The Stress of Fungicides Changes the Expression of Clock Protein CmFRQ and the Morphology of Fruiting Bodies of Cordyceps militaris.

The physiological, biochemical, and morphological changes brought about by fungi in response to fungicides can undoubtedly bring diversity to fungi. Cordyceps militaris strains TN (mating type genes MAT1-1-1, MAT1-1-2, and MAT1-2-1) and CmFRQ-454 (mating type genes MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-1-2) were treated with non-lethal doses of fungicides amphotericin B, L-cysteine, terbinafine, and 5-fluorocytosine. The results showed that the treatment with amphotericin B, terbinafine, and 5-fluorocytosine promoted an increase in the relative content of clock protein CmFRQ (C. militaris FREQUENCY) in the mycelium of strain TN, while the high concentration of L-cysteine inhibited the expression of CmFRQ in strain TN. These four fungicides could reduce the relative contents of CmFRQ in the mycelium of strain CmFRQ454. The relative contents of CmFRQ in the mycelium of strain TN were increased after removing the four fungicides, but the relative contents of CmFRQ in the mycelium of strain CmFRQ454 were decreased after removing the four fungicides. This indicates that the effect of fungicides on CmFRQ on mycelium was still sustained after removing the stress of fungicides, and the operation of the circadian clock was changed. The fruiting bodies of C. militaris strain TN and CmFRQ-454 were still degenerated to varying degrees after removing amphotericin B, L-cysteine, and terbinafine. However, the fruiting bodies of strain TN after removing 5-fluorocytosine did not show significant degeneration; the fruiting bodies of strain CmFRQ-454 after removing 5-fluorocytosine obtained rejuvenation. These results indicate that the stress of fungicides could lead to the degeneration of fruiting bodies as well as the rejuvenation of fruiting bodies, resulting in the morphological diversity of C. militaris. The increase or decrease of the CmFRQ-454, the main component of the circadian clock, caused by the stress of fungicants, might lead to the differential degeneration of different mating-type strains of C. militaris.

Environmental exposure and ecological risk of perfluorinated substances (PFASs) in the Shaying River Basin, China.

There have been concerns raised about the environmental effects of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) because of their toxicity, widespread distribution, and persistence. Understanding the occurrences and ecological risk posed by PFASs is essential, especially for the short-chain replacements perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), which are now becoming predominant PFASs. The lack of aquatic life criteria (ALC), however, prevents an accurate assessment of the ecological risks of PFBA and PFBS. This study thus investigated the occurrence of 15 PFASs at 29 sampling sites in Shaying River Basin (in China) systematically, conducted the toxicity tests of PFBA and PFBS on eight resident aquatic organisms in China, and derived the predicted non-effect concentration (PNEC) values for PFBA and PFBS for two environmental media in China. The results showed that the total PFASs concentrations (ΣPFASs) ranged from 5.07 to 20.32 ng/L (average of 10.95 ng/L) in surface water, whereas in sediment, ΣPFASs ranged from 6.46 to 20.05 ng/g (dw) (average of 11.51 ng/g). The presence of PFBS was the most prominent PFASs in both water (0.372-8.194 ng/L) and sediment (4.54-15.72 ng/g), demonstrating that short-chain substitution effects can be observed in watersheds. The PNEC values for freshwater and sediment were 6.60 mg/L and 8.30 mg/kg (ww), respectively, for PFBA, and 14.04 mg/L, 37.08 mg/kg (ww), respectively, for PFBS. Ecological risk assessment of two long-chain PFASs, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and two short-chain PFASs, PFBA and PFBS, using the hazard quotient method revealed that Shaying River and other major River Basins in China were at risk of PFOS contamination. This study contributes to a better understanding of the presence and risk of PFASs in the Shaying River and first proposes the ALCs for PFBA and PFBS in China, which could provide important reference information for water quality standards.

Ruxolitinib attenuates secondary injury after traumatic spinal cord injury.

