Model based on five tumour immune microenvironment-related genes for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma immunotherapy outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Although the tumour immune microenvironment is known to significantly influence immunotherapy outcomes, its association with changes in gene expression patterns in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during immunotherapy and its effect on prognosis have not been clarified. METHODS: A total of 365 HCC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas liver hepatocellular carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) dataset were stratified into training datasets and verification datasets. In the training datasets, immune-related genes were analysed through univariate Cox regression analyses and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox analyses to build a prognostic model. The TCGA-LIHC, GSE14520, and Imvigor210 cohorts were subjected to time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and Kaplan-Meier survival curve analyses to verify the reliability of the developed model. Finally, single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to study the underlying molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: Five immune-related genes (LDHA, PPAT, BFSP1, NR0B1, and PFKFB4) were identified and used to establish the prognostic model for patient response to HCC treatment. ROC curve analysis of the TCGA (training and validation sets) and GSE14520 cohorts confirmed the predictive ability of the five-gene-based model (AUC > 0.6). In addition, ROC and Kaplan-Meier analyses indicated that the model could stratify patients into a low-risk and a high-risk group, wherein the high-risk group exhibited worse prognosis and was less sensitive to immunotherapy than the low-risk group. Functional enrichment analysis predicted potential associations of the five genes with several metabolic processes and oncological signatures. CONCLUSIONS: We established a novel five-gene-based prognostic model based on the tumour immune microenvironment that can predict immunotherapy efficacy in HCC patients.

Long noncoding RNA SNHG4: a novel target in human diseases.

Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have attracted great attention from researchers. LncRNAs are non-protein-coding RNAs of more than 200 nucleotides in length. Multiple studies have been published on the relationship between lncRNA expression and the progression of human diseases. LncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 4 (SNHG4), a member of the lncRNA SNHG family, is abnormally expressed in a variety of human diseases, including gastric cancer, renal cell carcinoma, glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, osteosarcoma, cervical cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, neonatal pneumonia, diabetic retinopathy, neuropathic pain, acute cerebral infarction, acute myeloid leukaemia, and endometriosis. In this paper, the structure of SNHG4 is first introduced, and then studies in humans, animal models and cells are summarized to highlight the expression and function of SNHG4 in the above diseases. In addition, the specific mechanism of SNHG4 as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) is discussed. The findings indicate that SNHG4 can be used as a biomarker for disease prognosis evaluation and as a potential target for disease diagnosis and treatment.

Immune signature-based hepatocellular carcinoma subtypes may provide novel insights into therapy and prognosis predictions.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis and has become the sixth most common malignancy worldwide due to its high incidence. Advanced approaches to therapy, including immunotherapeutic strategies, have played crucial roles in decreasing recurrence rates and improving clinical outcomes. The HCC microenvironment is important for both tumour carcinogenesis and immunogenicity, but a classification system based on immune signatures has not yet been comprehensively described. METHODS: HCC datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) were used in this study. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and the ConsensusClusterPlus algorithm were used for clustering assessments. We scored immune cell infiltration and used linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to improve HCC classification accuracy. Pearson's correlation analyses were performed to assess relationships between immune signature indices and immunotherapies. In addition, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to identify candidate modules closely associated with immune signature indices. RESULTS: Based on 152 immune signatures from HCC samples, we identified four distinct immune subtypes (IS1, IS2, IS3, and IS4). Subtypes IS1 and IS4 had more favourable prognoses than subtypes IS2 and IS3. These four subtypes also had different immune system characteristics. The IS1 subtype had the highest scores for IFNγ, cytolysis, angiogenesis, and immune cell infiltration among all subtypes. We also identified 11 potential genes, namely, TSPAN15, TSPO, METTL9, CD276, TP53I11, SPINT1, TSPO, TRABD2B, WARS2, C9ORF116, and LBH, that may represent potential immunological biomarkers for HCC. Furthermore, real-time PCR revealed that SPINT1, CD276, TSPO, TSPAN15, METTL9, and WARS2 expression was increased in HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS: The present gene-based immune signature classification and indexing may provide novel perspectives for both HCC immunotherapy management and prognosis prediction.

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor is associated with short-term mortality and enhanced reactive oxygen species production in acute-on-chronic liver failure.

