Splicing factor ESRP1 derived circ_0068162 promotes the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma via the miR-186/JAG axis.

OBJECTIVES: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy in the oral and maxillofacial regions with an increasing incidence rate. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a recently discovered long-chain non-coding RNA family member. The objective of this study was to analyze the role of circ_0068162 in OSCC development. METHODS: We downloaded sample data GSE145608 from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Online databases Starbase, TargetScan and miRDB were used to predict the target microRNAs (miRNAs) and genes. Cell viability and proliferation were assessed using the CCK-8 and EdU assays, respectively. Cell migration and invasion abilities were detected using transwell assay. The double luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were performed to verify the interaction relationship between the identified target molecules. RNase R and actinomycin D treatment were performed to analyze the stability of circ_0068162. RESULTS: We found that circ_0068162 was overexpressed in the cytoplasm of OSCC cells and clinical OSCC tissues. Knockdown of circ_0068162 inhibited the growth, migration and invasion of OSCC cells. We also identified miR-186 as the target miRNA of circ_0068162, and JAG1 and JAG2 as the target genes of miR-186. The miR-186 inhibitor rescued the effects of sh-circ_0068162 and JAG1/JAG2 overexpression rescued the effects of miR-186 mimic in OSCC cells. Furthermore, ESRP1 promoted the biosynthesis of circ_0068162. CONCLUSIONS: The circ_0068162/miR-186/JAGs/ESRP1 feedback loop is closely related to OSCC development.

Potential correlation between chronic periodontitis and Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate possible hub genes, associated pathways, and transcription factors between chronic periodontitis (CP) and Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: Gene expression profiles of CP (GSE16134, GSE23586, and GSE10334) and PD (GSE20141 and GSE49036) were downloaded from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database for differential expression analysis and functional clustering analysis. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and hub genes were screened by four topological analysis algorithms and modular segmentation. Functional clustering analysis was performed. The hub genes were validated by external datasets of CP and PD, and causal relation was further assessed by Mendelian randomization (MR). RESULTS: After merging the data, 1 211 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened in the CP datasets; of which, 551 were upregulated and 660 were downregulated. A total of 2 407 DEGs were screened in the PD dataset, of which, 1 438 were upregulated and 969 were downregulated. The PPI network included 145 nodes and 126 edges. Four hub genes (FCGR3B, PRF1, IL18, and CD33) and three transcription factors (HSF1, HSF2, and HSF4) were finally screened. The relevant pathway was predominantly natural killer (NK) cell-mediated toxic effects. The MR results suggest a possible positive causal relationship between CP and the risk of developing PD. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated the probably shared pathophysiology and possible causal relationship between CP and PD and may offer novel concepts and therapeutic targets for future mechanistic investigations.

[Study on the value of systemic immune inflammation index and nomogram in predicting the prognosis of patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma].

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and relapse-free survival (RFS) after surgical resection of mucoepidermoid carcinoma(MEC). METHODS: The data of 135 patients with MEC who underwent surgical resection in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2016 to July 2019 were collected, and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was performed on the SII of patients. The optimal cut-off value was obtained by ROC analysis. Therefore, the patients' SII index was divided into high and low group, and survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional regression model and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were used to analyze the factors influencing prognosis, and a nomogram model was built to predict patients' relapse-free survival(RFS). Area under curve (AUC) and correction curve were used to evaluate the model and verify the consistency. RESULTS: Survival analysis showed that the RFS rate in low SII group was significantly higher than that in high SII group. Cox proportional hazard regression model showed high SII(HR=2.179, 95%CI: 1.072-4.426, P=0.031) and low tumor differentiation(HR=6.894, 95%CI: 2.770-17.158, P=0.000) and cervical lymph node metastasis (HR=2.091, 95%CI: 1.034-4.230, P=0.040) were significant predictors of poor RFS. CONCLUSIONS: The lower the preoperative SII, the better the prognosis of patients. The nomogram prognosis of MEC based on SII is effective.

Exploratory research on the probable shared molecular mechanism and transcription factors between chronic periodontitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate possible cross-talk genes, associated pathways, and transcription factors between chronic periodontitis (CP) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: The gene expression profiles of CP (GSE10334 and GSE16134) and COPD (GSE76925) were downloaded from the GEO database. Differential expression and functional clustering analyses were performed. The protein­protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. The core cross-talk genes were filtered using four topological analysis algorithms and modular segmentation. Then, functional clustering analysis was performed again. RESULTS: GSE10334 detected 164 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (119 upregulated and 45 downregulated). GSE16134 identified 208 DEGs (154 upregulated and 54 downregulated). GSE76925 identified 1 408 DEGs (557 upregulated and 851 downregulated). The PPI network included 21 nodes and 20 edges. The final screening included seven cross-talk genes: CD79A, FCRLA, CD19, IRF4, CD27, SELL, and CXCL13. Relevant pathways included primary immunodeficiency, the B-cell receptor signaling pathway, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates the probability of shared pathophysiology between CP and COPD, and their cross-talk genes, associated pathways, and transcription factors may offer novel concepts for future mechanistic investigations.