Excessive inflammation post-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) induces microglial activation, which leads to prolonged neurological dysfunction. However, the mechanism underlying microglial activation-induced neuroinflammation remains poorly understood. Ruxolitinib (RUX), a selective inhibitor of JAK1/2, was recently reported to inhibit inflammatory storms caused by SARS-CoV-2 in the lung. However, its role in disrupting inflammation post-SCI has not been confirmed. In this study, microglia were treated with RUX for 24 hours and then activated with interferon-γ for 6 hours. The results showed that interferon-γ-induced phosphorylation of JAK and STAT in microglia was inhibited, and the mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, and cell proliferation marker Ki67 were reduced. In further in vivo experiments, a mouse model of spinal cord injury was treated intragastrically with RUX for 3 successive days, and the findings suggest that RUX can inhibit microglial proliferation by inhibiting the interferon-γ/JAK/STAT pathway. Moreover, microglia treated with RUX centripetally migrated toward injured foci, remaining limited and compacted within the glial scar, which resulted in axon preservation and less demyelination. Moreover, the protein expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, and interleukin-6 were reduced. The neuromotor function of SCI mice also recovered. These findings suggest that RUX can inhibit neuroinflammation through inhibiting the interferon-γ/JAK/STAT pathway, thereby reducing secondary injury after SCI and producing neuroprotective effects.

Water quality criteria and ecological risk assessment for ammonia in the Shaying River Basin, China.

Current Chinese surface water environmental quality standard GB3838-2002 for ammonia fails to take water quality factors and native organism distributions in different basins into consideration. In this study, ammonia toxicity tests were performed using three aquatic organisms native to the Shaying River Basin (China). Published ammonia toxicity data with pH and temperature, and toxicity data acquired in this study were used to establish water quality criteria. The final criterion maximum concentration (CMC) and criterion continuous concentration (CCC) for the Shaying River Basin were 5.09 and 1.36 (mg total ammonia nitrogen (TAN))/L (pH 7 and 20 °C), respectively. In addition, based on the corresponding relationship between ammonia toxicity and temperature and pH, the ecological risk assessment of ammonia was conducted in different seasons for the Shaying River using a tiered approach of both hazard quotient (HQ) and the joint probability (JPC) methods. Two methods gave consistent results: the ecological risks of ammonia to aquatic species in the Shaying River Basin were severe and the risk could be ranked as wet season > flat season > dry season. It is therefore indicating that monitoring, evaluation, and early warning of ammonia pollution need to be taken to prevent and control the risks posed by ammonia pollution, especially for wet season (because of high temperatures and pH) or flat season (because of high pH values). We hope the present work could provide valuable information to manage and control ammonia pollution in the Shaying River Basin.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A Is Associated with Platelets and Complement 4 in Patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed at investigating the expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) in patients with primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS) and evaluating the relationship between serum VEGF-A and the laboratory indicators that are associated with it in pSS. METHODS: The VEGF-A levels were measured by ELISA in a total of 88 participants, including 58 patients with pSS and 30 healthy people. The VEGF-A levels between two groups were analyzed. RESULTS: The serum levels of VEGF-A in pSS and control groups were 175.50 (112.00,296.50) pg/mL and 181.50 (155.25,288.50) pg/mL, without statistically significant difference. The associations were found between serum levels of VEGF-A with C reactive protein (CRP) (r=0.265, P<0.05), white blood cells (WBC) (r=0.302, P<0.05), neutrophils (NEUT) (r=0.349, P<0.05), platelets(PLT) (r=0.276, P<0.05), complement 3 (C3) (r=0.477, P<0.05), complement 4 (C4) (r=0.387, P<0.05) and CA19-9 (r=0.392, P<0.05). Among these laboratory indicators, VEGF-A was correlated with platelets and complement 4 in patients with pSS. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with pSS, the levels of VEGF-A were independently influenced by the levels of platelet and complement 4, which indicated the intermodulation between the growth factor and immune system in the autoimmune disease.

