Survival and disease burden analyses of occupational pneumoconiosis during 1958-2021 in Huangshi city, China: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Pneumoconiosis, a chronic disease stemming from prolonged inhalation of dust particles, stands as a significant global burden of occupational diseases. This study aims to investigate the survival outcomes of pneumoconiosis patients in Huangshi city, China, while also evaluating the disease burden on afflicted patients. METHODS: Data for this study were sourced from the Huangshi Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Survival analyses of pneumoconiosis patients were conducted employing life tables and the Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox proportional hazards models were deployed to identify factors influencing pneumoconiosis patients' survival duration. Competing risks models were employed to confirm the validity of the model outcomes. Additionally, in the disease burden assessment, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were computed for various demographic groups and time frames. RESULTS: A total of 5,641 pneumoconiosis cases, diagnosed in Huangshi City, Hubei Province between 1958 and 2021, were incorporated into the cohort analysis. The probability of mortality and the risk ratio increased with advancing age. Notably, the median survival time of stage III pneumoconiosis patients was significantly shorter compared with those in stages I and II. The Cox proportional hazards model and competing risks analyses underscored several significant factors influencing survival time, including dust exposure duration (HR = 1.197, 95% CI: 1.104-1.298), age at first diagnosis (HR = 3.149, 95% CI: 2.961-3.349), presence of silicosis (HR = 1.378, 95% CI: 1.254-1.515), and stage II-III pneumoconiosis (HR = 1.456, 95% CI: 1.148-1.848). Cumulatively, DALYs amounted to 7,974.35 person-years, with an average of 1.41 person-years. The period between 2000 and 2019 witnessed the highest disease burden. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the urgent need for improved prevention, earlier detection, and more effective management strategies for the occupational pneumoconiosis population. This study not only underscores the persistent issue of pneumoconiosis in industrial environments but also serves as a crucial call to action for policymakers and healthcare providers.

An Observational Study on HIV and Syphilis Rates and Associated Risk Factors among Elderly Men in Wuxi, China.

BACKGROUND: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) remains a nationwide health problem in China; there were a reported 1,045,000 people living with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS by the end of October 2020, and the proportion of individuals aged 50 years and older living with HIV has also increased from 8% to 24% over the past two decades. METHODS: A cross-sectional study and an 1:2 matched case-control study were conducted from July to August 2016, in Wuxi city, eastern China. A total of 1,000 men aged 50 years and older completed a face-to-face interview regarding their AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes, as well as risk behaviors. RESULTS: Prevalence was 0.1% for HIV and 2% for syphilis. The awareness rate of AIDS-related knowledge among elderly men was 48.9% (range 40.7%-63.9%). The 1꞉2 matched case-control study indicated that only the AIDS-related attitudes were different between the two groups (χ2=8.726, P=0.013), the conditional logistic regression analysis indicated that scores of AIDS health knowledge were the only significant prognostic factor for the infection (HR=0.754 (0.569- 0.999), P=0.049). CONCLUSION: It was crucial to prevent HIV/AIDS and syphilis infections by improving the awareness of AIDS-related knowledge and changing related attitudes among the elderly. Further research aimed at identifying how these factors impact their sexual decision-making can shed valuable insight into further prevention program in this population.

A novel regQTL-SNP and the risk of lung cancer: a multi-dimensional study.

RegQTL, a novel concept, indicates that different genotypes of some SNPs have differential effects on the expression patterns of miRNAs and their target mRNAs. We aimed to identify the association between regQTL-SNPs and lung cancer risk and to explore the underlying mechanisms. The two-stage case-control study included the first stage in a Chinese population (626 lung cancer cases and 667 healthy controls) and the second stage in a European population (18,082 lung cancer cases and 13,780 healthy controls). Functional annotations were conducted based on the GTEx and the TCGA databases. Functional experiments were performed to explore the underlying biological mechanisms in vitro and vivo. After strict screening, five candidate regQTL-SNPs (rs7110737, rs273957, rs6593210, rs3768617, and rs6836432) were selected. Among them, the variant T allele of rs3768617 in LAMC1 was found to significantly increase the risk of lung cancer (first stage: P = 0.044; second stage: P = 0.007). The eQTL analysis showed that LAMC1 expression level was significantly higher in subjects with the variant T allele of rs3768617 (P = 1.10 × 10-14). In TCGA paired database, the regQTL annotation indicated the different expression patterns between LAMC1 and miRNA-548b-3p for the distinct genotypes of rs3768617. Additionally, LAMC1 knockdown significantly inhibited malignant phenotypes in lung cancer cell lines and suppressed tumor growth. A novel regQTL-SNP, rs3768617, might affect lung cancer risk by modulating the expression patterns of miRNA-548b-3p and LAMC1. RegQTL-SNPs could provide a new perspective for evaluating the regulatory function of SNPs in lung cancer development.

