Macrophage Tim-3 maintains intestinal homeostasis in DSS-induced colitis by suppressing neutrophil necroptosis.

T-cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain-3 (Tim-3) is a versatile immunomodulator that protects against intestinal inflammation. Necroptosis is a type of cell death that regulates intestinal homeostasis and inflammation. The mechanism(s) underlying the protective role of macrophage Tim-3 in intestinal inflammation is unclear; thus, we investigated whether specific Tim-3 knockdown in macrophages drives intestinal inflammation via necroptosis. Tim-3 protein and mRNA expression were assessed via double immunofluorescence staining and single-cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNA seq), respectively, in the colonic tissues of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and healthy controls. Macrophage-specific Tim3-knockout (Tim-3M-KO) mice were generated to explore the function and mechanism of Tim-3 in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Necroptosis was blocked by pharmacological inhibitors of receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIP)1, RIP3, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, in vitro experiments were performed to assess the mechanisms of neutrophil necroptosis induced by Tim-3 knockdown macrophages. Although Tim-3 is relatively inactive in macrophages during colon homeostasis, it is highly active during colitis. Compared to those in controls, Tim-3M-KO mice showed increased susceptibility to colitis, higher colitis scores, and increased pro-inflammatory mediator expression. Following the administration of RIP1/RIP3 or ROS inhibitors, a significant reduction in intestinal inflammation symptoms was observed in DSS-treated Tim-3M-KO mice. Further analysis indicated the TLR4/NF-κB pathway in Tim-3 knockdown macrophages mediates the TNF-α-induced necroptosis pathway in neutrophils. Macrophage Tim-3 regulates neutrophil necroptosis via intracellular ROS signaling. Tim-3 knockdown macrophages can recruit neutrophils and induce neutrophil necroptosis, thereby damaging the intestinal mucosal barrier and triggering a vicious cycle in the development of colitis. Our results demonstrate a protective role of macrophage Tim-3 in maintaining gut homeostasis by inhibiting neutrophil necroptosis and provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of IBD.

Impact of Helicobacter pylori colonization density and depth on gastritis severity.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is the most common etiology of chronic gastric. H. pylori gastritis would gradually evolve into gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia and malignant lesions. Herein, this study aimed to investigate the potential impact of H. pylori colonization density and depth on the severity of histological parameters of gastritis. METHODS: A prospective monocentric study was conducted from December 2019 to July 2022, enrolling patients with confirmed chronic H. pylori infection via histopathological evaluation. H. pylori colonization status was detected by immunohistochemical staining, pathological changes of gastric specimens were detected by hematoxylin eosin staining. Epidemiological, endoscopic and histopathological data were collected. RESULTS: A total of 1120 patients with a mean age of 45.8 years were included. Regardless of the previous history of H. pylori eradication treatment, significant correlations were observed between the density and depth of H. pylori colonization and the intensity of gastritis activity (all P < 0.05). Patients with the lowest level of H. pylori colonization density and depth exhibited the highest level of mild activity. In whole participants and anti-H. pylori treatment-naive participants, H. pylori colonization density and depth were markedly correlated with the severity of chronic gastritis and gastric atrophy (all P < 0.05). H. pylori colonization density (P = 0.001) and depth (P = 0.047) were significantly associated with ulcer formation in patients naive to any anti-H. pylori treatment. No significant associations were observed between the density and depth of H. pylori colonization and other histopathological findings including lymphadenia, lymphoid follicle formation and dysplasia. CONCLUSIONS: As the density and depth of H. pylori colonization increased, so did the activity and severity of gastritis, along with an elevated risk of ulcer formation.

Helicobacter pylori infection reduces the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cancer immunotherapy has shown promising results in several tumors, but its efficacy is influenced by the immune state of the body. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection can modulate the immune function of the body through various pathways, ultimately affecting the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy. AIM: In this meta-analysis, we aimed to explore the association between H. pylori infection and the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify relevant articles. We extracted and pooled the hazard ratio (HR) of the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) by Review Manager 5.4. RESULTS: Our analysis included four studies with a total of 263 participants. Compared to the control group, patients receiving cancer immunotherapy with H. pylori infection had a shorter OS (HR = 2.68, 95% CI: 2.00-4.11, p < 0.00001) and PFS (HR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.66-3.60, p < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis suggested that H. pylori infection has a detrimental effect on cancer immunotherapy.

Construction of a novel choline metabolism-related signature to predict prognosis, immune landscape, and chemotherapy response in colon adenocarcinoma.