BNIP3L-Dependent Mitophagy Promotes HBx-Induced Cancer Stemness of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells via Glycolysis Metabolism Reprogramming.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of predisposing factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The role of HBV x protein (HBx) in mediating the induction and maintenance of cancer stemness during HBV-related HCC attracts considerable attention, but the exact mechanism has not been clearly elucidated. Here, ABCG2-dependent stem-like side population cells, which are thought to be liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs), were present in HCC cells, and the fraction of this subset was increased in HBx-expressing HCC cells. In addition, glycolysis was upregulated in LCSCs and HBx-expressing HCC cells, and intervention of glycolysis attenuated cancer stem-like phenotypes. Mitochondria play an important role in the maintenance of energy homeostasis, BNIP3L-dependent mitophagy was also activated in LCSCs and HBx-expressing HCC cells, which triggered a metabolic shift toward glycolysis. In summary, we proposed a positive feedback loop, in which HBx induced BNIP3L-dependent mitophagy which upregulated glycolytic metabolism, increasing cancer stemness of HCC cells in vivo and in vitro. BNIP3L might be a potential therapeutic target for intervention of LCSCs-associated HCC. Anti-HBx, a monoclonal antibody targeting intracellular HBx, had the potential to delay the progression of HBV infection related-HCC.

Significant effects of two pesticides on the bacteriostatic activity and antioxidant ability of green tea polyphenols.

Green tea polyphenols (GTPs) are widely used in food preservation because of their strong bacteriostatic activity and antioxidant ability, and whether pesticides as common pollutants in food will affect the function of GTPs is worthy of attention. Therefore, GTPs and two pesticides, namely, acetamiprid (ACE) and diquat dibromide (DIQ) commonly used on food crops were selected as research objects and Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67 (Q67) as the test organism to explore the effects of pesticide pollutants on the bacteriostatic activity of GTPs by the time-dependent microplate toxicity analysis method (t-MTA). The binary mixture systems of GTPs and two pesticides were designed by the direct equipartition ray design method (EquRay). The effect residual ratio (ERR) method was used to quantify the toxicity interactions of binary mixture systems. Besides, the effects of these two pesticides on the antioxidant capacity of GTPs were investigated. The results indicated that the bacteriostatic activity of GTPs upon interaction with the two pesticides shows certain time characteristics. These two pesticides can affect the bacteriostatic activity of GTPs, which is enhanced or weakened with prolonged duration, i.e. time-dependent synergism or antagonism. The bacteriostatic mechanism of the three substances and their mixtures is produced by affecting the cell morphology or destroying the cell structure, and the long-term antagonism of the three substances may be due to the competition for the active site. The two pesticides can greatly reduce the antioxidant capacity of GTPs. ACE reduces the free radical scavenging ability of GTPs by 14-24% and DIQ by 39-63% in the experimental concentration ratios. In addition, the free radical scavenging ability of GTPs decreases with the increase in the concentration ratio of the two pesticides in the mixture systems.

[Studies on fingerprints and efficacy-related substance of classical prescription Zhuru Decoction].

Based on fingerprint and network pharmacology,the whole process quality control of Zhuru Decoction was conducted and efficacy-related substances were predicted.The fingerprints of raw materials,decoction pieces and Zhuru Decoction were established,and 25 common peaks were identified,including 9 common chromatographic peaks of 3'-hydroxy puerarin,puerarin,3'-methoxy puerarin,puerarin,aperioside,daidzin,daidzein,liquiritin,glycyrrhizic acid and 6-gingerol, with similarity all greater than 0.95.The main groups of pharmacodynamic substances can be transferred from raw materials,decoction pieces to Zhuru Decoction step by step,with a clear affiliation relationship.Based on the testability and traceability,the active ingredients were screened,and the network relationship of "component-target-pathway" was constructed and analyzed for the nine chemical components screened by network pharmacology.The enriched pathways included energy metabolism,alcoholism,and smooth muscle contraction and relaxation-related pathways.The nine active components of Zhuru Decoction may achieve the effects of clearing heat, alleviating a hangover, harmonizing stomach and stopping vomiting through these signaling pathways.Based on transitive and traceable properties of the above 9 components as well as their close relationship to the efficacy of Zhuru Decoction,these 9 components can be identified as potential efficacy-related substances and provide basis for the overall quality control of Zhuru Decoction.

