Transcriptome analysis of long non-coding RNA associated with embryonic muscle development in chickens.

1. Skeletal muscle is an important component of chicken carcass. In chickens, the number of muscle fibres is fixed during the embryonic period, and muscle development during the embryonic period determines the muscle development potential after hatching.2. Beijing-You (BY) and Cornish (CN) chickens show completely different growth rates and body types, and two breeds were used in this study to explore the role of lncRNAs in muscle development during different chicken embryonic periods. A systematic analysis of lncRNAs and mRNAs were conducted in the pectoral muscle tissues of BY and CN chickens at embryonic days 11 (ED11), 13 (ED13), 15 (ED15), 17 (ED17), and 1-day-old (D1) using RNA-seq. A total of 4,104 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) were identified among the five stages, including 2,359 lncRNAs and 1,745 mRNAs.3. The number of DETs between the two breeds at ED17 (1,658 lncRNAs and 1,016 mRNAs) was much higher than the total number of DET at all the other stages (692 lncRNAs and 729 mRNAs), indicating that the two breeds show the largest difference in gene regulation at ED17.4. Correlation analysis was performed for all differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs during the five periods. Forty-three, cis interaction pairs of lncRNA-mRNA related to chicken muscle development were predicted. The expression of four pairs was verified, and the results showed MSTRG.12395.2-FGFBP2 and MSTRG.18590.6-FMOD were significantly up-regulated in CN at ED11 compared to BY and might be important candidate genes for embryonic muscle development.

Long non-coding RNA XIST protects chondrocytes ATDC5 and CHON-001 from IL-1ß-induced injury via regulating miR-653-5p/SIRT1 axis.

Chondrocyte apoptosis is linked to cartilage degeneration, and considered as a crucial event during the development of osteoarthritis (OA). X inactive specific transcript (XIST) is an oncogenic long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). However, its role in the pathophysiological process of OA remains largely unknown. In this work, quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) was employed to measure the expression of XIST, miR-653-5p and sirtuin1 (SIRT1) mRNA in OA and normal cartilage tissues. Chondrocyte cell lines, CHON-001 and ATDC5, were treated with different doses of interleukin- 1ß (IL-1ß) to mimic the inflammatory environment of OA in vitro. Overexpression plasmids, microRNA (miRNA) mimics, miRNA inhibitors and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were constructed and transfected into CHON-001 and ATDC5 cells. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was adopted to determine the cell viability. Western blot was used to detect the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to probe the expression levels of inflammatory factors. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell apoptosis. StarBase and TargetScan databases were used to predict the binding sites between XIST and miR-653-5p, miR-653-5p and 3'UTR of SIRT1, respectively, which were then verified by dual luciferase reporter assay. The data in the present study demonstrated that XIST and SIRT1 were down-regulated while miR-653-5p was up-regulated in OA tissues and cell models. The up-regulation of XIST increased the viability of CHON-001 and ATDC5 cells, while it impeded their apoptosis and inflammatory response induced by IL-1ß. Conversely, miR-653-5p had opposite effects. It was proved that miR-653-5p could be sponged and suppressed by XIST. Additionally, SIRT1 was identified as a target of miR-653-5p, and SIRT1 could be suppressed by XIST indirectly. In conclusion, down-regulated XIST was involved in the injury of chondrocytes during the pathophysiological process of OA, and XIST up-regulation protected chondrocytes from inflammatory injury via regulating miR-653-5p/SIRT1 axis.

[Mechanism of flavonoids of Sophorae Fructus in inhibiting proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by regulating LncRNA FBXL19-AS1/miR-342-3p pathway].