BACKGROUND: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a comprehensive syndrome characterized by an acute deterioration of liver function and high short-term mortality rates in patients with chronic liver disease. Whether plasma soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is a suitable biomarker for the prognosis of patients with ACLF remains unknown. METHOD: A prospective cohort of 282 patients with ACLF from three hospitals in China was included. 88.4% of the group was hepatitis B virus-related ACLF (HBV-related ACLF). Cox regression was used to assess the impact of plasma suPAR and other factors on 30- and 90-day mortality. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were detected to explore the role of suPAR in regulating neutrophil function in HBV-related ACLF. RESULT: There was no difference in plasma suPAR levels between HBV-related and non-HBV-related ACLF. Patients with clinical complications had higher suPAR levels than those without these complications. A significant correlation was also found between suPAR and prognostic scores, infection indicators and inflammatory cytokines. Cox's regression multivariate analysis identified suPAR ≥ 14.7 ng/mL as a predictor for both day 30 and 90 mortality (Area under the ROC curve: 0.751 and 0.742 respectively), independent of the MELD and SOFA scores in patients with ACLF. Moreover, we firstly discovered suPAR enhanced neutrophil ROS production under E.coli stimulation in patients with HBV-related ACLF. CONCLUSIONS: suPAR was a useful independent biomarker of short-term outcomes in patients with ACLF and might play a key role in the pathogenesis. Trial registration CNT, NCT02965560.

Knowledge, Perceived Beliefs, and Preventive Behaviors Related to COVID-19 Among Chinese Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose an international public health threat. Prevention is of paramount importance to protect the high-risk group of older adults until specific treatments for COVID-19 become available; however, little work has been done to explore factors that promote preventive behaviors among this population. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the knowledge, perceived beliefs, and preventive behaviors towards COVID-19 of older adults in China and determine the factors that influence their practice of preventive behaviors. METHODS: From February 19 to March 19, 2020, a cross-sectional, web-based survey was administered to Chinese older adults in all 31 provinces of mainland China using a convenience sampling method to assess the respondents' knowledge, perceived beliefs, and preventive behaviors towards COVID-19. Standard descriptive statistics and hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 1501 participants responded to the survey, and 1263 valid responses (84.1%) were obtained for further analysis. The overall correct rate on the knowledge questionnaire was 87%, overall positive beliefs regarding COVID-19 were found, and the mean behavior score was 13.73/15 (SD 1.62, range 5-15). The hierarchical linear regression showed that respondents who were married or cohabitating and who lived in areas with community-level control measures were more likely to practice preventive behaviors (P<.01). Knowledge (ß=0.198, P<.001), perceived susceptibility (ß=0.263, P=.03), perceived benefits (ß=0.643, P<.001), and self-efficacy in preventing COVID-19 (ß=0.468, P<.001) were also found to be significantly associated with preventive behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Most older residents had adequate knowledge and positive beliefs regarding COVID-19 and engaged in proactive behaviors to prevent the disease. Knowledge and beliefs were confirmed to be significantly associated with behavior responses. Our findings have significant implications in enhancing the effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention programs targeting the older population; these programs must be continued and strengthened as the epidemic continues.

[Emergency plan for inter-hospital transfer of newborns with SARS-CoV-2 infection].

Since December 2019, the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become the most serious public health issue. As the special population with immature immune function, newborns with COVID-19 have been reported. Newborns with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be transferred to designated hospitals for isolation treatment. An emergency transfer response plan for newborns with COVID-19 has been worked out. This plan puts forward the indications for neonatal COVID-19 transfer, organization management, protection strategies for medical staff, work procedures, and disinfection methods for transfer equipment, in order to provide guidance and suggestions for the inter-hospital transfer of suspected or confirmed neonatal COVID-19.