Quercetin alleviates chronic renal failure by targeting the PI3k/Akt pathway.

Chronic renal failure (CRF) threatens human health greatly and attracts worldwide concerns of health professionals in the public health sector. In our preliminary study, we found that Compound capsule (Shengqing Jiangzhuo Capsule, SQJZJN) had a significant therapeutic effect on CRF. Quercetin is one of the main components of this Compound capsule. In this study, we investigated the effect of Quercetin monomer on CRF and the regulation of PI3k/Akt pathway. Network pharmacology analysis methods were employed to analyze the SQJZJN/Quercetin/PIK3R1 network relationships. In this study, a CRF rat model was prepared using the gavage adenine solution method and detected the indicators of Creatinine (Cr), Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), and Uric Acid (UA). After treating the rat model with Quercetin and PIK3R1-interfering lentivirus, respectively, we observed the changes on the histological morphology of the kidney and detected apoptosis using TUNEL staining. Gene and protein expression associated with renal function were detected using qPCR, WB and immunofluorescence. Quercetin was identified as the main ingredient of SQJZJN by the network pharmacological screening and Quercetin at 1.5 and 3 g/(kg.d) concentrations could effectively alleviate the CRF symptoms, reduce the levels of Cr, BUN, and UA, and markedly inhibit cell apoptosis demonstrated by the intragastric administration. Furthermore, the protein expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT, NLRP3, caspase1, AQP1, and AQP2 in all groups was detected by immunofluorescence and western blot assays, indicating that Quercetin could reduce the expression of NLRP3, caspase1, p-PI3k, and p-Akt, and increase the expression of AQP1 and AQP2 in the renal tissues of CRF rats. Being labeled with biotin and incubated with the total protein extracted from kidney tissues, Quercetin could bind to PIK3R1. Following the PIK3R1 interference lentivirus was injected into the CRF model rats by tail vein, the CRF symptoms were effectively alleviated in the PIK3R1 interference group, consistent with the effect of Quercetin. Taken together, Quercetin, a major component of SQJZJN, might minimize renal fibrosis and apoptosis in CRF rats by inhibiting the PI3k/Akt pathway through targeting PIK3R1. By regulating AQP1 and AQP2, both water retention and toxin accumulation were reduced.

"Stay-at-Home" Lifestyle Effect on Weight Gain during the COVID-19 Outbreak Confinement in China.

In February 2020, a novel coronavirus (SARS-COV2) broke out in Wuhan city of China. The Chinese government decisively imposed nationwide confinement. This study comprised a structured, online questionnaire, based on 40 items inquiring about socio-demographic information and anthropometric data (reporting weight and height), as well as changes in food intake, physical activity, and sleep during the COVID-19 outbreak. Questionnaires were distributed to residents of Jiangsu and other provinces from 29 March to 5 April. A total of 889 respondents were included, aged between 16 and 70 years (61% females). There was a significant increase in total food intake by 9.8% and a slight increase by 29.2% of respondents, and a significant decrease in physical activity by 31.5% and a slight decrease by 23.4% of respondents, especially in snacks and drinks, and outdoor activities. The rate of weight gain in the total population was 30.6% and the average weight gain was 0.5 ± 2.8 kg. The main factors contributing to weight gain were increased food intake and reduced physical activity. Additionally, normal-weight people were more likely to gain weight than people with overweight/obesity during the COVID-19 confinement. This study provided a good warning and educational reference value on lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 confinement.

Imaging manifestations of congenital mesoblastic nephroma.