The aim of this paper was to investigate the effect of flavonoids of Sophorae Fructus on the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and analyze the regulatory mechanism of LncRNA FBXL19-AS1/miR-342-3 p pathway. MTT assay and plate cloning assay were used to detect the effect of flavonoids of Sophorae Fructus at different concentrations(1, 5, 10 mg·mL~(-1)) on the proliferation of liver cancer Huh7 cells. The effect of flavonoids of Sophorae Fructus on the migration and invasion of Huh7 cells was examined by Transwell chamber assay. qRT-PCR was used to detect the effect of flavonoids of Sophorae Fructus on the expression levels of FBXL19-AS1 and miR-342-3 p in Huh7 cells. The dual luciferase reporter assay was used to detect whether FBXL19-AS1 targeted at miR-342-3 p. The effect on the inhibition of FBXL19-AS1 expression or FBXL19-AS1 overexpression and then the proliferation, migration and invasion of Huh7 cells were examined by the above methods. Gelatin zymography was used to detect the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9. The expression levels of cyclinD1, p21, MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins were detected by Western blot. Flavonoids of Sophorae Fructus significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of Huh7 cells(P<0.05), promoted the expression of p21 protein(P<0.05), and inhibited the expressions of cyclinD1, MMP-2 and MMP-9(P<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner, and could reduce the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9(P<0.05). The expression level of FBXL19-AS1 was significantly decreased in Huh7 cells treated with flavonoids of Sophorae Fructus(P<0.05), whereas the expression level of miR-342-3 p was significantly increased(P<0.05). The dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that FBXL19-AS1 targeted at the inhibition of miR-342-3 p expression. After inhibiting the expression of FBXL19-AS1, the inhibition rate of cell proliferation was significantly increased(P<0.05), the number of cell clone formation was significantly reduced(P<0.05), the number of migrated cells and the number of invasive cells were significantly decreased(P<0.05), and the expression levels of cyclinD1, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly decreased(P<0.05), the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly reduced(P<0.05), while the expression level of p21 protein was significantly increased(P<0.05). The overexpression of FBXL19-AS1 reversed the inhibitory effect of flavonoids of Sophorae Fructus on the proliferation, migration and invasion of Huh7 cells. Flavonoids of Sophorae Fructus could inhibite the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatoma cells by regulating LncRNA FBXL19-AS1/miR-342-3 p pathway.

One-Step Method for Fabricating Porous Copper with Hierarchical Porosities by Dealloying Multi-Phase Cu­Mn­Al Alloy.

The bulk porous copper structures with three levels of pore size from macro- to micro- to nano-scale were prepared from Cu­Mn­Al alloy through a facile one-step dealloying process. The excellent performances, such as hierarchical porosity, ultralow density (theoretical density at 0.53 g/cm3), and stable mechanical properties, were obtained in these copper structures which could be widely applied in many potential industrial applications. In addition, the process and mechanism of the pore formation was well investigated by SEM and EDX in this paper. The experimental results showed that the hierarchical multi-scale porosities in bulk copper structures were successfully fabricated by the one-step dealloying method. The macro-pores (up to 70 µm in major axis) and the micro-pores (about 2˜5 µm in diameter) in this sample were obtained from the removed high-purity Al phase of the precursor alloy, while the nano-pores (about 70˜100 nm in diameter) were generated from the dealloyed intermetallic compounds of Al2Cu and Al11Cu5Mn3, respectively.

Association between high visceral fat area and postoperative complications in patients with Crohn's disease following primary surgery.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the association between visceral fat area (VFA) on CT and postoperative complications after primary surgery in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). METHOD: Inclusion criteria were patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CD who had preoperative abdominal CT scan. The areas of total fat, subcutaneous fat and visceral fat were measured using an established image-analysis method at the lumbar 3 (L3) level on CT cross-sectional images. Visceral obesity was defined as a visceral fat area (VFA) of ≥ 130 cm(2) . Clinical variables, intra-operative outcomes and postoperative courses within 30 days were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 164 patients met the inclusion criteria. Sixty-three (38.4%) patients had postoperative complications. The mean age of the patients with complications (the study group) was 40.4 ± 15.4 years and of those without complications (the control group) was 35.8 ± 12.9 years (P = 0.049). There were no differences in disease location and behaviour between patients with or without complications (P > 0.05). In multivariable analysis, VFA [odds ratio (OR) = 2.69; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09-6.62; P = 0.032] and corticosteroid use (OR = 2.86; 95% CI: 1.32-6.21; P = 0.008) were found to be associated with postoperative complications. Patients with visceral obesity had a significantly longer operative time (P = 0.012), more blood loss (P = 0.019), longer bowel resection length (P = 0.003), postoperative ileus (P = 0.039) and a greater number of complications overall (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: High VFA was found to be associated with an increased risk for 30-day postoperative complications in patients with CD undergoing primary surgery.

