The Influence of ESR2 Gene Polymorphisms on Susceptibility to Hepatitis B Virus-Related Chronic Hepatitis, Liver Cirrhosis, and Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents an estrogen-dependent tumor. The action of estrogen is regulated via estrogen receptor (ER). Polymorphisms in ERα gene, ESR1, are known to be related to HCC susceptibility among people carrying chronic hepatitis B (CHB). But the effect of ERß on HCC is still largely unclear, and studies about the genetic variability of ESR2 and HCC are rare. For understanding ESR2's effect on HCC, this work tested two polymorphisms in the ESR2 gene promoter as well as the associations with CHB, HCC, and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cirrhosis (LC) among the Guangxi population. This work enrolled a total of 137 CHB, 136 LC, and 149 HBV-related HCC patients, together with 146 normal subjects. ESR2 polymorphisms rs3020449 and rs2978381 were examined using the SNaPshot genotyping technique. The AG genotype and dominant model of rs3020449 were related to the decreased CHB susceptibility. In both the overall and subgroup analyses, no associations were observed with the remaining models in all patient groups (those with CHB, HBV-related LC, and HCC), but associations were found between the dominant (TC+CC vs TT) and allele models (C vs T) of rs2978381 and increased HBV-related LC and HCC susceptibility, but not CHB. These findings suggest that rs3020449 polymorphism of ESR2 gene makes great contribution to the decreased CHB risk and that rs2978381 significantly contributed to higher risks of HBV-related LC and HCC.

Exploring the Molecular Tumor Microenvironment and Translational Biomarkers in Brain Metastases of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Brain metastases represent a significant clinical challenge in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), often leading to a severe decline in patient prognosis and survival. Recent advances in imaging and systemic treatments have increased the detection rates of brain metastases, yet clinical outcomes remain dismal due to the complexity of the metastatic tumor microenvironment (TME) and the lack of specific biomarkers for early detection and targeted therapy. The intricate interplay between NSCLC tumor cells and the surrounding TME in brain metastases is pivotal, influencing tumor progression, immune evasion, and response to therapy. This underscores the necessity for a deeper understanding of the molecular underpinnings of brain metastases, tumor microenvironment, and the identification of actionable biomarkers that can inform multimodal treatment approaches. The goal of this review is to synthesize current insights into the TME and elucidate molecular mechanisms in NSCLC brain metastases. Furthermore, we will explore the promising horizon of emerging biomarkers, both tissue- and liquid-based, that hold the potential to radically transform the treatment strategies and the enhancement of patient outcomes.

Mixed Transcriptome Analysis Revealed the Possible Interaction Mechanisms between Zizania latifolia and Ustilago esculenta Inducing Jiaobai Stem-Gall Formation.

The smut fungus Ustilago esculenta infects Zizania latifolia and induces stem expansion to form a unique vegetable named Jiaobai. Although previous studies have demonstrated that hormonal control is essential for triggering stem swelling, the role of hormones synthesized by Z. latifolia and U. esculenta and the underlying molecular mechanism are not yet clear. To study the mechanism that triggers swollen stem formation, we analyzed the gene expression pattern of both interacting organisms during the initial trigger of culm gall formation, at which time the infective hyphae also propagated extensively and penetrated host stem cells. Transcriptional analysis indicated that abundant genes involving fungal pathogenicity and plant resistance were reprogrammed to maintain the subtle balance between the parasite and host. In addition, the expression of genes involved in auxin biosynthesis of U. esculenta obviously decreased during stem swelling, while a large number of genes related to the synthesis, metabolism and signal transduction of hormones of the host plant were stimulated and showed specific expression patterns, particularly, the expression of ZlYUCCA9 (a flavin monooxygenase, the key enzyme in indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis pathway) increased significantly. Simultaneously, the content of IAA increased significantly, while the contents of cytokinin and gibberellin showed the opposite trend. We speculated that auxin produced by the host plant, rather than the fungus, triggers stem swelling. Furthermore, from the differently expressed genes, two candidate Cys2-His2 (C2H2) zinc finger proteins, GME3058_g and GME5963_g, were identified from U. esculenta, which may conduct fungus growth and infection at the initial stage of stem-gall formation.

Development and characterization of an active starch-based film as a chlorogenic acid delivery system.