OBJECTIVE: Congenital mesoblastic nephroma (CMN) is a rare renal tumor mainly observed in infants and young children. This study aims to analyze the imaging manifestations of CMN to improve the understanding of the disease. METHODS: The imaging manifestations and clinical records of all pediatric patients with CMN admitted to our hospital over the last 7 years were retrospectively analyzed. The diagnosis of CMN was confirmed by postoperative pathology. All patients underwent computed tomography (CT) scans; 2 patients additionally underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans (including one prenatal MRI scan). RESULTS: We evaluated 10 pediatric patients (6 males and 4 females) aged 7 days to 12 months (median age: 4 months) with CMN located on the left kidney in six cases and the right kidney in four cases. The CT imaging manifested as solid lesions (5 cases), solid-cystic lesions with solid predominance (4 cases), or solid-multicystic lesions with cystic predominance (1 case). Enhanced CT showed moderately and heterogeneously enhanced solid component and intracystic septations at the corticomedullary phase that were further enhanced at the nephrographic phase, although their CT values were still lower than those of the renal parenchyma. The "double-layer sign" were seen in 4 cases of classic type of CMN, and the "intratumor pelvis sign" were seen in 9 cases that include 5 classic, 3 cellular and 1 mixed type of CMN. In the 2 patients who underwent MRI, the scans showed solitary masses. The lesions had hypointense signals on the T1WI sequence and isointensity or slightly lower-intensity signals than the surrounding renal parenchyma on the fluid-sensitive sequences, whereas the lesions showed hyperintense signals on the diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequence. CONCLUSIONS: The imaging manifestations of CMN are closely correlated with the pathological subtype and have certain characteristics. The "double-layer sign" was seen with most classic type CMN, and "intratumor pelvis sign" was seen in 90% cases.

Direct-acting antivirals and interferon-based therapy on hepatocellular carcinoma risk in chronic hepatitis-C patients.

Aim: It was controversial whether direct-acting antiviral (DAA) is better than interferon-based therapy (IBT) in preventing HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, we accomplished this large, stepwise meta-analysis. Materials & methods: The PubMed, Cochrane and ScienceDirect were searched for studies published during January 2009-March 2019. Antiviral type, number of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, number of HCC cases from CHC patients, sustained virological response (SVR) status and important covariate data were extracted from each study. Results & conclusion: It is demonstrated that antiviral treatment reduces the occurrence of HCC in patients with CHC; achieving SVR to antiviral treatment reduces HCC; DAA treatment is not better than IBT in the prophylaxis of HCC; DAA treatment and cirrhosis are independently associated with a higher incidence of HCC than IBT in middle-aged CHC patients who achieve SVR.

Functional Variant in 3'UTR of FAM13A Is Potentially Associated with Susceptibility and Survival of Lung Squamous Carcinoma.

FAM13A is associated with aging lung disease (primarily chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and pulmonary fibrosis) and shows stable expression throughout lung development. However, a few systematic studies of FAM13A have been conducted to assess the pathogenesis of lung cancer, particularly susceptibility. We predicted that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FAM13A may be associated with lung cancer development. We systematically selected five functional SNPs (rs2602120, rs3017895, rs9224, rs7657817, and rs3756050) and genotyped them with the Genesky proprietary improved Multiligase Detection Reaction multiplex SNP genotyping system in a case-control study of 626 lung cancer cases and 667 cancer-free controls. The functional effects of FAM13A and specific miRNAs (miRNA-22-5p and miRNA-1301-3p) were evaluated based on The Cancer Genome Atlas database. We found that rs9224 in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of FAM13A was potentially associated with an increased risk of lung squamous carcinoma (LUSQ) (additive model: odds ratio = 1.47, 95% confidence interval = 1.04-2.07, p = 0.028). In addition, the results of expression quantitative trait loci analysis suggested that the rs9224 polymorphism affects the expression of FAM13A (p = 0.050) and miRNA-22-5p (p = 0.031) in LUSQ. Further, survival analysis indicated decreased overall survival in the presence of the variant alleles of rs9224 (p = 0.048). The present results indicate that variant genotypes of rs9224 in the FAM13A 3'UTR may modify LUSQ susceptibility by affecting the binding of miRNA-22-5p and predict a poor prognosis of patients with LUSQ.

