Transcriptome profiling based on larvae at different time points after hatching provides a core set of gene resource for understanding the immune response mechanisms of the egg-protecting behavior against Vibrio anguillarum infection in Amphioctopus fangsiao.

Mollusks have recently received increasing attention because of their unique immune systems. Mollusks such as Amphioctopus fangsiao are economically important cephalopods, and the effects of their egg-protecting behavior on the larval immune response are unclear. Meanwhile, little research has been done on the resistance response of cephalopod larvae infected with pathogenic bacteria such as Vibrio anguillarum. In this study, V. anguillarum was used to infect the primary hatching A. fangsiao larvae under different egg-protecting behaviors for 24 h, and a total of 7156 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at four time points after hatching based on transcriptome analysis. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that multiple immune-related GO terms and KEGG signaling pathways were enriched. Protein-protein interaction networks (PPI networks) were used to search functional relationships between immune-related DEGs. Finally, 20 hub genes related to multiple gene functions or involved in multiple signaling pathways were identified, and their accuracy was verified using quantitative RT-PCR. PPI networks were first used to study the effects A. fangsiao larvae after infection with V. anguillarum under different egg-protecting behaviors. The results provide significant genetic resources for exploring invertebrate larval immune processes. The data lays a foundation for further study the immune response mechanisms for invertebrates after infection.

Real-world assessment of the effectiveness of posaconazole for the prophylaxis and treatment of invasive fungal infections in hematological patients: A retrospective observational study.

ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to analyze the efficacy of posaconazole for the prophylaxis and treatment of invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) in patients with hematological malignancies.In this retrospective observational multi-center study, 762 patients from 25 Chinese hematological centers were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were patients with hematological malignancy or they had undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and received at least 1 dose of posaconazole. The primary endpoints were the observation of breakthrough rates and the clinical efficacy of posaconazole prophylaxis. The secondary endpoint was the efficacy of posaconazole for the treatment of IFDs.Of the 762 enrolled patients, 456 (59.8%) were prescribed posaconazole prophylactically while 243 (31.9%) received posaconazole as an IFD treatment (12 proven, 61 probable, 109 possible, and 61 unclassified IFD cases) for ≥7 days. The overall IFD breakthrough rate (probable cases) for the ≥4 days prophylactic treatment (n = 445) group was 1.6% (95% Cl: 0.6%-3.2%), with breakthrough rates of 2.6% for acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome patients undergoing chemotherapy and 2.2% for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients. For primary antifungal prophylaxis, the breakthrough rate was 1.9% and for secondary antifungal prophylaxis 0%. The overall effective IFD remission rate of patients treated for ≥7 days with posaconazole was 56.0% and the effective remission rate of proven/probable/possible IFD cases was 59.3%. The effective remission rate of posaconazole as salvage therapy was 50% (95% CI: 32.4%-67.6%) including 75% (CI: 19.4%-99.4%) for Aspergillus infections.The present retrospective study confirmed posaconazole as IFD prophylaxis and medication for hematological malignancy patients undergoing various treatments in China.

Impact of clinical utility of MRD assessment with different techniques on survival in acute B lymphoblastic leukemia.

We investigated the impact of minimal residual disease (MRD) obtained from different approaches on the outcomes of 141 B lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients. Among 169 samples with more than 5% blasts by morphology, 3.6% (6/169) were Flow-MRD negative. Of the 212 positive molecular-MRD samples from Ph+ ALL patients, 55 (25.9%) were Flow-MRD negative. Before consolidation or allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), negative Flow-MRD was associated with improved survival (p = .019 and .041, respectively) for Ph- ALL patients, but not for Ph+ ALL (p = .111 and .812, respectively). There was no difference in overall survival (OS) by achievement of complete molecular response at complete remission (CR, p = .333 and .863, respectively). Our results indicated that the results of MRDs detected with different methods varied. Flow-MRD can be used as a reliable prognostic marker for Ph- ALL patients. MRD either by flow cytometry or quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) at CR did not affect OS or DFS for Ph+ ALL.

Prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension in a Chinese rural area from 1991 to 2007.

Shandong Province is located in the east of China. The province is characterized by robust economic development, with a rural population accounting for 56% of the total population. However, no data are available regarding temporal changes in the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among this population. Three independent cross-sectional surveys were performed in 1991 (n=8359), 2002 (n=18922) and 2007 (n=20167) in the rural area population, aged 35-74 years. The sampling included a survey on blood pressure and associated risk factors. Although the rate of smoking and alcohol consumption decreased significantly from 1991 to 2007, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased, whereas that of high-strength physical activity decreased remarkably. In 1991, 2002 and 2007, the prevalence of prehypertension was 33.8, 61.5 and 54.6%, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was 20.4, 24.5 and 30.6%, respectively. Overall, the rate of hypertension awareness, treatment and control showed a steady increase over the 16-year period, although the control rate of hypertension is still far from being satisfactory. In conclusion, among the Chinese rural population, the prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension increased significantly from 1991 to 2007. Public health programs are required to improve this situation in Chinese rural populations.