency of the
PIK3CA
mutations in hepatocellular carcinoma seems to be lower in Chinese hepatocellular carcinoma patients. These findings suggest that PI3K mutations may not play a major role in hepatic carcinogenesis in Chinese. HBV infection has close relationship with HCC in Chinese.
Introduction PARP-1 plays important role in the BER (base excision repair) and maintenance of genomic integrity. Previous study found the Val762Ala genetic variant in the PARP-1 gene contributed to ...susceptibility of some cancers and decreased PARP-1 enzyme activity in response to oxidative damage. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection was thought to be one of the major causes of gastric cancer. In this study, we investigated the association between the PARP-1 Val762Ala polymorphism, CagA super(+) H. pylori infection, and the risk for gastric cancer. Methods This hospital-based, case-control study was performed involving 556 individuals (236 cases with gastric cancer and 320 controls without evidence of neoplasm and gastrointestinal disease) using a PCR-RFLP method. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to count OR and 95% CI. Results 762Ala/Ala genotype was overrepresented in the cases (16.9%) compared with controls (10.3%), (OR, 1.942; 95% CI, 1.157-3.257, P=0.011). Multivariate analysis showed that two factors were significantly associated with risk of gastric cancer, including CagA super(+) H. pylori infection (OR, 2.562; 95% CI, 1.174-5.240, P=0.037), PARP-1 762AA genotype (OR, 1.772; 95% CI, 1.065-3.867; P=0.042). Stratification analysis indicated that among Cag super(+) H. pylori positive subjects, 762Ala/Ala carriers had higher risk for developing gastric cancer compared with 762Val/Val carrier (OR, 2.337; 95% CI, 1.148-4.758; P=0.017). Conclusion PARP-1 762Ala/Ala could be a risk factor for gastric cancer in Han Chinese population; PARP-1 762Val/Ala polymorphism and Cag super(+) H. pylori infection jointly contribute to higher risk for gastric cancer.
Background:Diverse tacrolimus population pharmacokinetic models in adult liver transplant recipients have been established to describe the PK characteristics of tacrolimus in the last two decades. ...However, their extrapolated predictive performance remains unclear.Therefore,in this study,we aimed to evaluate their external predictability and identify their potential influencing factors. Methods:The external predictability of each selected popPK model was evaluated using an independent dataset of 84 patients with 572 trough concentrations prospectively collected from Huashan Hospital. Prediction and simulation based diagnostics and Bayesian forecasting were conducted to evaluate model predictability. Furthermore, the effect of model structure on the predictive performance was investigated.Results:Sixteen published popPK models were assessed. In prediction-based diagnostics,the prediction error within 30% was below 50% in all the published models. The simulation based normalised prediction distribution error test and visual predictive check indicated large discrepancies between the observations and simulations in most of the models. Bayesian forecasting showed improvement in model predictability with two to three prior observations. Additionally, the predictive performance of the nonlinear Michaelis Menten model was superior to that of linear compartment models,indicating the underlying nonlinear kinetics of tacrolimus in liver transplant recipients.Conclusions:The published models performed inadequately in prediction and simulation based diagnostics. Bayesian forecasting may improve the predictive performance of the models. Furthermore, nonlinear kinetics of tacrolimus may be mainly caused by the properties of the drug itself, and incorporating nonlinear kinetics may be considered to improve model predictability.
To study the effect of lncRNA WT1-AS on oxidative stress injury (OSI) and apoptosis of neurons in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its specific mechanisms related to the microRNA-375 (miR-375)/SIX4 axis ...and WT1 expression.
After bioinformatic prediction, WT1-AS was found to be downregulated in Aβ
treated SH-SY5Y cells, and WT1-AS overexpression inhibited WT1 expression. WT1 could target miR-375 to promote its expression. miR-375 bound to SIX4, and miR-375 overexpression inhibited SIX4 expression. WT1-AS inhibited OSI and apoptosis, while WT1 and miR-375 overexpression or SIX4 silencing reversed the WT1-AS effect on OSI and apoptosis.
experiments revealed that WT1-AS improved learning/memory abilities and inhibited OSI and apoptosis in AD mice.
Overexpression of WT1-AS can inhibit the miR-375/SIX4 axis, OSI and neuronal apoptosis in AD by inhibiting WT1 expression.