Association between CYP2E1 and GOT2 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility and low-dose N,N-dimethylformamide occupational exposure-induced liver injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of the interactions between the CYP2E1 and GOT2 gene polymorphisms and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) on liver injury. METHODS: A total of 672 DMF-exposed workers were randomly selected from two synthetic leather enterprises in Suzhou, China, for follow-up in a cohort study. Information on exposure to DMF in the air was collected through a fixed-point air sampler in the worker's breathing zone. The subjects were assessed every year during the period of 2010-2015, they underwent occupational health examinations. Alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were measured. Peripheral blood was collected and DNA was extracted. The genotypes rs2031920, rs3813867 and rs6413432 of the CYP2E1 gene and rs7204324 of the GOT2 gene were detected by PCR, and analyzed using the Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Workers exposed to a high cumulative dose of DMF were significantly more likely than low-exposed workers to develop liver injury. No association was observed between rs2031920, rs3813867 and rs6413432 of the CYP2E1 gene and DMF-induced liver damage. However, the A allele of rs7204324 on the GOT2 gene may be a risk factor for susceptibility to DMF-induced liver injury. CONCLUSION: Polymorphisms of rs7204324 on GOT2 may play an important role in susceptibility to liver injury following exposure to DMF.

Population genomic screening of all young adults in a health-care system: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

PURPOSE: To consider the impact and cost-effectiveness of offering preventive population genomic screening to all young adults in a single-payer health-care system. METHODS: We modeled screening of 2,688,192 individuals, all adults aged 18-25 years in Australia, for pathogenic variants in BRCA1/BRCA2/MLH1/MSH2 genes, and carrier screening for cystic fibrosis (CF), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and fragile X syndrome (FXS), at 71% testing uptake using per-test costs ranging from AUD$200 to $1200 (~USD$140 to $850). Investment costs included genetic counseling, surveillance, and interventions (reimbursed only) for at-risk individuals/couples. Cost-effectiveness was defined below AUD$50,000/DALY (disability-adjusted life year) prevented, using an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), compared with current targeted testing. Outcomes were cancer incidence/mortality, disease cases, and treatment costs reduced. RESULTS: Population screening would reduce variant-attributable cancers by 28.8%, cancer deaths by 31.2%, and CF/SMA/FXS cases by 24.8%, compared with targeted testing. Assuming AUD$400 per test, investment required would be between 4 and 5 times higher than current expenditure. However, screening would lead to substantial savings in medical costs and DALYs prevented, at a highly cost-effective ICER of AUD$4038/DALY. At AUD$200 per test, screening would approach cost-saving for the health system (ICER = AUD$22/DALY). CONCLUSION: Preventive genomic screening in early adulthood would be highly cost-effective in a single-payer health-care system, but ethical issues must be considered.

Is It Necessary to Perform the Pharmacological Interventions for Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy? A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although many meta-analyses have evaluated the pharmacotherapy of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and recommended ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) as an effective treatment, the defect of the pair-wise analyses and the mixture of the control group made the outcome uncertain and unclear. We aimed to employ Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare the maternal and fetal outcomes after UDCA, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) mono-therapy or the combination treatment of these two drugs for ICP patients. METHODS: Multiple electronic database searches were conducted for articles published up to 1 September 2018. The relevant information was extracted from the published reports with a predefined data extraction sheet, and the risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Poisson Bayesian network meta-analysis was employed to identify the synthesized evidence from the relevant trials, with reporting hazard risks (HRs) and 95% credible intervals (CrIs). RESULTS: The pooled outcomes of the 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 625 participants indicated that none of the three regimens can significantly improve maternal and fetal outcomes. CONCLUSION: This NMA of the RCTs clarified that the current intervention has no favorable effect on pruritus and other symptoms in ICP patients.

RAGE may act as a tumour suppressor to regulate lung cancer development.

Although the correlation of the RAGE rs2070600 polymorphism and cancer risk has been confirmed, detailed studies with functional and experimental evaluations are lacking. In this study, we first aimed to examine whether this polymorphism is associated with cancer risk based on the latest published data, and consistent with previous meta-analyses, a significant association between the rs2070600 polymorphism and cancer risk was observed (A versus G: OR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.12-1.40). In additional stratified analyses based on cancer type, rs2070600 was significantly associated with an increased risk of lung cancer (A versus G: OR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.09-1.33). Moreover, TCGA database showed that the expression level of RAGE was significantly lower in lung cancer tumour tissues than in adjacent non-tumour tissues, which was validated in the GEO database. Additionally, eQTL analysis indicated that the rs2070600 polymorphism may modify the expression level of RAGE in lung squamous cell carcinoma tissues (P = 0.09). Finally, we performed functional experiments in lung cancer cells and preliminarily demonstrated that RAGE may act as a tumour suppressor in lung cancer development. These findings provide evidence that the variant A allele of rs2070600 may decrease the expression of the tumour suppressor gene RAGE, thereby increasing lung cancer risk.