An expanded search for simian foamy viruses (SFV) in Brazilian New World primates identifies novel SFV lineages and host age-related infections.

BACKGROUND: While simian foamy viruses have co-evolved with their primate hosts for millennia, most scientific studies have focused on understanding infection in Old World primates with little knowledge available on the epidemiology and natural history of SFV infection in New World primates (NWPs). To better understand the geographic and species distribution and evolutionary history of SFV in NWPs we extend our previous studies in Brazil by screening 15 genera consisting of 29 NWP species (140 monkeys total), including five genera (Brachyteles, Cacajao, Callimico, Mico, and Pithecia) not previously analyzed. Monkey blood specimens were tested using a combination of both serology and PCR to more accurately estimate prevalence and investigate transmission patterns. Sequences were phylogenetically analyzed to infer SFV and host evolutionary histories. RESULTS: The overall serologic and molecular prevalences were 42.8 and 33.6 %, respectively, with a combined assay prevalence of 55.8 %. Discordant serology and PCR results were observed for 28.5 % of the samples, indicating that both methods are currently necessary for estimating NWP SFV prevalence. SFV prevalence in sexually mature NWPs with a positive result in any of the WB or PCR assays was 51/107 (47.7 %) compared to 20/33 (61 %) for immature animals. Epidemiological analyses revealed an increase in SFV prevalence with age in captive Cebus monkeys. Phylogenetic analysis identified novel SFVs in Cacajao, Leontopithecus, and Chiropotes species that had 6-37 % nucleotide divergence to other NWP SFV. Comparison of host and SFV phylogenies showed an overall cospeciation evolutionary history with rare ancient and contemporaneous host-switching for Saimiri and Leontopithecus and Cebus xanthosternos, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We identified novel SFV in four neotropical monkey genera in Brazil and demonstrate that SFV prevalence increases with age in Cebus monkeys. Importantly, our test results suggest that both molecular and serological screening are currently required to accurately determine infection with NWP SFV. Our study significantly expands knowledge of the epidemiology and natural history of NWP SFVs. The tools and information provided in our study will facilitate further investigation of SFV in NWPs and the potential for zoonotic infection with these viruses.

Avian sarcoma and leukosis virus gag gene in the Anser anser domesticus genome.

Endogenous retroviruses are regarded as ideal genetic markers for evolutionary analyses. Birds were some of the initial vertebrates found to contain endogenous retroviruses. However, few studies have investigated the presence and distribution of endogenous retroviruses in goose. In this study, we detected the avian sarcoma and leukosis virus gag gene in the genomic DNA of 8 Chinese native breeds using polymerase chain reaction method. The results indicated that a 1.2-kb avian sarcoma and leukosis virus gag sequence was integrated into all 8 goose breeds. The mean genetic pairwise distance was 0.918% among the investigated geese. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the presence of the endogenous retroviruses in the domestic goose genome. The genetic structure should be further examined in the domestic goose.

Association between EGF and VEGF functional polymorphisms and sporadic colorectal cancer in the Malaysian population.