Isolation and characterization of a sequence type 25 carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae from the mid-south region of China.

BACKGROUND: The molecular characterization of carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKP) isolates is not well studied. Our goal was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of CR-hvKP strains that were isolated from a Chinese hospital. RESULTS: All clinical carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CR-KP) isolates were collected and identified from patient samples between 2014 and 2017 from a Chinese hospital. The samples were subjected to screening for CR-hvKP by string test and the detection of the aerobactin gene. CR-hvKP isolates were further confirmed through neutrophil phagocytosis and a mice lethality assay. The CR-hvKP isolates were investigated for their capsular genotyping, virulence gene profiles, and the expression of carbapenemase genes by PCR and DNA sequencing. Multilocus sequence type (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were performed to exclude the homology of these isolates. Twenty strains were identified as CR-hvKP. These strains were resistant to imipenem and several other antibiotics, however, most were susceptible to amikacin. Notably, two isolates were not susceptible to tigecycline. Capsular polysaccharide synthesis genotyping revealed that 17 of the 20 CR-hvKP strains belonged to the K2 serotype, while the others belonged to serotypes other than K1, K2, K5, K20, and K57. The strains were found to be positive for 10 types of virulence genes and a variety of these genes coexisted in the same strain. Two carbapenemase genes were identified: blaKPC-2 (13/20) and blaNDM-1 (1/20). PFGE typing revealed eight clusters comprising isolates that belonged to MLST types ST25, ST11 and ST375, respectively. PFGE cluster A was identified as the main cluster, which included 11 isolates that belong to ST25 and mainly from ICU department. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that hospital-acquired infections may contribute in part to the CR-hvKP strains identified in this study. It also suggests that ST25 CR-hvKP strain has a clonal distribution in our hospital. Therefore, effective surveillance and strict infection control strategies should be implemented to prevent outbreak by CR-hvKP strains in hospitals setting.

[Quality research of Puerariae Lobatae Radix from different habitats with UPLC fingerprint and determination of multi-component content].

To establish ultra performance liquid chromatography( UPLC) fingerprint of Puerariae Lobatae Radix from different habitats and simultaneously determine the contents of six isoflavonoids. The UPLC fingerprint analysis and content determination were performed on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C_(18)( 2. 1 mm×50 mm,1. 7 µm) chromatographic column,with acetonitrile-0. 05% formic acid as mobile phase for gradient elution. The detection wavelength was set at 250 nm; the flow rate was 0. 2 mL·min~(-1); the column temperature was 30 ℃ and the injection volume was 2 µL. Similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) was adopted; principal component analysis( PCA) and discriminant analysis by partial least square method( PLS-DA) in Simca-P software were used to identify the differential components in samples from three habitats. The similarity was over 0. 90 in 29 batches of samples,indicating good consistency of the samples. The samples were clustered into 3 categories by PCA and PLS-DA,and six differential components such as puerarin apioside,daidzin,and isoflavoues aglycone were found. The determination results of 6 isoflavones,including 3'-hydroxy puerarin,puerarin,3'-methoxy puerarin,puerarin apioside,daidzin,and isoflavoues aglycone,showed that the content of the same component and the fluctuation range between different components were all different among different habitats. The total content of 6 isoflavones from different regions was Anhui 11. 21% >Henan 10. 97% >Shannxi 9. 38%. The establishment of UPLC fingerprint combined with simultaneous determination of 6 active components provides a more comprehensive reference for quality control and quality evaluation of Puerariae Lobatae Radix.