Altered PGE2-EP2 is associated with an excessive immune response in HBV-related acute-on-chronic liver failure.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Prostaglandin E receptor 2 (EP2) is an immune modulatory molecule that regulates the balance of immunity. Here we investigated the role of EP2 in immune dysregulation in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). METHODS: Plasma Progstaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels and EP2 expression on immune cells were determined in blood samples collected from patients with chronic hepatitis B related ACLF(HB-ACLF), patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), acute decompensated cirrhosis without ACLF (AD) and healthy controls (HC). Cytokine production, bacterial phagocytosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were detected to explore the role of EP2 in regulating immune cell functions. RESULTS: The plasma PGE2 levels were increased and EP2 expression on CD8+ T cells was decreased in HB-ACLF compared with those in controls. The levels of PGE2 and EP2 were associated with systemic inflammation and disease severity. Small molecular chemicals against EP2 increased both cytokine secretion in PBMCs and ROS production in neutrophils and monocytes, but decreased monocytic phagocytosis. By contrast, an EP2-selective agonist reduced the production of a series of cytokines in PBMCs, but increased G-CSF. CONCLUSION: Altered PGE2-EP2 augmented the excessive inflammation of innate and adaptive immune cells in response to LPS or E. coli in HB-ACLF. EP2 might be a new potential target for HB-ACLF treatment.

The immunological roles in acute-on-chronic liver failure: An update.

BACKGROUND: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) refers to the acute deterioration of liver function that occurs in patients with chronic liver disease. ACLF is characterized by acute decompensation, organ failure and high short-term mortality. Numerous studies have been conducted and remarkable progress has been made regarding the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of this disease in the last decade. The present review was to summarize the advances in this field. DATA SOURCES: A comprehensive search in PubMed and EMBASE was conducted using the medical subject words "acute-on-chronic liver failure", "ACLF", "pathogenesis", "predictors", and "immunotherapy" combined with free text terms such as "systemic inflammation" and "immune paralysis". Relevant papers published before October 31, 2018, were included. RESULTS: ACLF has two marked pathophysiological features, namely, excessive systemic inflammation and susceptibility to infection. The systemic inflammation is mainly manifested by a significant increase in the levels of plasma pro-inflammatory factors, leukocyte count and C-reactive protein. The underlying mechanisms are unclear and may be associated with decreased immune inhibitory cells, abnormal expression of cell surface molecules and intracellular regulatory pathways in immune cells and increased damage-associated molecular patterns in circulation. However, the main cause of susceptibility to infection is immune paralysis. Immunological paralysis is characterized by an attenuated activity of immune cells. The mechanisms are related to elevations of immune inhibitory cells and the concentration of plasma anti-inflammatory molecules. Some immune biological indicators, such as soluble CD163, are used to explore the pathogenesis and prognosis of the disease, and some immunotherapies, such as glucocorticoids and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, are effective on ACLF. CONCLUSIONS: Overwhelming systemic inflammation and susceptibility to infection are two key features of ACLF. A better understanding of the state of a patient's immune system will help to guide immunotherapy for ACLF.

A Hybrid Method for Predicting Traffic Congestion during Peak Hours in the Subway System of Shenzhen.

Traffic congestion, especially during peak hours, has become a challenge for transportation systems in many metropolitan areas, and such congestion causes delays and negative effects for passengers. Many studies have examined the prediction of congestion; however, these studies focus mainly on road traffic, and subway transit, which is the main form of transportation in densely populated cities, such as Tokyo, Paris, and Beijing and Shenzhen in China, has seldom been examined. This study takes Shenzhen as a case study for predicting congestion in a subway system during peak hours and proposes a hybrid method that combines a static traffic assignment model with an agent-based dynamic traffic simulation model to estimate recurrent congestion in this subway system. The homes and work places of the residents in this city are collected and taken to represent the traffic demand for the subway system of Shenzhen. An origin-destination (OD) matrix derived from the data is used as an input in this method of predicting traffic, and the traffic congestion is presented in simulations. To evaluate the predictions, data on the congestion condition of subway segments that are released daily by the Shenzhen metro operation microblog are used as a reference, and a comparative analysis indicates the appropriateness of the proposed method. This study could be taken as an example for similar studies that model subway traffic in other cities.

Automatic Indoor Reconstruction from Point Clouds in Multi-room Environments with Curved Walls.

Recent developments in laser scanning systems have inspired substantial interest in indoor modeling. Semantically rich indoor models are required in many fields. Despite the rapid development of 3D indoor reconstruction methods for building interiors from point clouds, the indoor reconstruction of multi-room environments with curved walls is still not resolved. This study proposed a novel straight and curved line tracking method followed by a straight line test. Robust parameters are used, and a novel straight line regularization method is achieved using constrained least squares. The method constructs a cell complex with both straight lines and curved lines, and the indoor reconstruction is transformed into a labeling problem that is solved based on a novel Markov Random Field formulation. The optimal labeling is found by minimizing an energy function by applying a minimum graph cut approach. Detailed experiments were conducted, and the results indicate that the proposed method is well suited for 3D indoor modeling in multi-room indoor environments with curved walls.