Growth factors are polypeptides that are critical for the initiation, progression, and metastasis of cancer. Most tumor cells are capable of synthesizing particular growth factors leading to constitutive pathway activation in these cells through autocrine signaling. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a potent mitogenic peptide that exerts direct effects on the proliferation and differentiation of tumor cells in carcinogenesis. By contrast, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is vital for the invasion and metastasis of neoplasms through the formation of new blood vessels from mature endothelial cells. In this study, we investigated the association between functional polymorphisms of both the EGF and VEGF genes and colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility. A total of 130 CRC patients and 212 healthy controls were recruited for this case-control study. Genotyping of genetic variants was conducted via real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with allele-specific TaqMan probes. None of the genotypes of the EGF +61 A>G and VEGF +936 C>T variants was significantly associated with CRC susceptibility among the Malaysian subjects evaluated (P > 0.05). The observed frequency distributions of the EGF +61 A>G polymorphism genotypes showed ethnic heterogeneity, which was not the case for the VEGF +936 C>T genotypes. In conclusion, no positive correlation between these functional polymorphisms and CRC risk was found in this Malaysian population. Studies of the EGF and VEGF genes and CRC susceptibility are scarce, and the results reported thus far differ from one population to another. Hence, more replication studies are warranted before any firm conclusions can be made.

NOD2/CARD15 variants in Malaysian patients with sporadic colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of cancer in both developed and developing countries. This disease is triggered by and progresses via the sequential accumulation of multiple genetic alterations. In addition, the interaction between low-penetrance genes and environmental factors can also increase the risk of developing CRC. Since inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are one of the predisposing factors for CRC, IBD-related genes might, to a certain extent, be associated with cancer initiation. The nucleotide oligomerization domain 2/caspase activating recruitment domain 15 gene (NOD2/CARD15) is the most well-established gene to be associated with increased susceptibility to Crohn's disease. Thus, various studies have been performed to investigate the potential contribution of this gene to CRC risk. In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of the Arg702Trp, Gly908Arg, 3020insC, Pro268Ser, and JW1 variants of NOD2/CARD15, and to investigate their association with CRC susceptibility. A total of 130 CRC patients and 212 healthy controls were recruited for this study. Subsequently, real-time polymerase chain reaction with TaqMan was performed for the genotyping of these NOD2/ CARD15 variants. None of the NOD2/CARD15 variants was statistically associated to CRC susceptibility in our Malaysian population. Our findings were remarkably similar to those of other Asian cohorts, which indicated that these NOD2/CARD15 variants exhibit genetic heterogeneity between Caucasian and Asian populations.

The tissue selecting technique (TST) versus the Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy for prolapsing hemorrhoids: a retrospective case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy (MMH) is the procedure of choice in the management of hemorrhoidal disease. However, this procedure is associated with significant postoperative pain. Tissue selecting technique (TST) is a segmental stapled hemorrhoidopexy, which aims to reduce the postoperative pain, rectovaginal fistula (RVF) and rectal stenosis. The aim of the present study was to compare the clinical outcomes between TST and MMH. METHODS: A case-control study was undertaken to investigate the difference in clinical characteristics between the patients treated with TST and those treated with MMH. Intraoperative and postoperative parameters in both groups were collected and compared. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-five eligible patients underwent either TST (n = 121) or MMH (n = 74). The pain score was significantly less in the TST group than that in the MMH group at the first defecation and at 12 h, day 3 and day 7 postoperatively (P = 0.001). Further analysis revealed that, at the time point of 12 h, day 3, day 7 and during first defecation, the pain score in the TST group and TST + STE group was less than that in the MMH group (P = 0.001). No patient in either group developed postoperative rectal stenosis. Furthermore, no case of RVF was identified in the TST group. The 1-year recurrence rate was 3.3 % (4/121) and 2.7 % (2/74), respectively, in TST and MMH groups (P = 1.0). CONCLUSIONS: The 1-year recurrence rate after TST and MMH for the treatment of patients with grade III-IV hemorrhoids is similar. It is encouraging that TST is associated with less postoperative pain and no RVF or rectal stenosis.

[Play the "combo fist" in the diagnosis and treatment of advanced gastric cancer].