Background: Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is a common digestive system malignancy with high mortality and poor prognosis. Accumulating evidence indicates that choline metabolism is closely related to tumorigenesis and development. However, the efficacy of choline metabolism-related signature in predicting patient prognosis, immune microenvironment and chemotherapy response has not been fully clarified. Methods: Choline metabolism-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal and COAD tissues were screened using datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), AmiGO2 and Reactome Pathway databases. Two choline metabolism-related genes (CHKB and PEMT) were identified by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. TCGA-COAD was the training cohort, and GSE17536 was the validation cohort. Patients in the high- and low-risk groups were distinguished according to the optimal cutoff value of the risk score. A nomogram was used to assess the prognostic accuracy of the choline metabolism-related signature. Calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curve (CIC) were used to improve the clinical applicability of the prognostic signature. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs in the high- and low-risk groups were performed. KEGG cluster analysis was conducted by the KOBAS-i database. The distribution and expression of CHKB and PEMT in various types of immune cells were analyzed based on single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). The CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithms evaluated tumor immune cell infiltration in the high- and low-risk groups. Evaluation of the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of common chemotherapeutic drugs based on the choline metabolism-related signature was performed. Small molecule compounds were predicted using the Connectivity Map (CMap) database. Molecular docking is used to simulate the binding conformation of small molecule compounds and key targets. By immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blot, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) experiments, the expression levels of CHKB and PEMT in human, mouse, and cell lines were detected. Results: We constructed and validated a choline metabolism-related signature containing two genes (CHKB and PEMT). The overall survival (OS) of patients in the high-risk group was significantly worse than that of patients in the low-risk group. The nomogram could effectively and accurately predict the OS of COAD patients at 1, 3, and 5 years. The DCA curve and CIC demonstrate the clinical utility of the nomogram. scRNA-seq showed that CHKB was mainly distributed in endothelial cells, while PEMT was mainly distributed in CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells. In addition, multiple types of immune cells expressing CHKB and PEMT differed significantly. There were significant differences in the immune microenvironment, immune checkpoint expression and chemotherapy response between the two risk groups. In addition, we screened five potential small molecule drugs that targeted treatment for COAD. Finally, the results of IHC, Western blot, and qRT-PCR consistently showed that the expression of CHKB in human, mouse, and cell lines was elevated in normal samples, while PMET showed the opposite trend. Conclusion: In conclusion, we constructed a choline metabolism-related signature in COAD and revealed its potential application value in predicting the prognosis, immune microenvironment, and chemotherapy response of patients, which may lay an important theoretical basis for future personalized precision therapy.

Identification of a glycolysis- and lactate-related gene signature for predicting prognosis, immune microenvironment, and drug candidates in colon adenocarcinoma.

Background: Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), a malignant gastrointestinal tumor, has the characteristics of high mortality and poor prognosis. Even in the presence of oxygen, the Warburg effect, a major metabolic hallmark of almost all cancer cells, is characterized by increased glycolysis and lactate fermentation, which supports biosynthesis and provides energy to sustain tumor cell growth and proliferation. However, a thorough investigation into glycolysis- and lactate-related genes and their association with COAD prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and drug candidates is currently lacking. Methods: COAD patient data and glycolysis- and lactate-related genes were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) databases, respectively. After univariate Cox regression analysis, a nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm was used to identify glycolysis- and lactate-related molecular subtypes. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression identified twelve glycolysis- and lactate-related genes (ADTRP, ALDOB, APOBEC1, ASCL2, CEACAM7, CLCA1, CTXN1, FLNA, NAT2, OLFM4, PTPRU, and SNCG) related to prognosis. The median risk score was employed to separate patients into high- and low-risk groups. The prognostic efficacy of the glycolysis- and lactate-related gene signature was assessed using Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. The nomogram, calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curve (CIC) were employed to improve the clinical applicability of the prognostic signature. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the high- and low-risk groups. Using CIBERSORT, ESTIMATE, and single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) algorithms, the quantities and types of tumor-infiltrating immune cells were assessed. The tumor mutational burden (TMB) and cytolytic (CYT) activity scores were calculated between the high- and low-risk groups. Potential small-molecule agents were identified using the Connectivity Map (cMap) database and validated by molecular docking. To verify key core gene expression levels, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays were conducted. Results: We identified four distinct molecular subtypes of COAD. Cluster 2 had the best prognosis, and clusters 1 and 3 had poor prognoses. High-risk COAD patients exhibited considerably poorer overall survival (OS) than low-risk COAD patients. The nomogram precisely predicted patient OS, with acceptable discrimination and excellent calibration. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs revealed enrichment mainly in the "glycosaminoglycan binding," "extracellular matrix," "pancreatic secretion," and "focal adhesion" pathways. Patients in the low-risk group exhibited a larger infiltration of memory CD4+ T cells and dendritic cells and a better prognosis than those in the high-risk group. The chemotherapeutic agent sensitivity of patients categorized by risk score varied significantly. We predicted six potential small-molecule agents binding to the core target of the glycolysis- and lactate-related gene signature. ALDOB and APOBEC1 mRNA expression was increased in COAD tissues, whereas CLCA1 and OLFM4 mRNA expression was increased in normal tissues. Conclusion: In summary, we identified molecular subtypes of COAD and developed a glycolysis- and lactate-related gene signature with significant prognostic value, which benefits COAD patients by informing more precise and effective treatment decisions.