Pneumonia in patients with cirrhosis: risk factors associated with mortality and predictive value of prognostic models.

BACKGROUND: Cirrhosis always goes with profound immunity compromise, and makes those patients easily be the target of pneumonia. Cirrhotic patients with pneumonia have a dramatically increased mortality. To recognize the risk factors of mortality and to optimize stratification are critical for improving survival rate. METHODS: Two hundred and three cirrhotic patients with pneumonia at a tertiary care hospital were included in this retrospective study. Demographical, clinical and laboratory parameters, severity models and prognosis were recorded. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of 30-day and 90-day mortality. Area under receiver operating characteristics curves (AUROC) was used to compare the predictive value of different prognostic scoring systems. RESULTS: Patients with nosocomial acquired or community acquired pneumonia indicated similar prognosis after 30- and 90-day follow-up. However, patients triggered acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) highly increased mortality (46.4% vs 4.5% for 30-day, 69.6% vs 11.2% for 90-day). Age, inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy (HR: 2.326 p = 0.018 for 30-day and HR: 3.126 p < 0.001 for 90-day), bacteremia (HR: 3.037 p = 0.002 for 30-day and HR: 2.651 p = 0.001 for 90-day), white blood cell count (WBC) (HR: 1.452 p < 0.001 for 30-day and HR: 1.551 p < 0.001 for 90-day) and total bilirubin (HR: 1.059 p = 0.002 for 90-day) were independent factors for mortality in current study. Chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) displayed highest AUROC (0.89 and 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83-0.95 and 0.85-0.95 for 30-day and 90-day respectively) in current study. CONCLUSIONS: This study found age, bacteremia, WBC, total bilirubin and inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy were independently associated with increased mortality. Pneumonia triggered ACLF remarkably increased mortality. CLIF-SOFA was more accurate in predicting mortality than other five prognostic models (model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), MELD-Na, quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA), pneumonia severity index (PSI), Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score).

MEAN inhibits hepatitis C virus replication by interfering with a polypyrimidine tract-binding protein.

MEAN (6-methoxyethylamino-numonafide) is a small molecule compound, and here, we report that it effectively inhibits hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in an HCV cell culture system using a JC1-Luc chimeric virus, with a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 2.36 ± 0.29 µM. Drug combination usage analyses demonstrated that MEAN was synergistic with interferon α, ITX5061 and ribavirin. In addition, MEAN effectively inhibits N415D mutant virus and G451R mutant viral infections. Mechanistic studies show that the treatment of HCV-infected hepatocytes with MEAN inhibits HCV replication but not translation. Furthermore, treatment with MEAN significantly reduces polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB) levels and blocks the cytoplasmic redistribution of PTB upon infection. In the host cytoplasm, PTB is directly associated with HCV replication, and the inhibition of HCV replication by MEAN can result in the sequestration of PTB in treated nuclei. Taken together, these results indicate that MEAN is a potential therapeutic candidate for HCV infection, and the targeting of the nucleo-cytoplasmic translocation of the host PTB protein could be a novel strategy to interrupt HCV replication.

Emodin protects against concanavalin A-induced hepatitis in mice through inhibiting activation of the p38 MAPK-NF-κB signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the effects of emodin on concanavalin A (Con A)-induced hepatitis in mice and to elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: A fulminant hepatitis model was established successfully by the intravenous administration of Con A (20 mg/kg) to male Balb/c mice. Emodin was administered to the mice by gavage before and after Con A injection. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, numbers of CD4(+) and F4/80(+) cells infiltrated into the liver, and amounts of phosphorylated p38 MAPK and NF-κB in mouse livers and RAW264.7 and EL4 cells were measured. RESULTS: Pretreatment with emodin significantly protected the animals from T cell-mediated hepatitis, as shown by the decreased elevations of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), as well as reduced hepatic necrosis. In addition, emodin pretreatment markedly reduced the intrahepatic expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-12, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), integrin alpha M (ITGAM), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) and chemokine (CXC motif) receptor 2 (CXCR2). Furthermore, emodin pretreatment dramatically suppressed the numbers of CD4(+) and F4/80(+) cells infiltrating into the liver as well as the activation of p38 MAPK and NF-κB in Con A-treated mouse livers and RAW264.7 and EL4 cells. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that emodin pretreatment protects against Con A-induced liver injury in mice; these beneficial effects may occur partially through inhibition of both the infiltration of CD4(+) and F4/80(+) cells and the activation of the p38 MAPK-NF-κB pathway in CD4(+) T cells and macrophages.