The incidence of gastric cancer ranks fifth among malignant tumors worldwide, with the fourth highest mortality rate. A noteworthy characteristic of our country is the high prevalence of advanced-stage patients of approximately 40%. Advanced-stage gastric cancer carries an unfavorable prognosis with median survival of around one year. Diagnosis methods for advanced-stage gastric cancer (such as laparoscopic exploration, molecular profiling, and artificial intelligence) are still being continuously improved, while chemotherapy remains the primary treatment. With the rapid development of medical science, the role of surgical intervention in advanced-stage gastric cancer is becoming increasingly prominent. Therefore, as gastric tumor surgeons, we should consider how to use a combination of treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and interventional therapy, based on different pathological stages and the heterogeneity of tumors. With a multidisciplinary approach involving experts from various fields, we can collectively improve the survival rate and quality of life for advanced-stage patients. This article provides a brief overview of the current advances in the diagnosis and treatment of advanced-stage gastric cancer, and discusses therapeutic decision primarily from the perspective of surgeons.

A genome-wide SNP scan reveals two loci associated with the chicken resistance to Marek's disease.

Marek's disease (MD) is a neoplastic disease in chickens, caused by the Marek's disease virus (MDV). To investigate host genetic resistance to MD, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 67 MDV-infected chickens based on a case and control design, including 57 susceptible chickens in the case group and 10 resistant chickens as controls. After searching 38 655 valid genomic markers, two SNPs were found to be associated with host resistance to MD. One SNP, rs14527240, reaching chromosome-wide significance level (P < 0.01) was located in the SPARC-related modular calcium-binding 1 (SMOC1) gene on GGA5. The other one, GGaluGA156129, reaching genome-wide significance (P < 0.05), was located in the protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 3 (PTPN3) gene on GGA2. In addition, expression patterns of these two genes in spleens were detected by qPCR. The expression of SMOC1 was significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05), whereas the expression of PTNP3 did not show significance when the case group was compared with the control group. Up-regulation of SMOC1 in susceptible spleens suggests its important roles in MD tumorigenesis. This is the first study to investigate MD-resistant loci, and it demonstrates the power of GWASs for mapping genes associated with MD resistance.

Lack of association between TYK2 and STAT3 genes and Crohn's disease in the Malaysian population.

This study aimed to investigate the potential association of TYK2 and STAT3 genes with the susceptibility to Crohn's disease (CD) among Malaysians. DNA samples were obtained from 80 CD patients and 100 healthy controls. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methods were employed for genotyping, followed by statistical analysis. In our current study, none of the single nucleotide polymorphisms of either TYK2 or STAT3 was statistically associated with the susceptibility to CD in our local population (P > 0.05). In contrast, there was a statistically significant association between the G/G homozygotes of the STAT3 rs2293152 and the healthy control group (χ(2) = 6.229, P < 0.05). In conclusion, our study does not support the role of the TYK2 and STAT3 genes influencing CD susceptibility.

Differential expression of Toll-like receptor genes in lymphoid tissues between Marek's disease virus-infected and noninfected chickens.

Toll-like receptors (TLR) are trans-membrane sensors recognizing invading microbes. Toll-like receptors play a central role in initiating immune responses against several pathogens. In this study, we investigated the response of TLR and downstream genes to Marek's disease virus (MDV) infection. Forty 1-d-old chicks were randomly divided into 2 groups, with 20 chicks infected with MDV and 20 chicks mock-infected. Four chickens were euthanized respectively from infected and age-matched noninfected groups at 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d postinfection (dpi). Bursas, spleens, and thymuses were removed. The differential expression of TLR genes, including TLR3, TLR5, TLR7, TLR15, and TLR21, and downstream genes of TLR7, including MyD88, TRAF3, TRAF6, IFNA, IFNB, and IL6, in lymphoid tissues of MDV-infected and noninfected chickens was determined by real-time PCR. The results showed that the change of TLR genes was different in 3 lymphoid tissues. Expression of TLR7 and MyD88 was upregulated at 14 dpi and downregulated at 28 dpi in MDV-infected compared with noninfected spleens. The TRAF6 and IFNB were upregulated, and TRAF3, IFNA, and IL6 genes showed increasing trends in MDV-infected compared with noninfected spleens at 14 dpi. The expression of TLR3 and TLR15 genes was downregulated in MDV-infected compared with noninfected spleens at 28 dpi. The results indicated that TLR7 and its downstream genes were a response to MDV infection at 14 dpi. However, the function of TLR was impaired when the infection entered the tumor transformation phase. In bursas, TLR3 and TLR15 genes were upregulated at 7 and 4 dpi, respectively. It indicated that TLR3 and TLR15 might be involved in response to MDV infection in bursa at early phases. However, no differential expression of TLR genes was observed between MDV-infected and noninfected thymuses, which indicated that the thymus had little response to MDV infection mediated by TLR.