Scaling Up Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening and Antiretroviral Therapy Among Men Who Have Sex With Men to Achieve the 90-90-90 Targets in China.

INTRODUCTION: The Joint United Nations Programme on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome has proposed the 90-90-90 targets by 2020. Human immunodeficiency virus epidemic is spreading rapidly among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. This study investigates how the scale-up of HIV testing and treatment in achieving the targets and its cost-effectiveness. METHODS: We constructed a compartmental model to forecast the HIV epidemic in Chinese MSM based on various "test-and-treat" scale-up scenarios. We assessed their cost effectiveness based on the cost for each HIV infection, death, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) prevented by the scale-up. RESULTS: If the current epidemic continued, HIV prevalence among Chinese MSM would increase from 9.2% in 2016 to 12.6% (9.2-15.6%) in 2020 and 16.2% (11.3-20.0%) in 2025. By 2020, 49.2% of infected MSM would be diagnosed and 40.1% of whom on treatment, falling short of the 90-90-90 targets, so would be even by 2025. To achieve these targets by 2020, additional 850,000 HIV screening tests and 112,500 person-years of antiretroviral treatment (ART) annually are necessary. This spending is US $478 million during 2016 to 2020, which almost tripled the status quo. However, by delaying to 2025, an investment of US $1210 million over 2016 to 2025 corresponding to 52% increase to the status quo, will enable extra 340,000 HIV screening tests and 60,000 person-year on ART annually. In both scenarios, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was US $733 to 960 for each DALY prevented, indicating highly cost-effective scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: Achieving the 90-90-90 targets by 2020 requires steep increase in investment, but delaying the targets to 2025 is practical and cost-effective.

The miR-608 rs4919510 polymorphism may modify cancer susceptibility based on type.

Previous meta-analysis has not shown different effects of miR-608 rs4919510 polymorphism in specific cancer types and reported no significant association between rs4919510 and cancer risk among Chinese. However, more recent findings have been inconsistent. Therefore, we performed an updated meta-analysis to examine whether this polymorphism is associated with cancer risk based on ethnicity and type. A total of 18 case-control studies, comprising 12,517 cases and 15,624 controls, were included in our study. Surprisingly, in contrast with previous meta-analysis, a significant association between the rs4919510 polymorphism and cancer risk was observed in Chinese (CG vs CC: odds ratio = 1.11; 95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.19). In further stratified analyses based on cancer type, rs4919510 was significantly associated with an increased risk of papillary thyroid cancer (CG vs CC: odds ratio = 1.25; 95% confidence interval = 1.01-1.54) and exhibited borderline significant associations with increased risk of gastric cancer (GG vs CC: odds ratio = 1.27; 95% confidence interval = 1.00-1.62) and lung cancer (CG vs CC: odds ratio = 1.14; 95% confidence interval = 0.99-1.32), but a decreased risk of colorectal cancer (GG vs CC: odds ratio = 0.74; 95% confidence interval = 0.60-0.91). Moreover, the RegulomeDB database indicated that rs4919510 may affect the expression of two nearby genes ( SEMA4G and MRPL43), and the Cancer Genome Atlas database revealed that the expression level of SEMA4G was significantly lower in colorectal cancer and lung cancer tissues than that in adjacent non-tumour tissues, while the expression level of SEMA4G was significantly higher in gastric cancer tissues than that in adjacent non-tumour tissues. These findings provide evidence that the miR-608 rs4919510 polymorphism may modify cancer susceptibility in a type-specific manner. Furthermore, SEMA4G may function as an oncogene or tumour suppressor to regulate tumour development in a type-specific manner. Further studies with experimental evaluations are warranted.

Quantitative assessment of polymorphisms in H19 lncRNA and cancer risk: a meta-analysis of 13,392 cases and 18,893 controls.

