Mechanism of Iron Ion Homeostasis in Intestinal Immunity and Gut Microbiota Remodeling.

Iron is a vital trace element that plays an important role in humans and other organisms. It plays an active role in the growth, development, and reproduction of bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria. Iron deficiency or excess can negatively affect bacterial hosts. Studies have reported a major role of iron in the human intestine, which is necessary for maintaining body homeostasis and intestinal barrier function. Organisms can maintain their normal activities and regulate some cancer cells in the body by regulating iron excretion and iron-dependent ferroptosis. In addition, iron can modify the interaction between hosts and microorganisms by altering their growth and virulence or by affecting the immune system of the host. Lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus), and Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) were reported to increase trace elements, protect the host intestinal barrier, mitigate intestinal inflammation, and regulate immune function. This review article focuses on the two aspects of the iron and gut and generally summarizes the mechanistic role of iron ions in intestinal immunity and the remodeling of gut microbiota.

Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a medium-sized city with traditional communities during the early COVID-19 epidemic in China.

The nationwide COVID-19 epidemic ended in 2020, a few months after its outbreak in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019. Most COVID-19 cases occurred in Hubei Province, with a few local outbreaks in other provinces of China. A few studies have reported the early SARS-CoV-2 epidemics in several large cities or provinces of China. However, information regarding the early epidemics in small and medium-sized cities, where there are still traditionally large families and community culture is more strongly maintained and thus, transmission profiles may differ, is limited. In this study, we characterized 60 newly sequenced SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Anyang as a representative of small and medium-sized Chinese cities, compared them with more than 400 reference genomes from the early outbreak, and studied the SARS-CoV-2 transmission profiles. Genomic epidemiology revealed multiple SARS-CoV-2 introductions in Anyang and a large-scale expansion of the epidemic because of the large family size. Moreover, our study revealed two transmission patterns in a single outbreak, which were attributed to different social activities. We observed the complete dynamic process of single-nucleotide polymorphism development during community transmission and found that intrahost variant analysis was an effective approach to studying cluster infections. In summary, our study provided new SARS-CoV-2 transmission profiles representative of small and medium-sized Chinese cities as well as information on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 strains during the early COVID-19 epidemic in China.

Analysis of clinical features and early warning signs in patients with severe COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Although previous studies have described the clinical aspects of COVID-19, few studies have focused on the early detection of severe COVID-19. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the predictors of severe COVID-19 and to compare clinical features between patients with severe COVID-19 and those with less severe COVID-19. Patients admitted to designated hospital in the Henan Province of China who were either discharged or died prior to February 15, 2020 were enrolled retrospectively. Additionally, patients who underwent at least one of the following treatments were assigned to the severe group: continuous renal replacement therapy, high-flow oxygen absorption, noninvasive and invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The remaining patients were assigned to the non-severe group. Demographic information, initial symptoms, and first visit examination results were collected from the electronic medical records and compared between the groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the predictors of severe COVID-19. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to identify a threshold for each predictor. Altogether,104 patients were enrolled in our study with 30 and 74 patients in the severe and non-severe groups, respectively. Multivariate logistic analysis indicated that patients aged ≥63 years (odds ratio = 41.0; 95% CI: 2.8, 592.4), with an absolute lymphocyte value of ≤1.02×109/L (odds ratio = 6.1; 95% CI = 1.5, 25.2) and a C-reactive protein level of ≥65.08mg/L (odds ratio = 8.9; 95% CI = 1.0, 74.2) were at a higher risk of severe illness. Thus, our results could be helpful in the early detection of patients at risk for severe illness, enabling the implementation of effective interventions and likely lowering the morbidity of COVID-19 patients.

Epidemiological and genetic analysis concerning the non-enterovirus 71 and non-coxsackievirus A16 causative agents related to hand, foot and mouth disease in Anyang city, Henan Province, China, from 2011 to 2015.

Enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) are major pathogens of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and have been associated with consecutive outbreaks of HFMD in China over the past years. Although several other human enteroviruses (HEVs) have also acted as causative agents of HFMD, published information on their roles in the prevalence of HFMD is limited. This study was conducted to reveal the characteristics of the pathogenic spectrum and molecular epidemiology of the non-EV-71 and -CV-A16 HEVs in Anyang City, which is located in north-central China and has a population of five million. From 2011 to 2015, 2270 samples were collected from HFMD patients (3.89 ± 1.06 years of age), and 1863 HEV-positive samples, including 524 samples with 23 non-EV-71 and non-CV-A16 serotypes, were identified. Based on the nucleotide sequence of the VP1 gene, 6 common non-EV-71 and non-CV-A16 HEVs, including coxsackievirus A2, A6, A10, A14, B2, and B5, were studied to determine their phylogenies and selective pressures. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a high level of genetic divergence and a pattern of lineage replacement over time in Mainland China. Selective pressure analyses showed that purifying selection was predominant in the evolution of the VP1 gene, whereas positive selection acted on individual codons. Overall, non-EV-71 and non-CV-A16 HEVs were important constituents of the pathogenic spectrum of HFMD in Anyang City during 2011-2015. Some of these HEVs with complex and active phylogenies represent a potential threat to public health, suggesting that long-term monitoring of these pathogens should be implemented to prevent HFMD outbreaks.