An Intratumor Heterogeneity-Related Signature for Predicting Prognosis, Immune Landscape, and Chemotherapy Response in Colon Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is a frequent malignancy of the digestive system with a poor prognosis and high mortality rate worldwide. Intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) is associated with tumor progression, poor prognosis, immunosuppression, and therapy resistance. However, the relationship between ITH and prognosis, the immune microenvironment, and the chemotherapy response in COAD patients remains unknown, and this knowledge is urgently needed. Methods: We obtained clinical information and gene expression data for COAD patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The DEPTH2 algorithm was utilized to evaluate the ITH score. X-tile software was used to determine the optimal cutoff value of the ITH score. The COAD patients were divided into high- and low-ITH groups based on the cutoff value. We analyzed prognosis, tumor mutation burden (TMB), gene mutations, and immune checkpoint expression between the high- and low-ITH groups. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the high- and low-ITH groups were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. We performed univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses to screen the prognosis-related genes for the construction of an ITH-related prognostic signature. The nomogram was used to predict the overall survival (OS) of COAD patients. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by using the GeneMANIA database. Principal component analysis (PCA) and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) were employed to explore the differences in biological pathway activation status between the high- and low-risk groups. The proportion and type of tumor-infiltrating immune cells were evaluated by the CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithms. Additionally, we assessed the chemotherapy response and predicted small-molecule drugs for treatment. Finally, the expression of the prognosis-related genes was validated by using the UALCAN database and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. Results: The OS of the high-ITH group was worse than that of the low-ITH group. A positive correlation between ITH and TMB was identified. In subgroups stratified by age, gender, and tumor stage, the OS of the low-ITH group remained better than that of the high-ITH group. There were dramatic differences in the mutated genes, single nucleotide variant classes, variant types, immune checkpoints and cooccurring and mutually exclusive mutations of the DEGs between the high- and low-ITH groups. Based on the DEGs between the high- and low-ITH groups, we constructed a five-gene signature consisting of CEACAM5, ENO2, GABBR1, MC1R, and SLC44A4. The COAD patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups according to the median risk score. The OS of the high-risk group was worse than that of the low-risk group. The nomogram was used to accurately predict the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS of COAD patients and showed good calibration and moderate discrimination ability. The stromal score, immune score, and ESTIMATE score of the high-risk group were significantly higher than those of the low-risk group, whereas tumor purity showed the opposite trend. The patients classified by the risk score had distinguishable sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. Finally, two public databases confirmed that CEACAM5 and SLC44A4 were upregulated in normal tissues compared with COAD tissues, and ENO2, GABBR1, and MC1R were upregulated in COAD tissues compared with normal tissues. Conclusion: Overall, we identified an ITH-related prognostic signature for COAD that was closely related to the tumor microenvironment and chemotherapy response. This signature may help clinicians make more personalized and precise treatment decisions for COAD patients.

No significant relationship exists between tumor size and prognosis in distant metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis based on SEER database.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that tumor size has an impact on the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Whether tumor size is related to the prognosis of distant metastatic HCC is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of tumor size on the prognosis of distant metastatic HCC. METHODS: Data on patients with HCC were collected from the (SEER) database of surveillance, epidemiology and final results. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce confounding factors and comprehensively evaluate the clinicopathological features and prognosis of distant metastatic HCC. RESULTS: There were 189 patients with distant metastatic HCC whose tumor size was ≤ 50 mm and 615 patients with a tumor size > 50 mm. The tumor sizes of distant metastatic HCC patients were associated with race, grade, surgical treatment, N and AFP. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the mortality rate of patients with a tumor size > 50 mm was higher than that of patients with a tumor size ≤ 50 mm (p = 0.00062). However, there were no significant differences in mortality rates after adjusting for confounding variables by using propensity score matching (p = 0.23). CONCLUSION: This propensity score matching study provides the best data in support of the following assertions: tumor size is not an independent prognostic factor for distant metastatic HCC.