Co-existence of blaOXA-23 and blaVIM in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates belonging to global complex 2 in a Chinese teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) have been a challenging concern of health-care associated infections. The aim of the current study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology and clonal dissemination of CRAB isolates in a Chinese teaching hospital. METHODS: Non-duplicate clinical A. baumannii isolates were collected from inpatients, and we measured the minimal inhibitory concentrations to determine antimicrobial susceptibility. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing were performed to detect carbapenem-resistance genes and occurrence of transposons among CRAB isolates. Moreover, the genetic diversity among isolates and clonal dissemination were determined by repetitive element PCR-mediated DNA fingerprinting (rep-PCR) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). RESULTS: A total of 67 CRAB isolates displayed resistance to most of the antibiotics tested in this study, except tigecycline. We detected blaOXA-23, blaOXA-51, blaOXA-58, and blaVIM genes in 94.0%, 100.0%, 1.5%, and 80.6% of the CRAB isolates, respectively. Nevertheless, 74.6% of the CRAB isolates co-harbored the blaOXA-23 and blaVIM. Only one type of transposons was detected: Tn2008 (79.1%, 53/67). Although 12 distinctive types (A-L) were determined (primarily A type) ST195 was the most prevalent sequence type (ST). ST368, ST210, ST90, ST829, and ST136 were also detected, and all belonged to clonal complex 208 (CC208) and global complex 2 (GC2). CONCLUSION: The blaOXA-23 and blaVIM genes contributed to the resistance among CRAB isolates collected in our study. Notably, most of the CRAB strains co-harbored blaOXA-23 and blaVIM genes, as well as Tn2008, which could contribute to clonal dissemination. The prevalence of such organisms may underlie hospital acquired infections.

Building an octaploid genome and transcriptome of the medicinal plant Pogostemon cablin from Lamiales.

The Lamiales order presents highly varied genome sizes and highly specialized life strategies. Patchouli, Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. from the Lamiales, has been widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas of Asia owing to high demand for its essential oil. Here, we generated ~681 Gb genomic sequences (~355X coverage) for the patchouli, and the assembled genome is ~1.91 Gb and with 110,850 predicted protein-coding genes. Analyses showed clear evidence of whole-genome octuplication (WGO) since the pan-eudicots γ triplication, which is a recent and exclusive polyploidization event and occurred at ~6.31 million years ago. Analyses of TPS gene family showed the expansion of type-a, which is responsible for the synthesis of sesquiterpenes and maybe highly specialization in patchouli. Our datasets provide valuable resources for plant genome evolution, and for identifying of genes related to secondary metabolites and their gene expression regulation.

Comparative genomic investigation of high-elevation adaptation in ectothermic snakes.

Several previous genomic studies have focused on adaptation to high elevations, but these investigations have been largely limited to endotherms. Snakes of the genus Thermophis are endemic to the Tibetan plateau and therefore present an opportunity to study high-elevation adaptations in ectotherms. Here, we report the de novo assembly of the genome of a Tibetan hot-spring snake (Thermophis baileyi) and then compare its genome to the genomes of the other two species of Thermophis, as well as to the genomes of two related species of snakes that occur at lower elevations. We identify 308 putative genes that appear to be under positive selection in Thermophis We also identified genes with shared amino acid replacements in the high-elevation hot-spring snakes compared with snakes and lizards that live at low elevations, including the genes for proteins involved in DNA damage repair (FEN1) and response to hypoxia (EPAS1). Functional assays of the FEN1 alleles reveal that the Thermophis allele is more stable under UV radiation than is the ancestral allele found in low-elevation lizards and snakes. Functional assays of EPAS1 alleles suggest that the Thermophis protein has lower transactivation activity than the low-elevation forms. Our analysis identifies some convergent genetic mechanisms in high-elevation adaptation between endotherms (based on studies of mammals) and ectotherms (based on our studies of Thermophis).

Comprehensive profiling and characterization of chemical constituents of rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge.

The rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. is commonly used as an herbal medicine in China. In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) was used, in both negative and positive ion modes, to comprehensively analyze the chemical constituents of A. asphodeloides. From the intact precursor ions, MS/MS fragmentation information, and previous reports, we identified 89 compounds. These compounds included 8 cyclic peptides, 11 flavones (9 xanthones), 45 steroidal saponins, 15 fatty acids, 3 lignans, and 7 other compounds. Dimer xanthones and cyclic peptides are reported for the first time in A. asphodeloides. The analytical method we have developed is simple, reliable, and effective. The results provide comprehensive information on the metabolite profile of A. asphodeloides, which may benefit the quality control and further utilization of A. asphodeloides.