[Association of BRAF(V) 600E mutation with clinical pathological features in papillary thyroid carcinoma: meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between BRAF(V) 600E mutation and pathological features in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). METHODS: The raleted studies were searched through Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science, and meta-analysis was used to calculate the OR and 95%CI of the study results. RESULTS: A total of 52 studies including 12 029 PTC patients was identified. The prevalence of BRAF(V) 600E mutation in PTC was 57.85%. There was a closed association between the BRAF(V) 600E mutation and pathological features, including advanced TNM stage (OR = 1.89, 95%CI 1.58-2.27), lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.74, 95%CI 1.42-2.14), multifocality (OR = 1.25, 95%CI 1.07-1.46), and recurrence (OR = 2.26, 95%CI 1.25-4.09) of PTC. For Asians with PTC, the association between the BRAF(V) 600E mutation and pathological features was indicated for advanced TNM stage (OR = 1.56, 95%CI 1.24-1.96) and lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.57, 95%CI 1.25-1.99). For Europeans with PTC, the association between the BRAF(V) 600E mutation and pathological features was indicated for advanced TNM stage (OR = 2.63, 95%CI 2.10-3.30), lymph node metastasis(OR = 1.97, 95%CI 1.19-3.25), and multifocality (OR = 1.35, 95%CI 1.01-1.80). CONCLUSION: There were associations between the BRAF(V) 600E utation and advanced TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, multifocality, and recurrence of PTC.

Body mass index and risk of gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Overweight and obesity, indicated as increased body mass index, are associated with the risk of some cancers. We carried out a meta-analysis on published cohort and case-control studies to assess the strength of association between body mass index and gastric cancer. METHODS: Relevant studies were identified through PubMed, Web of Science and Medline electronic databases. Adjusted relative risks (odds ratios) with 95% confidence interval were used to assess the strength of association between body mass index and gastric cancer. RESULTS: Sixteen eligible studies were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) was associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (odds ratio = 1.13, 95% confidence interval = 1.03-1.24) compared with normal weight (body mass index = 18.5 to <25 kg/m(2)), while overweight (body mass index = 18.5 to <30 kg/m(2)) showed no association (odds ratio = 1.04, 95% confidence interval = 0.96-1.12). Specifically, a stratified analysis showed there were associations between obesity and the increased risk of gastric cancer for males (odds ratio = 1.27, 95% confidence interval = 1.09-1.48), non-Asians (odds ratio = 1.14, 95% confidence interval = 1.02-1.28) and both cohort studies (odds ratio = 1.10, 95% confidence interval = 1.00-1.22) and case-control studies (odds ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval = 1.03-1.60). Both overweight (odds ratio = 1.22, 95% confidence interval = 1.05-1.42) and obesity (odds ratio = 1.61, 95% confidence interval = 1.15-2.24) were associated with the increased risk of gastric cardia cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that obesity was associated with the risk of gastric cancer, especially for males and among non-Asians. Both overweight and obesity were associated with the risk of gastric cardia cancer.

Magnetic fields exposure and childhood leukemia risk: a meta-analysis based on 11,699 cases and 13,194 controls.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the association between childhood leukemia and magnetic field exposure. METHODS: The literature was searched by PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science (SCI) and Medline databases during 1997-2013. Heterogeneity in several studies was weighted by I-squared value. Publication bias was tested by funnel plot and Egger's test. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were used to evaluate the association strength. The statistical analyses in present study were carried out by STATA software package (version 12.0, College Station, TX). RESULTS: A total of 11,699 cases and 13,194 controls in 9 studies were stratified by different exposure cut-off points. On condition of the reference <0.1 µT, statistical association between magnetic field intensity ≥0.4 µT and childhood leukemia was exhibited (for total leukemia: OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.03-2.40; for acute lymphocytic leukemia: OR=2.43, 95% CI = 1.30-4.55). On condition of the reference level of <0.2 µT, the positive association between magnetic field intensity ≥0.2 µT and childhood leukemia was found (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.06-1.61). CONCLUSIONS: The result in this meta-analysis indicated that magnetic field exposure level may be associated with childhood leukemia.

Safety of influenza A (H1N1) vaccine in postmarketing surveillance in China.

BACKGROUND: On September 21, 2009, China began administering vaccines, obtained from 10 different manufacturers, against 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in priority populations. We aimed to assess the safety of this vaccination program. METHODS: We designed a plan for passive surveillance for adverse events after immunization with the influenza A (H1N1) vaccine. Physicians or vaccination providers were required to report the numbers of vaccinees and all adverse events to their local Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which then reported the data to the Chinese CDC through the online National Immunization Information System's National Adverse Event Following Immunization Surveillance System. Data were collected through March 21, 2010, and were verified and analyzed by the Chinese CDC. RESULTS: A total of 89.6 million doses of vaccine were administered from September 21, 2009, through March 21, 2010, and 8067 vaccinees reported having an adverse event, for a rate of 90.0 per 1 million doses. The age-specific rates of adverse events ranged from 31.4 per 1 million doses among persons 60 years of age or older to 130.6 per 1 million doses among persons 9 years of age or younger, and the manufacturer-specific rates ranged from 4.6 to 185.4 per 1 million doses. A total of 6552 of the 8067 adverse events (81.2%; rate, 73.1 per 1 million doses) were verified as vaccine reactions; 1083 of the 8067 (13.4%; rate, 12.1 per 1 million doses) were rare and more serious (vs. common, minor events), most of which (1050) were allergic reactions. Eleven cases of the Guillain-Barré syndrome were reported, for a rate of 0.1 per 1 million doses, which is lower than the background rate in China. CONCLUSIONS: No pattern of adverse events that would be of concern was observed after the administration of influenza A (H1N1) vaccine, nor was there evidence of an increased risk of the Guillain-Barré syndrome.