Copy Number Analyses Identified a Novel Gene: APOBEC3A Related to Lipid Metabolism in the Pathogenesis of Preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia is a heterogeneous and complex disease with its pathogenesis mechanism not fully elucidated. A certain subset of patients with preeclampsia exhibit disturbances in lipid metabolism before clinical symptoms. Moreover, there is a tendency for preeclampsia to run in families. Whether genetic factors play a role in abnormal lipid metabolism during the incidence of preeclampsia has not been well investigated. Methods: Preeclampsia patients (n = 110) and healthy age- and gravidity-matched pregnant women (n = 110) were enrolled in this study. Peripheral blood specimens were used for genomic analysis (n = 10/group) or laboratory validation (n = 100/group). We retrospectively obtained the baseline clinical characteristics of 68 preeclampsia patients and 107 controls in early pregnancy (12-14 gestational weeks). Correlation analyses between differential genes and baseline lipid profiles were performed to identify candidate genes. In vitro and in vivo gain-of-function models were constructed with lentivirus and adeno-associated virus systems, respectively, to investigate the role of candidate genes in regulating lipid metabolism and the development of preeclampsia. Results: We observed that preeclampsia patients exhibited significantly elevated plasma TC (P = 0.037) and TG (P < 0.001) levels and increased body mass index (P = 0.006) before the disease onset. Within the region of 27 differential copy number variations, six genes potentially connected with lipid metabolism were identified. The aberrant copies of APOBEC3A, APOBEC3A_B, BTNL3, and LMF1 between preeclampsia patients and controls were verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Especially, APOBEC3A showed a significant positive correlation with TC (P < 0.001) and LDL (P = 0.048) in early pregnancy. Then, our in vitro data revealed that overexpression of APOBEC3A disrupted lipid metabolism in HepG2 cells and affected both cholesterol and fatty acid metabolisms. Finally, in vivo study in a hepatic-specific overexpressed APOBEC3A mouse model revealed abnormal parameters related to lipid metabolism. Pregnant mice of the same model at the end of pregnancy showed changes related to preeclampsia-like symptoms, such as increases in sFlt-1 levels and sFlt-1/PLGF ratios in the placenta and decreases in fetal weight. Conclusion: Our findings established a new link between genetics and lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and could contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of preeclampsia.

The Interferon Gamma-Related Long Noncoding RNA Signature Predicts Prognosis and Indicates Immune Microenvironment Infiltration in Colon Adenocarcinoma.

Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is one of the most common clinically malignant tumours of the digestive system, with high incidence and mortality and poor prognosis. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have prognostic values and were closely associated with immune microenvironment in COAD. Thus, identifying IFN-γ-related lncRNAs may be valuable in predicting the survival of patients with COAD. In this study, we identified IFN-γ-related lncRNAs and divided COAD patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database into training and validation sets. Pearson's correlation analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression were performed to select IFN-γ-related lncRNA-associated prognoses. Thirteen lncRNAs (AC025165.8, AC091633.3, FENDRR, LINC00882, LINC01828, LINC01829, MYOSLID, RP11-154H23.4, RP11-20J15.3, RP11-324L17.1, RP11-342A23.2, RP11-805I24.3, SERTAD4-AS1) were identified to construct an IFN-γ-related lncRNA prognostic signature in TCGA training (n =213) and validation (n =213) cohorts. COAD patient risk scores were calculated and classified into high- and low-risk groups based on the median value of the risk scores in each dataset. We compared the overall survival (OS) of patients stratified by age, gender, and stage. The OS in the high-risk group was significantly shorter than that in the low-risk group. In addition, the clinical nomogram incorporating the prognostic signature and clinical features showed a high concordance index of 0.78 and accurately predicted 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival times among COAD patients in the high- and low-risk groups. Based on the risk model, the high- and low-risk groups exhibited distinct differences in the immune system by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) functional annotation, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the high- and low-risk groups were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. We investigated the expression of multiple immune checkpoint genes in the high- and low-risk groups and plotted Kaplan-Meier survival curves, indicating that immune checkpoint genes, such as LAG3 and PD. L1, STING and TIM 3, were also expressed differently between the two risk groups. Subsequently, there were dramatic differences in mutated genes, SNV (single nucleotide variants) classes, variant types and variant allele frequencies between low- and high-risk patients with COAD. Patients stratified by risk scores had different sensitivities to common chemotherapeutic agents. Finally, we used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays to demonstrate that three lncRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in COAD tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Considered together, a thirteen-lncRNA prognostic signature has great potential to be a prognostic biomarker and could play an essential role in the immune microenvironment of COAD.