Isoliquiritigenin Inhibits Interferon-γ-Inducible Genes Expression in Hepatocytes through Down-Regulating Activation of JAK1/STAT1, IRF3/MyD88, ERK/MAPK, JNK/MAPK and PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathways.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The high expression levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-inducible genes correlate positively with liver diseases. The present study aimed to explore the effect of isoliquiritigenin (ISL) on the expression of genes induced by IFN-γ in vitro, and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: HepG2 and L02 cells were divided into control, ISL, IFN-γ, and IFN-γ plus ISL groups. The cytotoxicity of compounds to cells was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8) assay; the expression levels of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 9 (CXCL9), CXCL10, CXCL11, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in cells and supernatant were measured by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and ELISA, respectively. Moreover, western blot was used to examine the phosphorylated levels of janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), nuclear factor (NF)-κB, interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Protein Kinase B (Akt) in HepG2 and L02 cells exposed to ISL, IFN-γ and IFN-γ plus ISL. RESULTS: The results showed that IFN-γ treatment induced the expression of CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, and IL-6 in HepG2 and LO2 cells, which could be significantly and dose-dependently inhibited by ISL treatment (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but the inhibitory effect of ISL on IL-6 expression was not so good as on CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 expression. Furthermore, ISL treatment dose-dependently inhibited the activation of JAK1/STAT1, IRF3/MyD88, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/MAPK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/MAPK, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways (P < 0.05), but had no effect on the activation of JAK2/STAT1, NF-κB and p38/MAPK signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate that ISL inhibits IFN-γ-induced inflammation in hepatocytes via influencing the activation of JAK1/STAT1, IRF3/MyD88, ERK/MAPK, JNK/MAPK, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.

Lipocalin 2 Upregulation Protects Hepatocytes from IL1-ß-Induced Stress.

BACKGROUND: Lipocalin 2 (LCN2), a protein primarily produced by hepatocytes, is highly upregulated under various conditions that induce cellular stress, such as intoxication, infection or inflammation. However, the precise biological functions and underlying mechanisms of LCN2 in hepatocytes remains unknown. METHODS: Hepatocyte stress was successfully induced by treating Huh7 cells with interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß). Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and LCN2 levels were measured in IL-1ß treated Huh7 cells and supernatant. Additionally, microarray analysis was conducted to identify genes differentially expressed in LCN2-silenced and control Huh7 cells. RESULTS: TNF-α, IL-6 and LCN2 were significantly elevated in Huh7 cells after IL-1ß) treatment. In LCN2-silenced Huh7 cells, expression of IL-6 and TNF-α was significantly increased when compared with the expression levels of control Huh7 cells. Furthermore, differentially expressed genes were observed between the LCN2-silenced and control cells. Microarray analysis indicated that LCN2 acted by influencing genes involved in protein metabolism, stress response, cell cycle and proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that LCN2 upregulation protects hepatocytes from IL-1ß-induced stress. Additionally, our microarray analysis of LCN2-silenced and control cells provides a better understanding of the mechanisms that may be influenced by LCN2 induction.

MicroRNA expression profiles related to early stage murine concanavalin A-induced hepatitis.

BACKGROUND: Fulminant hepatitis is a severe liver disease characterized by massive hepatocyte necrosis and clinical signs of liver failure. This study explores the expression profile of microRNAs, which are regulators of a number of pathophysiological processes, during the early stage of concanavalin A (Con A)-induced hepatitis. METHODS: Balb/c mice were given ConA injections to induce fulminant hepatitis. miRNA expression profiling in liver tissues was carried out by microarray analysis. The differentially expressed miRNAs were subjected to time sequence profile analysis, gene-miRNA regulatory network analysis, and gene ontology-miRNA regulatory network analysis. RESULTS: Eleven miRNAs among multiClass were found to be significantly differentially expressed between liver tissue in early stage fulminant hepatitis and normal control liver tissue. Mmu-miR-133a was the most differentially expressed with the strongest regulatory ability, regulating 47 mRNAs. Mmu-miR-10a was the most highly expressed in the microRNA-GO-Network and also exerted a strong regulatory ability. The expression profiles of miR-133a and miR-10a were verified by RT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that, in the early stage, ConA-induced fulminant hepatitis induces a distinct miRNA expression profile. This differential miRNA expression profile may provide pathogenic clues and potential diagnostic and prognostic markers in acute and severe liver disease.