Ethnic variation in interleukin-6 -174 (g/c) polymorphism in the malaysian population.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is one of the cytokines that has been well studied and implicated in many diseases including cancers. The frequency of the IL-6 -174 (G/C) polymorphism had been proven to differ in various populations. Malaysia is a country with three major ethnic populations, Malays, Chinese and Indians. In this study, we proposed to determine the G or C allele frequency of the IL-6 -174 polymorphism in these three populations. A total of 348 blood samples were available for analysis. The median age for the subjects was 31 years. There were a total of 245 males and 103 females. A total of 86 Malays (25.0%), 122 Chinese (33.0%) and 140 Indians (40.0%) were genotyped. The result showed a significant difference in the G or C allele frequency of the -174 polymorphism. The total frequencies for the G and C alleles were 91.0 and 9.0%, respectively. In the Malays, the allele frequency of the C allele was 4.0% compared with 19.0% in the Indians. The C allele was not detected in the Chinese population. This finding is the first reported on the Malaysian population and may be important in determining risk of diseases associated with the IL-6 polymorphism in these three populations.

[Epidemiological trend of early-onset gastric cancer and late-onset gastric cancer in China from 2000 to 2019].

Objective: In order to understand the changing trends of gastric cancer incidence and mortality in early-onset and late-onset in China from 2000 to 2019. Methods: The Global Burden of Disease research data was collected, and Excel and R 4.2.1 softwares were used to examine the incidence rate, mortality rate, and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of Chinese people from 2000 to 2019, with a focus on gender, age, and year. Results: In 2019, the crude incidence rates were 7.06/100 000 (95%UI: 6.63/100 000-7.59/100 000) and 114.52/100 000 (95%UI: 108.79/100 000-121.63/100 000) for early- and late-onset gastric cancer, respectively. The crude mortality rate for early-onset gastric cancer was 3.29/100 000 (95%UI: 3.11/100 000- 3.50/100 000), while the crude mortality rate for late-onset gastric cancer was 81.88/100 000 (95%UI: 78.15/100 000-86.04/100 000). Additionally, the crude DALY rates for these two types of gastric cancer were 156.48/100 000 (95%UI: 148.82/100 000-165.84/100 000) and 1 750.13/100 000 (95%UI: 1 661.21/100 000-1 852.99/100 000). The standardized incidence of early-onset gastric cancer decreased from 5.49/100 000 in 2000 to 4.76/100 000 in 2019, and that of late-onset gastric cancer decreased from 143.45/100 000 in 2000 to 123.02/100 000 in 2019.The standardized mortality rate of early-onset gastric cancer decreased from 4.16/100 000 in 2000 to 2.18/100 000 in 2019, and that of late-onset gastric cancer decreased from 140.82/100 000 in 2000 to 91.49/100 000 in 2019. The standardized DALY rate for early-onset gastric cancer in 2019 was 105.87/100 000 (95%UI: 87.98/100 000 -125.60/100 000), lower than 198.84/100 000 (95%UI: 179.47/100 000- 219.83/100 000) in 2000. The standardized DALY rate for late onset gastric cancer in 2019 was 1 821.11/100 000 (95%UI: 1 509.42/100 000-2 158.53/100 000), lower than 2 932.52/100 000 (95%UI: 2 665.92/100 000-3 252.60/100 000) in 2000. Conclusions: The standardized mortality rate of early-onset gastric cancer in China showed a decreasing trend from 2000 to 2019. The standardized mortality rate of late onset gastric cancer showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. Notably, the incidence, mortality, and DALY of late-onset gastric cancer were significantly higher than those of early-onset gastric cancer during this period. Additionally, male incidence, mortality, and crude DALY rates were higher than female.