Weighted correlation network analysis identifies FN1, COL1A1 and SERPINE1 associated with the progression and prognosis of gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most deadliest tumours worldwide, and its prognosis remains poor. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify and validate hub genes associated with the progression and prognosis of GC by constructing a weighted correlation network. METHODS: The gene co-expression network was constructed by the WGCNA package based on GC samples and clinical data from the TCGA database. The module of interest that was highly related to clinical traits, including stage, grade and overall survival (OS), was identified. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the clusterprofiler package in R. Cytoscape software was used to identify the 10 hub genes. Differential expression and survival analyses were performed on GEPIA web resources and verified by four GEO datasets and our clinical gastric specimens. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of hub genes were plotted using the pROC package in R. The potential pathogenic mechanisms of hub genes were analysed using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) software. RESULTS: A total of ten modules were detected, and the magenta module was identified as highly related to OS, stage and grade. Enrichment analysis of magenta module indicated that ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt pathway, proteoglycans in cancer were significantly enriched. The PPI network identified ten hub genes, namely COL1A1, COL1A2, FN1, POSTN, THBS2, COL11A1, SPP1, MMP13, COMP, and SERPINE1. Three hub genes (FN1, COL1A1 and SERPINE1) were finally identified to be associated with carcinogenicity and poor prognosis of GC, and all were independent risk factors for GC. The area under the curve (AUC) values of FN1, COL1A1 and SERPINE1 for the prediction of GC were 0.702, 0.917 and 0.812, respectively. GSEA showed that three hub genes share 15 common upregulated biological pathways, including hypoxia, epithelial mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. CONCLUSION: We identified FN1, COL1A1 and SERPINE1 as being associated with the progression and poor prognosis of GC.

Assessment of hazard immune-related genes and tumor immune infiltrations in renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to explore and validate a prognostic immune signature, to formulate a prognosis for ccRCC patients combined with immune-infiltration analysis. METHODS: Public datasets were used as our source of multi-omics data. Differential analysis was performed via the edgeR package. A prognostic immune signature was identified by univariate Cox analysis, and we constructed an integrative tumor-associated immune genes (TAIG) model from the multivariate Cox results. In order to interrogate and identify the related crosstalk, functional analysis was deployed. Significantly, we implemented the CIBERSORT algorithm to estimate the immune cell fractions in the ccRCC samples, and analyzed the differential abundance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in two TAIG groups, using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The prognostic role of differential immune cells was further assessed via a Kaplan-Meier analysis. In addition, we investigated the associations of a single immune signature with specific immune cells. RESULTS: A total of 628 ccRCC patients were comprised in our integrative analysis, including 537 ccRCC patients in the discovery group and 91 patients in the validation group. Fourteen key immune signatures were subsequently identified. A figure of 0.802 was registered for AUC, and worse prognosis was evinced for those patients with a higher TAIG. Correlation analysis indicated that TAIG correlated closely with both clinical variables and TMB. Moreover, functional analysis implicated the immune-related GO items or crosstalk. Hence, we were able to identify the relationships obtaining between tumor-infiltrating immune cells and TAIG. The differential abundance of immune cells showed a significant prognostic difference and consisted of memory-activated CD4+ T cells, T follicular helper cells, T regulatory cells, and so on. Moreover, we also characterized the associations between identified signatures and specific immune cells. Finally, the five-year AUC in the ICGC cohort was 0.72, suggesting the robustness of the TAIG that we constructed. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our team characterized the tumor-associated immune signature in ccRCC, and further identified the prognostic tumor-infiltrating immune cells related to TAIG. This in turn provided a solid foundation for investigating individualized immunotherapy, as well as other relevant mechanisms.

Dp71 depleted HBE cells displayed increased DNA damage and apoptosis induced by H2O2.