Given its health benefits for the human body, chlorogenic acid (CA) offers promising applications in the food industry. However, the instability and low bioavailability of CA remain to be solved. In this paper, a starch-based film prepared by the homogenization and solution-casting method was used as an effective carrier to alleviate these problems. Homogenization (10-50 MPa) reduced the starch paste viscosity and its particle sizes from 21.64 to 7.68 µm, which promoted the starch recrystallization and induced chemical cross-links between starch-CA, as confirmed by the FTIR result with an appearance of a new CO peak at about 1716 cm-1. Accordingly, the rapidly digestible starch content of the film was reduced to 27.83 % and the CA encapsulation efficiency was increased to 99.08 % (from 65.88 %). As a result, the film system extended CA's release time beyond 4 h and significantly increased the heat-treated CA's antioxidant activity. Besides, the tensile strength and elastic modulus of the film were also improved to 6.29 MPa (from 1.63 MPa) and 160.98 MPa (from 12.02 MPa), respectively, by homogenization. In conclusion, the developed active starch-based film could be used as an edible film for the production of functional food or active food packaging.

Haplotype analysis of the CYP2J2 gene associated with myocardial infarction in a Chinese Han population.

The cytochromes P450 epoxygenases CYP2J2 synthesize epoxyeicosatrienoic, which regulate endothelial function. The aim of this study was to assess the association between the human CY2J2 gene and myocardial infarction (MI) in a Chinese population using a haplotype-based case-control study. There were 440 Chinese Han MI patients and 440 age-matched control subjects genotyped for three SNPs (rs2271800, rs11572223, and rs14493270) of the human CYP2J2 gene. Haplotypes were constructed and their frequencies compared between the MI patients and the controls. The CC genotype of rs2271800 was found more frequently in the MI group than in the control group (p = 0.004). The frequency of the C-C-G haplotype was significantly higher in MI patients than in control subjects (p < 0.001). The present results indicate that MI is associated with the CC genotype of rs2271800 in the human CYP2J2 gene. The C-C-G haplotype appears to be a useful genetic marker of MI in Chinese Han people.

Intertrochanteric fracture in pregnancy- and lactation-associated osteoporosis.

Pregnancy- and lactation-associated osteoporosis (PLO) is a special form of osteoporosis, which is the result of multiple factors affecting bone metabolism. The manifestations of PLO include severe low back or hip pain in the third trimester of pregnancy and postpartum period, and some patients present with a decrease in height and even fragility fractures. We report here a 33-year-old patient who presented with a left intertrochanteric fracture after falling from standing height at 10 months postpartum. She was diagnosed with PLO because of a considerable decrease in bone mineral density. Our findings are discussed in relation to the literature. Early diagnosis and timely and appropriate therapy are particularly important for PLO. PLO should be considered in patients who complain of low back or transient hip pain during pregnancy and lactation. Discontinuing breastfeeding and supplementing calcium/vitamin D should be recommended after diagnosis of PLO is established.

Clinical observation of laser ablation combined with chemotherapy in postoperative colorectal cancers with liver metastasis.

BACKGROUND: This study is to evaluate the efficacy and adverse reaction of a combination therapy of chemotherapy and laser thermal ablation (LTA) on liver metastases from colorectal cancer. METHODS: Eighty-five cases colorectal cancer liver metastases were assigned to the treatment group (43 cases) and to the control group (42 cases). The treatment group patients received LTA combined with FOLFIRI regimen chemotherapy, and the control group patients only received FOLFIRI regimen chemotherapy. The curative effects, the survival rate and adverse reaction of the two groups were observed and evaluated. RESULTS: Response rate was 53.4% in the treatment group and 38.1% in the control group (P>0.05); disease control rate in the treatment group was 79.1%, higher than 64.3% in control group with significant difference (P<0.01); median progression free survival was 11.8 months in treatment group and 6.8 months in control group (P<0.01); The median overall survival time was 19.1 months in treatment group and 14.9 months in control group (P<0.05). Among the 113 lesions receiving LTA, 104 lesions (92%) were completely destroyed. The main complications of LTA were fever and local pain. The adverse effects between both groups showed no difference. CONCLUSIONS: LTA in combination with chemotherapy of colorectal carcinoma liver metastases is effective and well-tolerated.