H19 refers to a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that functions as an oncogenic molecule in different cancer cells. Genetic variants of H19 may affect the activity of certain regulatory factors, which subsequently regulate the aberrant expression of H19. This feedback loop might be one of the underlying mechanisms influencing tumour susceptibility and prognosis. Although there have been several recent studies that examined possible links between polymorphisms in H19 and cancer risk, the results have been inconclusive. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to estimate the associations between H19 polymorphisms (rs2107425, rs2839698 and rs217727) and cancer risk. Ten studies comprising 13,392 cases and 18,893 controls were included in the study. Overall, the variant T allele of rs2107425 correlated with a significantly decreased risk of developing cancer (dominant model: OR = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.76-0.98). In addition, a marginally significant association between the rs2839698 and cancer risk was observed (dominant model: OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 0.99-1.20). After stratification for ethnicity, it became apparent that Asians with the variant A allele of rs2839698 exhibited a significantly higher risk of developing cancer (dominant model: OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.01-1.23). Interestingly, the rs2839698 variant was also significant associated with an increased risk of cancers of the digestive system (dominant model: OR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.08-1.41). These findings provided evidence that H19 rs2107425 may modify general cancer susceptibility, while rs2839698 may modify cancer susceptibility based on ethnicity and type. Further experimental studies to evaluate the limits of this hypothesis are warranted, and future functional studies are required to clarify the possible mechanisms.

New evidence of TERT rs2736098 polymorphism and cancer risk: an updated meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Previous meta-analyses didn't suggest any significant association between TERT rs2736098 polymorphism and overall cancer risk, and the existing evidence lacks statistical power to draw a convincing conclusion. METHODS: Herein we performed an update meta-analysis to re-evaluate the association between rs2736098 polymorphism and the risk of overall cancer with all the case-control studies published before March 2015 according to PubMed and Embase databases. RESULTS: A total of 19 case-control studies were included in this analysis. We found that variant genotypes of rs2736098 (GA/AA) were significantly associated with an increased risk of overall cancer (GA/AA vs GG: OR=1.14; 95% CI=1.04-1.25). Additionally, the association was more significant in Asians (OR=1.20; 95% CI=1.07-1.34), while in subsequent analyses stratified by cancer type, the variant rs2736098 was definitely associated with increased lung cancer (OR=1.18; 95% CI=1.07-1.29) and hepatocellular carcinoma risk (OR=1.38; 95% CI=1.20-1.59). CONCLUSION: These findings provided further evidence that TERT rs2736098 variant may modify the susceptibility to cancer.

Quantitative Assessment of the Polymorphisms in the HOTAIR lncRNA and Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis of 8 Case-Control Studies.

HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that functions as an oncogenic molecule in different cancer cells. Genetic variants of HOTAIR may affect the activity of certain regulatory factors and further regulate the aberrant expression of HOTAIR, which might be underlying mechanisms that affect tumour susceptibility and prognosis. Recently, several studies have been performed to examine the possible link between polymorphisms in HOTAIR and cancer risk; however, the results have been inconclusive. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to estimate the associations between HOTAIR polymorphisms (rs920778, rs4759314 and rs1899663) and cancer risk. Eight studies comprising 7,151 cases and 8,740 controls were included in our study. Overall, no significant associations between the HOTAIR polymorphisms (rs920778, rs4759314 and rs1899663) and cancer risk were observed. However, in further stratified analyses, the variant T allele of rs920778 exhibited a significant increased risk of developing digestive cancers (dominant model: OR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.31-1.59). These findings provided evidence that HOTAIR rs920778 may modify the susceptibility to certain cancer types. Further studies incorporating subjects with different ethnic backgrounds combined with re-sequencing of the marked region and functional evaluations are warranted.

Protective effects of Acanthopanax vs. Ulinastatin against severe acute pancreatitis-induced brain injury in rats.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the protecting effects of Acanthopanax and Ulinastatin against severe acute pancreatitis (SAP)-induced brain injury in rats. METHODS: SAP-modeled rats were equally randomized into three groups: model group, Acanthopanax-treated group and Ulinastatin-treated group. A sham-operation group was used as negative control. Serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 levels were assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Nuclear factor kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65) activity in the brain tissue was determined by immunohistochemistry. The mortality, pathological changes of the pancreas and brain, and expression of TNF-α mRNA, IL-6 mRNA and IL-10 mRNA in the brain tissue were observed at 6, 12 and 24h after operations in all groups. RESULTS: The mortality of the model group was significantly higher than that of both treatment groups at 24h (P<0.01). Serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6, activity of NF-κB p65, expression levels of TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA in the brain tissue, and the pathological scores of the pancreas and brain in the two treatment groups were lower than those in the model group at 12 and 24h after operation (P<0.01), while serum IL-10 and IL-10 mRNA expression levels of the brain tissue in the two treatment groups were higher. There was no significant difference in all indexes between Acanthopanax and Ulinastatin groups at all designated time points (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Acanthopanax and Ulinastatin have similar protecting effects against SAP-induced brain injury in rats.