Human bronchial epithelium (HBE)-Dp71 anti-sense(AS)cells with stably transfected Dp71 siRNA plasmids were prepared for further exploration of Dp71 biological traits in cells other than PC12. HBE-Dp71AS cells displayed increased DNA damage induced by H2O2. Apoptosis of HBE-Dp71AS cells induced by H2O2 was increased via enhancing caspase 3, caspase 8 and caspase 9. HBE-Dp71AS cells also displayed decreased proliferation and clonogenic formation. RAD51 was proved to be a new binding partner of Dp71 by co-immunoprecipitation (Ip) and immunofluorescence. Reduced RAD51 mRNA and protein levels were observed in HBE-Dp71AS cells. Decreased lamin B1, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (p-FAK) and phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT) were detected in the HBE-Dp71AS cells, which functioned together with RAD51 as the molecular explanations for the character alterations of HBE-Dp71AS cells.

Altered Biological Properties in Dp71 Over-Expressing HBE Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In order to further characterize the biological traits of Dp71, HBE over expressing two most abundantly expressed Dp71 spliced isoforms, Dp71d and Dp71f, were established and their biological traits were explored. METHODS: The proliferation, migration and invasion capabilities of HBE-Dp71d and HBE-Dp71f cells were evaluated by MTT, colony formation, transwell and scratch assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis induced by H2O2 were measured by flow cytometer. Co-IP was performed to prove the interaction between lamin B1, FAK and Dp71. Western blot was performed to detect lamin B1, FAK, ERK and Cyclin D expression in HBE-Dp71d and HBE-Dp71f cells. RESULTS: HBE-Dp71d and HBE-Dp71f cells proliferated faster than their mock and blank controls; shortened their G0/G1 phase; enhanced their invasion and migration capabilities; reduced their apoptosis induced by H2O2. Co-IP proved Dp71 directly interacting with focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and lamin B1 in HBE cells. Increased lamin B1, FAK mRNA and protein expression, over activation of integrin/focal adhesion kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/cyclin D pathway were observed in HBE-Dp71d and HBE-Dp71f cells. CONCLUSIONS: Via increasing FAK in the cytoplasmic FAK-Dp71 , lamin B1 of nucleus laminB1-Dp71 complex, HBE-Dp71d and HBE-Dp71f cells alter their proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle and apoptosis rate induced by H2O2.

Essential role of microRNA-650 in the regulation of B-cell CLL/lymphoma 11B gene expression following transplantation: A novel mechanism behind the acute rejection of renal allografts.

Kidney transplantation is an effective final therapeutic procedure for patients with end-stage kidney failure. Although advanced immunosuppressive therapy is administered following transplantation, certain patients still suffer from acute allograft rejection. MicroRNAs (miRs) have a potential diagnostic and therapeutic value for acute renal allograft rejection; however, their underlying mechanism of action is largely unknown. In the present study, an increased level of miR-650 was identified to be associated with the downregulation of B-cell CLL/lymphoma 11B (BCL11B) expression in acute renal allograft rejection. Furthermore, in vitro study using human renal glomerular endothelial cells (HRGECs) transfected with a miR-650 mimic revealed that key characteristics of acute renal allograft rejection were observed, including apoptosis, the release of cytokines and the chemotaxis of macrophages, while the effects were reduced in HRGECs transfected with a miR-650 inhibitor. The existence of a conserved miR-650 binding site on the 3'-untranslated region of BCL11B mRNA was predicted by computational algorithms and confirmed by a luciferase reporter assay. Knockdown of BCL11B with small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly increased the apoptotic rate and significantly decreased the proliferation ability of HRGECs compared with the negative control group. HRGECs transfected with a combination of BCL11B siRNA and the miR-650 mimic demonstrated a significant increase in the rate of apoptosis compared with the control. These results suggest that the upregulation of miR-650 contributes to the development of acute renal allograft rejection by suppression of BCL11B, which leads to apoptosis and inflammatory responses. Thus, miR-650 and BCL11B may represent potential therapeutic targets for the prevention of acute renal allograft rejection.

[Treatment of ureteral fistula and stricture following renal transplantation with Boari flap].