Euthyroid sick syndrome and nutritional status are correlated with hyposelenemia in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients have altered levels of thyroid hormone (TH) in euthyroid sick syndrome, along with low T3 levels and several nutritional metabolic disturbances. Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for living organisms, which has been shown to play a major role in thyroid hormone levels and the nutritional metabolism. The aims of the present study were to assess the changes in serum levels of selenium and their correlation with disorders of the endocrine and nutritional metabolism in HD patients. METHODS: Fifty-three uremic patients with hemodialysis were evaluated; 30 healthy volunteers served as controls. Baseline serum concentrations of total triiodothyronine (TT3), free triiodothyronine (FT3), total thyroxine (TT4), and free thyroxine (FT4) were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were measured by a sensitive immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). Serum selenium was analyzed using Hitachi Z- 2000 polarized Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometry. Other metabolic variables were measured in all patients and control subjects. Multiple correlation analysis was performed among variables. RESULTS: Higher serum triglyceride, LDL-C, ApoB and lower albumin, HDL-C levels were found in subjects with HD. Mean serum selenium concentration was significantly lower in the HD group than in the control group (p<0.01). The levels of serum TT3 and FT3 in HD patients were significantly lower than in healthy control subjects (p<0.01; p<0.05, respectively), but TT4, FT4 and TSH were not different. However, serum iPTH levels were significantly higher in patients than in controls (p<0.01). In the group of HD patients, serum selenium levels were significantly positively correlated with albumin, HDL-C, TT3 and FT3 ; and negatively correlated with triglyceride (TG), LDL-C, ApoB and iPTH. Both serum TT3 and FT3 levels were significantly positively correlated with HDL-C; and negatively correlated with TG, LDL-C and ApoB. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that hyposelenemia in HD patients correlated with euthyroid sick syndrome with low T3 levels, and nutritional status with hyperlipidemia and hypoalbuminemia which might be involved in dysfunction in the endocrine and nutrition metabolism in dialysis patients.

Th1 polarization and low-T3 syndrome are correlated with hyperleptinemia in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD) have an impaired immune response with a dysregulated Th1/Th2 cytokine network and altered the levels of thyroid hormone (TH) in euthyroid sick syndrome. Leptin, an adipocyte-secreted hormone, is considered to be a proinflammatory adipocytokine, with multiple effects on several tissues acting on the intermediate and energy metabolism. The aims of the present study were to assess the changes in serum levels of leptin and their correlation with Th1/Th2 cytokine and TH production in HD patients. METHODS: Fifty-three uremic patients with hemodialysis were evaluated; 30 healthy volunteers served as controls. Baseline serum concentrations of interleukin-2 (IL-2), sIL-2R, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), IL-4 and IL-10 were analyzed using ELISA. Serum levels of leptin, total triiodothyronine (TT3), free triiodothyronine (FT3), total thyroxine (TT4), free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Other metabolic variables were measured in all patients and control subjects. Multiple correlation analysis was performed among variables. RESULTS: Mean serum leptin concentration was significantly higher in HD patients than that in controls (p<0.01), especially in women (p<0.001). While the fasting serum levels of sIL-2R and Th1-type cytokines including IL-2 and IFN-gamma were significantly higher in HD patients compared with controls, Th2-type cytokine, including IL-4 and IL-10, levels did not differ between patients and controls. The serum TT3 and FT3 levels were lower in patients than controls, but TT4, FT4 and TSH were no different. Serum leptin levels in HD patients were significantly positively correlated with IL-2, IFN-gamma, sIL-2R and TSH; and negatively correlated with IL-4, IL-10, TT3 and FT3. Serum IL-2 levels correlated positively with serum IL-4, sIL-2R, TT3 and FT3. A negative correlation was observed between serum IFN-gamma and IL-4 levels in the patients. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that hyperleptinemia in HD patients correlated with cytokine dysregulation with a high level of Th1-type cytokines, and euthyroid sick syndrome with low T3 levels which might be involved in Th1 polarization and low-T3 syndrome in dialysis patients.