Fabrication of water-cooled laser silicon mirror by direct laser sintering.

Coppery heat sink with micro pores and Sub-millimeter channel has been fabricated by direct laser sintering on the back of the silicon mirror. To verify the heat dissipation capability of the fabricated heat sink, a Twyman-Green interferometer was employed to measure the thermal deformation of the silicon mirror radiated by a high power laser. It is shown that the thermal deformation of the mirror increases with the irradiating time and laser intensity. The heat balance can be achieved after several seconds of laser irradiation even when the net absorbed laser power density is up to 5.3 × 10(5) W/m(2). The time for reaching the heat balance also increases with the laser intensity. The maximum thermal deformation of the mirror is 0.65 µm if the net absorbed laser power density is 5.3 × 10(5) W/m(2).

Programmed cell death in autoimmune diseases: ferroptosis.

Ferroptosis is an iron dependent cell death driven by lipid peroxidation. Over the past decade, increasing evidence has confirmed that ferroptosis plays an irreplaceable role in the occurrence and development of many diseases, including various cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases and autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune disease is an inflammatory disease characterized by the breakdown of immune tolerance. Nowadays, accumulating evidence indicates that ferroptosis is closely related to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Therefore, this review briefly introduced the mechanism of ferroptosis, and focused on the related research of ferroptosis in multiple autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), ankylosing spondylitis (AS). In addition, we also presented the idea of targeting ferroptosis as a potential therapeutic target for patients with autoimmune diseases, which may provide a direction for the development of new therapeutic strategies.

Elevated CD169 expressing monocyte/macrophage promotes systemic inflammation and disease progression in cirrhosis.

Systemic inflammation is related to disease progression and prognosis in patients with advanced cirrhosis. However, the mechanisms underlying the initiation of inflammation are still not fully understood. The role of CD169+ monocyte/macrophage in cirrhotic systemic inflammation was undetected. Flow cytometry analysis was used to detect the percentage and phenotypes of CD169+ monocytes as well as their proinflammatory function in patient-derived cirrhotic tissue and blood. Transcriptome differences between CD169+ and CD169- monocytes were also compared. Additionally, a mouse model with specific depletion of CD169+ monocytes/macrophages was utilized to define their role in liver injury and fibrosis. We observed increased CD169 expression in monocytes from cirrhotic patients, which was correlated with inflammatory cytokine production and disease progression. CD169+ monocytes simultaneously highly expressed M1- and M2-like markers and presented immune-activated profiles. We also proved that CD169+ monocytes robustly prevented neutrophil apoptosis. Depletion of CD169+ monocytes/macrophages significantly inhibited inflammation and liver necrosis in acute liver injury, but the spontaneous fibrin resolution after repeated liver injury was impaired. Our results indicate that CD169 defines a subset of inflammation-associated monocyte that correlates with disease development in patients with cirrhosis. This provides a possible therapeutic target for alleviating inflammation and improving survival in cirrhosis.

The effects of hepatitis C virus core protein on the expression of miR-122 in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the major pathogens of liver diseases. Some studies have previously reported that miR-122 can stimulate replication or translation of HCV. However, the effects of HCV infection on miR-122 expression are not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of HCV core protein on the expression of miR-122 in a cell culture model. RESULTS: The miR-122 levels in Huh7.5.1 cells infected with HCV for different days or different HCV abundance were measured by real-time PCR. Significant decrease of miR-122 expression was found at late stage of infection and in the high-abundance group. Huh7.5.1 cells transfected with plasmid pEGFP-core or pEGFP were used to detect the effects of HCV core protein on miR-122 expression, the results showed that core protein could down-regulate the miR-122 expression level in a time- and dose- dependent manner, and reduced the susceptibility of Huh7.5.1 cell to HCV. CONCLUSIONS: Down-regulating miR-122 expression by HCV core protein may give a new insight into the interaction between HCV and miR-122 and chronic HCV infection.