SLMO2 is a potential prognostic and immunological biomarker in human pan-cancer.

SLMO2 is a lipid transporter that transports phosphatidylserine to the interior of mitochondria, also known as PRELID3B, which plays an important role in lipid metabolism. It has also been reported to be involved in the growth process of breast and lung tumors. However, its functions and underlying mechanisms in cancer progress remain elusive, and the potential as pan-cancer biomarker and therapeutic target remains unexplored. Using the TCGA project and GEO database, we performed pan-cancer analysis of SLMO2, which including the expression pattern, prognostic value, mutation landscape, methylation modification, protein-protein interaction network and the relationship between SLMO2 expression and immune infiltration. KEGG enrichment analysis was also performed to predict function and relevant cellular pathways of SLMO2. In addition, proliferation and migration assays were performed to detect the proliferation and metastasis capacity of breast cancer and lung cancer cells. In our study, we found that SLMO2 was overexpressed in pan-cancer and the elevated expression of SLMO2 was correlated with poorer prognosis. SLMO2 mutations were distributed in a variety of tumors and correlated with prognosis. Promoter methylation analysis showed that SLMO2 methylation levels were lower in most tumors compared with normal tissues, while a few tumors showed increased methylation levels of SLMO2. SLMO2 expression was also positively correlated with immune infiltration of MDSCs. Further pathway enrichment analysis indicated that SLMO2 was involved in regulating of cytoplasmic transport and other oncogenic processes. In vitro experiments have shown that SLMO2 promotes the proliferation and migration of breast cancer and lung cancer cells. In conclusion, our findings suggested that SLMO2 was a potential prognostic and immunological marker in pan-cancer. This study suggested a potential strategy for targeting SLMO2 to treat tumors, including manipulating tumor growth or the tumor microenvironment, especially the infiltration of MDSC.

Association between depression and HIV infection vulnerable populations in United States adults: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES from 1999 to 2018.

Background: Although the government has made a commitment to advance education on HIV disclosure, depression continues to play a significant role in whether people living with HIV (PLWH) choose to disclose their HIV status to families or friends. Vulnerable populations who are at risk of contracting HIV may also be more susceptible to mental illness. However, there is a limited understanding of the association between depression and vulnerable populations affects by HIV among United States adults. We aimed to explore the incidence of depression in the HIV infection vulnerable populations and assessed the association between the HIV infection vulnerable populations and depression. Methods: We analyzed the most current statistics from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that included 16,584 participants aged 18 years or older between 1999 and 2018. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to evaluate symptoms of depressive disorder. Demographic characteristics were compared between the HIV infection vulnerable groups and HIV infection low-risk groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was also carried out to evaluate the odds rate and association between the HIV infection vulnerable populations and depression. Results: Based on the most recent statistics from NHANES, HIV infection vulnerable populations were male, younger, less married or living together, non-Hispanic White people, lower income, and lower body mass index (BMI), with higher levels of cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, a higher prevalence of depression, lower prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM; p < 0.05). Additionally, individuals with severe depression had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension, DM, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and a higher proportion of HIV infection vulnerable populations and less married or living together (p < 0.01). Finally, the odds of depression from the logistic regression were significantly increased in HIV infection vulnerable groups (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Depression might be associated with HIV infection vulnerable populations in the United States adults. More research is needed to evaluate the association between HIV infection vulnerable populations and depression and explore their causal associations. In addition, prevention efforts focusing on HIV disclosure and HIV infection vulnerable populations in the United States should address common co-prevalent depression to reduce new HIV infections.