Splice variant PRKC-ζ(-PrC) is a novel biomarker of human prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Previously, using gene-knockdown techniques together with genome expression array analysis, we showed the gene protein Kinase C (PKC)-zeta (PRKCZ) to mediate the malignant phenotype of human prostate cancer. However, according to NCBI, the gene has undergone several major iterations. Therefore, to understand the relationship between its structure and biological activities, we have analysed its expressed sequence in prostate cancer cell lines and tissues. METHODS: Transcriptome-walking and targeted PCR were used to sequence the mRNA transcribed from PRKCZ. Hydropathy analysis was employed to analyse the hypothetical protein sequence subsequently translated and to identify an appropriate epitope to generate a specific monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: A novel sequence was identified within the 3'-terminal domain of human PRKCZ that, in prostate cancer cell lines and tissues, is expressed during transcription and thereafter translated into protein (designated PKC-ζ(-PrC)) independent of conventional PKC-ζ(-a). The monoclonal antibody detected expression of this 96 kD protein only within malignant prostatic epithelium. INTERPRETATION: Transcription and translation of this gene sequence, including previous intronic sequences, generates a novel specific biomarker of human prostate cancer. The presence of catalytic domains characteristic of classic PKC-ß and atypical PKC-ι within PKC-ζ(-PrC) provides a potential mechanism for this PRKCZ variant to modulate the malignant prostatic phenotype out-with normal cell-regulatory control.

Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleoprotein gene of measles viruses prevalent in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China, during 2010.

Measles control in China is monitored in part by surveillance of circulating wild-type viruses. The objective of this study was genetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of measles strains in the Nantong City region of Jiangsu province, China, during 2010. Sera from suspected cases were tested for IgM antibodies and measles virus isolated by inoculation of transport medium onto Vero/SLAM cells. Isolated strains were phylogenetically analysed according to the nucleotide sequence of the C-terminal region of the nucleoprotein gene amplified by RT-PCR. The results revealed 34 cases confirmed by positive IgM, for an incidence of 0·45/100 000. Six isolates identified were all clustered within genotype H1. The findings reported here support continued endemic transmission of measles virus in China.

Diagnostic yield of colonoscopy for constipation as the sole indication.

AIM: There is controversy over whether constipation as the only symptom should be an indication for routine diagnostic colonoscopy. The study was carried out to assess the prevalence of abnormal pathology on colonoscopy and to assess the risk factors for colonic neoplasia in patients with constipation but without 'high risk symptoms'. METHOD: A cross-sectional, single-centre study was conducted on individuals who underwent colonoscopy for constipation as the sole indication between 2005 and 2008. Standardized endoscopic and pathology reports were reviewed. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed. RESULTS: A total of 786 patients (595 women, 75.7%; mean age, 57.4±13.5 years) underwent diagnostic colonoscopy for constipation. Forty-three (5.5%) had polyps, of whom 19 (2.4%) had hyperplastic polyps and 19 (2.4%) adenomas. No cancers were found. In patients with adenoma, the detection rate was 2.9% for patients below age 40 years and 1.7% for patients below age 50 years. Older age was associated with a polyp in both univariate and multivariate analysis. Gender, ethnicity and smoking were not associated with polyp or adenoma. CONCLUSION: Colonoscopy for patients with constipation as the sole indication had a lower yield of neoplastic lesions than that for patients undergoing routine screening colonoscopy. Colonoscopy in constipation may only be warranted in patients who are over 50 years of age.