Related lncRNAs were identified, and miR-375 downstream targets were predicted. WT1-AS, WT1, miR-375 and SIX4 expression was detected in a cell model induced by Aβ
. The binding of WT1 with miR-375 and that of miR-375 with SIX4 were further confirmed. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, and apoptosis levels were tested after mitochondrial membrane potential observation. Learning/memory abilities and neuronal apoptosis were tested in a mouse model.
BackgroundChina’s sex ratio at birth (SRB) has declined in the past decade but still exceeds the normal level. This study seeks to depict the SRB trend in the past two decades.MethodsWe depicted the ...SRB trend, including SRB by birth order, children composition, residence and hukou type, education, race and province using latest data available from multiple data sources and standardisation and decomposition methods.ResultsThe SRB remained around 120 in the first decade from 2000 to 2010, and recently declined and approached the normal level during 2010–2020. The SRB for second births and first births converged to the normal level, whereas the SRB for third and above births exceeded the normal level. The rising proportion of second births increased, whereas the decreasing proportion of first births reduced the overall SRB. Parents with only daughters are more likely to abort a female fetus in pursuit of a son, while parents with only sons are more likely to abort a male fetus in pursuit of a daughter. It also shows difference in SRB by residence, hukou type, educational attainment and race. Urban SRB was lower than rural SRB, by the residence and hukou type, but higher than rural SRB after being standardised. Provinces still exhibit differences by original categorised policy even after the implementation of the universal two-child policy.ConclusionsChina’s SRB has declined substantially during the past two decades, but the negative effects need to be tackled.
The synchronization and group behaviors of self-excited coupled oscillators are common in nature and deserve to be explored, for self-excited motions have the advantages of actively collecting energy ...from the environment, being autonomous, making equipment portable, and so on. Based on light-powered self-excited oscillators composed of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) bars, the synchronization of two self-excited coupled oscillators is theoretically studied. Numerical calculations show that self-excited oscillations of the system have two synchronization modes, in-phase mode and anti-phase mode, which are mainly determined by their interaction. The time histories of various quantities are calculated to elucidate the mechanism of self-excited oscillation and synchronization. For strong interactions, the system always develops into in-phase synchronization mode, while for weak interaction, the system will evolve into anti-phase synchronization mode. Furthermore, the effects of initial conditions, contraction coefficient, light intensity, and damping coefficient on the two synchronization modes of the self-excited oscillation are investigated extensively. The initial condition generally does not affect the synchronization mode and its amplitude. The amplitude of self-oscillation always increases with increasing contraction coefficient, gravitational acceleration, and light intensity, while it decreases with the increasing damping coefficient. This work will deepen people's understanding of the synchronization behaviors of self-excited coupled oscillators, and the theoretical framework could be extended to scenarios involving large-scale synchronization of the systems with numerous interacting oscillators.
The specific monitoring of physiological highly reactive oxygen species (hROS) using fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) remains a challenge for scientists. Herein, SLB-AuNC was first synthesized ...via an ecofriendly one-pot method using starch as a template, l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) as a reducing and a capping agent, and boric acid as a protecting agent for the catechol moiety of l-DOPA. The ingenious introduction of starch and boric acid enhanced the dispersibility, quantum yield, and photostability of fluorescent SLB-AuNCs. The obtained SLB-AuNCs possessed good monodispersity with an average diameter of 2.9 ± 0.8 nm and exhibited highly stable fluorescence with maximum emission at 480 nm under physiological conditions. A ratiometric fluorescent probe for hROS was developed through an oxidization-regulated Förster-resonance-energy-transfer process between SLB-AuNCs and 2,3-diaminophenazine (the oxidative product of hROS and o-phenylenediamine, with maximum fluorescence emission at 560 nm). With increasing amount of hROS, the outstanding fluorescence variation of the probe (I 560 nm/I 480 nm) enhanced about 300-fold, accompanied with a distinguishable color change from cyan to yellow. The detection limits of •OH, ClO–, and ONOO– were calculated as 0.11, 0.50, and 0.69 μM, respectively. High selectivity was achieved using o-phenylenediamine as a specific signal response for hROS to enable no interference reaction of other ROS toward SLB-AuNCs. The practicability of the proposed probe with super biocompatibility was evaluated by measuring exogenous and endogenous hROS levels in HeLa cells through fluorescence imaging. This work provides a novel strategy to design fluorescent AuNC probes for physiological hROS with great potential for the application of bioassay and bioimaging.
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