The prognostic value of antibodies to gp210 among patients with primary biliary cholangitis in Northeast China.

BACKGROUND: Whether the anti-gp210 antibody can be used as a biomarker in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) remains controversial. AIMS: We aimed to investigate the association between anti-gp210 antibodies and prognosis in ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)-treated PBC patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 180 UDCA-treated PBC patients to assess the prognostic value of anti-gp210 antibodies using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the patients included in our analysis, 50 (27.8%) were anti-gp210 positive, and 130 (72.2%) were anti-gp210 negative. The incidence of liver-related death or transplantation was more common in the anti-gp210 + group (22.0 vs. 9.2%, P=0.022). The five-year transplant-free survival rates of anti-gp210-positive patients vs. anti-gp210-negative patients were 77.0% and 90.3%, respectively. We found that the probability of transplant-free survival was significantly lower in the anti-gp210-positive patients than in the anti-gp210-negative patients (log-rank P=0.004). After adjusting for potential confounders using multivariable Cox regression model, positivity for anti-gp210 antibody (hazard ratio: 4.619, 95% confidence interval: 1.895-11.261, P=0.001) was found to be independently associated with an increase in liver-related mortality or transplantation. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of UDCA-treated PBC patients, positivity for anti-gp210 antibody was independently associated with a higher risk of liver-related death or transplantation.

Development of cost effective ultra-lightweight cellulose-based sound absorbing material over silica sol/natural fiber blended substrate.

An Ultra-lightweight cellulose-based foam material (ULW-CFM) reinforced with silicasol was prepared by foam forming technology. The sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) was a suitable foaming agent, creating stable bubbles for ULW-CFM with silicasol. The modulus of elasticity of ULW-CFM modified by silicasol was enhanced from 14.8 kPa to 83.32 kPa, and the yield strength was improved from 1.6 kPa to 4.36 kPa, respectively. The FTIR analysis indicated that the silicasol was deposited inside the material by SiOSi bonds and might has dehydration condensation reaction with cellulose. The thermostability of this material was also enhanced by silicasol. The weight loss of ULW-CFM with silicasol was less pronounced (60.36 %) than the one without (81.12 %). Owing to three dimensionally dispersed fiber structure, ultralightweight, high porosity, the sound absorption coefficient of ULW-CFM with silicasol reached 0.65 above 5000 Hz. Results show that ULW-CFM modified by silicasol has a promising application as a degradable sound absorbing material for dealing with noise.

Clinical significance of IgG antimitochondrial M2 antibody levels in primary biliary cholangitis: A single center study from China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The relationship between antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) levels and the severity or prognosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is unclear. This study explored the clinical significance of serum IgG antimitochondrial M2 antibody (IgG-M2) levels. METHODS: From 2008 to 2017, a retrospective analysis was conducted with PBC patients who had available quantitative values of serum IgG-M2 levels obtained with ELISA based on triple expression hybrid clones. The patients were divided into two groups based on high and low concentrations of IgG-M2. Baseline parameters, the incidence of adverse events, and prognosis were compared. RESULTS: Among the 530 PBC patients, the levels of albumin, cholinesterase, hemoglobin, fibrinogen and triglycerides and the red blood cell count were significantly lower in the high-concentration group than in the low-concentration group (n = 263, 49.6%). The red cell distribution width (RDW) and levels of serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgM and IgA were significantly higher in the high-concentration group than in the low-concentration group. Spearman's correlation analysis suggested that the correlation between the above baseline indicators and IgG-M2 levels was statistically significant but weak (r < 0.2, P < 0.05). In total, 203 patients were followed up, of whom 87 (42.9%) were in the high-concentration group. During the median follow-up period of 52 months (range: 28-75), 121 (59.6%) experienced hepatic decompensation, and 37 (18.2%) died or underwent liver transplantation. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications or survival (log-rank test: P = 0.079) between the two groups. One year after ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment, the two groups had similar responses. In addition, the levels of IgG-M2 did not fluctuate significantly during treatment. CONCLUSION: IgG-M2 levels were not related to the disease severity, prognosis or efficacy of UDCA. The levels of IgG-M2 did not change significantly during treatment.

A transcriptional landscape of 28 porcine tissues obtained by super deepSAGE sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Gene expression regulators identified in transcriptome profiling experiments may serve as ideal targets for genetic manipulations in farm animals. RESULTS: In this study, we developed a gene expression profile of 76,000+ unique transcripts for 224 porcine samples from 28 tissues collected from 32 animals using Super deepSAGE technology. Excellent sequencing depth was achieved for each multiplexed library, and replicated samples from the same tissues clustered together, demonstrating the high quality of Super deepSAGE data. Comparison with previous research indicated that our results not only have good reproducibility but also have greatly extended the coverage of the sample types as well as the number of genes. Clustering analysis revealed ten groups of genes showing distinct expression patterns among these samples. Our analysis of over-represented binding motifs identified 41 regulators, and we demonstrated a potential application of this dataset in infectious diseases and immune biology research by identifying an LPS-dependent transcription factor, runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1), in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The selected genes are specifically responsible for the transcription of toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK), and vav1 oncogene (VAV1), which belong to the T and B cell signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: The Super deepSAGE technology and tissue-differential expression profiles are valuable resources for investigating the porcine gene expression regulation. The identified RUNX1 target genes belong to the T and B cell signaling pathways, making them novel potential targets for the diagnosis and therapy of bacterial infections and other immune disorders.

Primary biliary cirrhosis with refractory hypokalemia: A case report.

RATIONALE: Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) represents a class of metabolic disorders characterized by metabolic acidosis with a normal plasma anion gap. As a rare complication of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), RTA is easily overlooked, likely leading to misdiagnosis. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 32-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with PBC at our hospital was found to have hypokalemia due to repeated fatigue for 2 years, and the etiology was unknown. DIAGNOSES: Due to the laboratory test results, radiographic findings, and pathologic results, she was diagnosed with PBC associated with RTA. INTERVENTIONS: She was then treated with ursodeoxycholic acid, potassium citrate, and calcium supplements together with activated vitamin D. OUTCOMES: Thus far, the patient showed a good response to ursodeoxycholic acid, and the clinical symptoms and liver function were significantly improved. LESSONS: Physicians that encounter refractory hypokalemia in a patient with PBC should be aware of the presence of RTA. The early diagnosis and treatment of such patients are of paramount importance to alleviate clinical symptoms and delay disease progression.