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence rate of ureteral fistula and stricture after kidney transplantation, and to evaluate the effect of bladder flap (Boari flap) on ureteral complication of the transplanted kidney. 
 Methods: The clinical data and risk factors from 270 recipients of renal transplantation, who came from the Centre of Organ Transplantation, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from January 2010 to January 2015, were retrospectively analyzed. The surgical management included Boari flap for ureteral reconstruction, neoureterocystostomy and endoscopic therapy with double-J (DJ) stent placement. Surgical proceeding and the effectiveness were evaluated.
 Results: The incidence rate of ureteral fistula following renal transplantation was 3.3%. The risk factors for ureteral fistula included elder donor age (P<0.05), delayed graft function (P<0.01), bladder spasm (P<0.05), and multiple renal arteries in allograft (P<0.01). Four cases were recovered after conservative treatment, and the other 5 cases were recovered after the treatment with Boari flap for ureteric reconstruction. The incidence rate of ureteral stricture was 4.4%. The risk factors for ureteral stricture included elder donor age (P<0.05), delayed graft function (P<0.05), cystospasm (P<0.05), ureteral fistula (P<0.01) and multiple renal arteries in allograft (P<0.01). Four cases underwent endoscopic therapy, 2 of them carried out percutaneous nephrostomy followed by antegrade DJ stent placement and the other 2 patients by retrograde DJ stent placement under ureteroscopy. Eight patients underwent surgery, 6 of them was treated by Boari flap for ureteral reconstruction and 2 patients were treated by neoureterocystostomy. All the patients recovered after surgical management.
 Conclusion: The ureteral complications after renal transplantation include ureteral fistula and stricture. Although the total incidence is low, the complications can result in adverse effects to the graft function and the life quality of the recipients. The risk factors for ureteral complication include elder donor age, delayed graft function, cystospasm, and multiple renal arteries in allograft. Ureteral fistula is the risk factor for ureteral fracture. Boari flap for ureterial reconstruction is an effective method in the treatment of the ureteral fistula and stricture.

shRNA-mediated GSTP1 gene silencing enhances androgen-independent cell line DU145 chemosensitivity.

PURPOSE: Design short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference sequence to silence glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) gene of androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line DU145, and then to explore its effect on sensitivity to chemotherapeutics. METHODS: Target sequence was picked up to form the shRNA. DU145 cell was divided into five groups according to the shRNA added for transfection: shRNA255, shRNA554, shRNA593, negative-shRNA and blank group. Fluorescence microscope was used to pick up the shRNA with the highest transfection ratio. Western blotting and RT-PCR were taken to pick up the shRNA with the best gene silencing result. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and terminal de-oxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay were used to detect survival ratio and apoptosis ratio of DU145 administered of fluorouracil (5-FU) or paclitaxel (PA) at different concentrations before and after shRNA transfection. RESULTS: Three different shRNA oligonucleotides (shRNA255; shRNA554; shRNA593) targeting the coding sequence of GSTP1 mRNA and one negative control shRNA were constructed. The transfection ratio of shRNA554 (76.2 ± 0.68 %) was higher than that of shRNA255 (63.3 ± 1.04 %) (P < 0.01) or shRNA593 (72.7 ± 0.33 %) (P < 0.01). After transfection of shRNA554, the mRNA and protein of level were the lowest, P < 0.01. The survival ratio of DU145 administered with 5-FU of different concentrations (30, 60, 120, 240 µg/ml) declined after transfection (P < 0.01). Besides, the apoptosis ratio increased after transfection (P < 0.01). Similarly the survival ratio of DU145 administered with PA of different concentrations (0.2, 2, 10, 20 µg/ml) declined (P < 0.01) and the apoptosis ratio increased (P < 0.01) after transfection. CONCLUSIONS: The gene GSTP1 silence via shRNA transfection to androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line DU145 enhances the sensitivity to chemotherapeutics.

[Effect of gene GSTP1 silencing via shRNA transfection on androgen independent prostate cancer cell line Du145].