Disparities and risks of sexually transmissible infections among men who have sex with men in China: a meta-analysis and data synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including Hepatitis B and C virus, are emerging public health risks in China, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). This study aims to assess the magnitude and risks of STIs among Chinese MSM. METHODS: Chinese and English peer-reviewed articles were searched in five electronic databases from January 2000 to February 2013. Pooled prevalence estimates for each STI infection were calculated using meta-analysis. Infection risks of STIs in MSM, HIV-positive MSM and male sex workers (MSW) were obtained. This review followed the PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO. RESULTS: Eighty-eight articles (11 in English and 77 in Chinese) investigating 35,203 MSM in 28 provinces were included in this review. The prevalence levels of STIs among MSM were 6.3% (95% CI: 3.5-11.0%) for chlamydia, 1.5% (0.7-2.9%) for genital wart, 1.9% (1.3-2.7%) for gonorrhoea, 8.9% (7.8-10.2%) for hepatitis B (HBV), 1.2% (1.0-1.6%) for hepatitis C (HCV), 66.3% (57.4-74.1%) for human papillomavirus (HPV), 10.6% (6.2-17.6%) for herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) and 4.3% (3.2-5.8%) for Ureaplasma urealyticum. HIV-positive MSM have consistently higher odds of all these infections than the broader MSM population. As a subgroup of MSM, MSW were 2.5 (1.4-4.7), 5.7 (2.7-12.3), and 2.2 (1.4-3.7) times more likely to be infected with chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HCV than the broader MSM population, respectively. CONCLUSION: Prevalence levels of STIs among MSW were significantly higher than the broader MSM population. Co-infection of HIV and STIs were prevalent among Chinese MSM. Integration of HIV and STIs healthcare and surveillance systems is essential in providing effective HIV/STIs preventive measures and treatments. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO NO: CRD42013003721.

HIV prevalence in China: integration of surveillance data and a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Asian HIV epidemics are concentrated among particular behavioural groups, but large variations exist in epidemic types, timing, and geographical spread between countries and within countries, especially in China. We aimed to understand the complexity of HIV epidemics in China by systematically analysing prevalence trends by data source, region, population group, and time period. METHODS: We collected HIV prevalence data from official national sentinel surveillance sites at the provincial level from Jan 1, 1995, to Dec 31, 2010. We also searched PubMed, VIP Chinese Journal Database (VIP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data from Jan 1, 1990, to Dec 31, 2012, for independent studies of HIV prevalence. We integrated both sets of data, and used an intraclass correlation coefficient test to assess the similarity of geographical pattern of HIV disease burden across 31 Chinese provinces in 2010. We investigated prevalence trends (and 95% CIs) to infer corresponding incidence by region, population group, and year. FINDINGS: Of 6850 articles identified by the search strategy, 821 studies (384,583 drug users, 52,356 injecting drug users, 186,288 female sex workers, and 87,834 men who have sex with men) met the inclusion criteria. Official surveillance data and findings from independent studies showed a very similar geographical distribution and magnitude of HIV epidemics across China. We noted that HIV epidemics among injecting drug users are decreasing in all regions outside southwest China and have stabilised at a high level in northwest China. Compared with injecting drug users, HIV prevalence in female sex workers is much lower and has stabilised at low levels in all regions except in the southwest. In 2010, national HIV prevalence was 9·08% (95% CI 8·04-10·52) in injecting drug users and 0·36% (0·12-0·71) in female sex workers, whereas incidence in both populations stabilised at rates of 0·57 (0·43-0·72) and 0·02 (0·01-0·04) per 100 person-years, respectively. By comparison, HIV prevalence in men who have sex with men increased from 1·77% (1·26-2·57) in 2000, to 5·98% (4·43-8·18) in 2010, with a national incidence of 0·98 (0·70-1·25) per 100 person-years in 2010. We recorded strong associations between HIV prevalence among at-risk populations in each province, supporting the existence of overlap in risk behaviours and mixing among these populations. INTERPRETATION: HIV epidemics in China remain concentrated in injecting drug users, female sex workers, and men who have sex with men. HIV prevalence is especially high in southwest China. Sex between men has clearly become the main route of HIV transmission.