OBJECTIVE: To design short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference sequence to silence glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) gene of androgen independent prostate cancer cell line DU145, and to explore its effect on proliferation and sensitivity to chemotherapeutics. METHODS: The target sequence was picked up to form the shRNA, and the 3 shRNA expression vectors were shRNA255, shRNA554 and shRNA593. The DNA template was cloned to plasmid pGPU6/GFP/Neo. The shRNA was identified by enzyme digesting and gene sequencing. The screening experiment was done to pick up the shRNA expression vector with the highest transfection ratio and best gene silencing results. DU145 cells were divided into a blank plasmid group and a shRNA transfected group. According to the chemotherapeutics the DU145 cells were divided into a fluorouracil (FU) group and a paclitaxel (PA) group, and the 2 groups were subdivided into 4 subsets according to the chemotherapeutic concentrations (FU: 30, 60, 120, and 240 µg/mL; PA: 0.2, 2, 10, and 20 µg/mL), meanwhile a blank control group was included respectively. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to evaluate the proliferation after the transfection. MTT and terminal de-oxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay were used to detect the inhibition effect of different concentrations of 5-FU or PA on the proliferation and induction of apoptosis of DU145. RESULTS: The transfection ratio of the 3 shRNA expression vectors (shRNA255, shRNA554, and shRNA593) was (63.30±1.04)%, (76.20±0.68)%, and (72.70±0.33)%, and the transfection ratio of shRNA554 was the highest. there was significant difference among the above 3 shRNA expression vectors (P<0.01). After the transfection, the mRNA was 128.31±2.50, 43.24±4.30 and 85.62±6.30, the GSTP1 protein was 163.92±12.40, 65.38±9.30 and 114.25±16.70. After the transfection of shRNA554, the mRNA and protein of GSTP1 were the lowest level. there was significant difference among the above 3 shRNA expression vector (P<0.01). MTT analysis showed that before the transfection, the survival ratio of cells under different concentrations of FU (30, 60, 120, and 240 µg/mL) was (95.60±2.11)%, (90.20±0.86)%, (83.10±3.12)% and (74.60±1.32)%; however after the transfection, the survival ratio of cells was (91.30±1.43)%, (84.60±2.13)%, (73.20±1.52)%, and (65.5±0.942)%. TUNEL assay showed that before the transfection, the apoptosis ratio of cells under different concentrations of FU (30, 60, 120, and 240 µg/mL) was (5.50±0.88)%, (10.20±1.64)%, (15.20±2.39)%, and (25.10±2.59)%; however after the transfection, the apoptosis ratio of cells was (10.8±0.62)%, (15.7±1.32)%, (20.4±1.89)%, and (34.9±2.54)%. After the transfection, the cell survival ratio decreased under the same concentration of FU, and the apoptosis ratio increased, with statistical significance (both P<0.01). MTT analysis showed that before the transfection, the survival ratio of cells under different concentrations of PA (0.2, 2, 10, and 20 µg/mL) was (98.50±2.34)%, (95.20±1.32)%, (89.40±0.68)%, and (82.70±1.73)%; after the transfection the survival ratio of cells was (94.20±0.78)%, (86.50±2.13)%, (78.70±1.34)%, and (70.10±0.76)%. TUNEL assay showed that before the transfection, the apoptosis ratio of cells under different concentrations of PA (0.2, 2, 10, and 20 µg/mL) were (2.40±1.07)%, (5.20±1.33)%, (10.50±2.41)%, (20.70±1.92)%; after the transfection the apoptosis ratio of cells was (5.46±2.13)%, (13.80±1.24)%, (21.20±2.39)%, and (29.20±2.21)%. After the transfection, the cell survival ratio decreased under the same PA concentration, and the apoptosis ratio increased, with statistical significance (both P<0.01). CONCLUSION: gene GSTP1 silence via shRNA transfection to androgen independent prostate cancer cell line DU145 can inhibit its proliferation in time dependent manner, and induce apoptosis and raise its sensitivity to chemotherapeutics.

[Clinical observation of hand-assisted laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and advantage of hand-assisted laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy in renal transplantation. METHODS: Six living relative donors received retroperitoneal left-side laparoscopic nephrectomy. The operating time of nephrectomy, the warm ischemic time, the recovery time of allograft and donors were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean operating time of nephrectomy was 150 minutes, the mean warm ischemic time was 3.5 minutes, and the mean time of micturition after graft reperfusion was 82 seconds. The donors recovered rapidly and returned to normal within 30 days . The urine volume and renal function of the 6 recipients were normal without complications in the following 3 months. CONCLUSION: Hand-assisted laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy is feasible with short operating time and warm ischemic time; the donors experience less pain, and recover rapidly. This technique may be widely used in living donor nephrectomy.

[Operative treatment of pheochromocytoma: report of 11 cases].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Pheochromocytoma is clinically uncommon. Pheochromocytoma patients without hypertension or symptoms are often misdiagnosed. The patients could be cured by surgical removal of the tumor. However, surgery is dangerous if the preoperative preparation was not well done. The authors reported their experiences in surgical treatment of pheochromocytoma. METHODS: Clinical data of 11 patients with pheochromocytoma were reviewed retrospectively to summarize the management of blood pressure during pre-operation and operation. RESULTS: After excision of the tumors, 11 patients have been followed up for 3 months to 10 years. Blood pressure became normal and symptoms vanished in all patients. Only one patient recurred at paraveterbral sympathetic chain 6 months after operation and underwent another operation for removal of the tumor. CONCLUSION: Surgery is the mainstay of therapy for pheochromocytoma. The adequate preoperative preparation is very important for successful surgery.