Functional screening of lysosomal storage disorder genes identifies modifiers of alpha-synuclein neurotoxicity.

Heterozygous variants in the glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene are common and potent risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD). GBA also causes the autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder (LSD), Gaucher disease, and emerging evidence from human genetics implicates many other LSD genes in PD susceptibility. We have systemically tested 86 conserved fly homologs of 37 human LSD genes for requirements in the aging adult Drosophila brain and for potential genetic interactions with neurodegeneration caused by α-synuclein (αSyn), which forms Lewy body pathology in PD. Our screen identifies 15 genetic enhancers of αSyn-induced progressive locomotor dysfunction, including knockdown of fly homologs of GBA and other LSD genes with independent support as PD susceptibility factors from human genetics (SCARB2, SMPD1, CTSD, GNPTAB, SLC17A5). For several genes, results from multiple alleles suggest dose-sensitivity and context-dependent pleiotropy in the presence or absence of αSyn. Homologs of two genes causing cholesterol storage disorders, Npc1a / NPC1 and Lip4 / LIPA, were independently confirmed as loss-of-function enhancers of αSyn-induced retinal degeneration. The enzymes encoded by several modifier genes are upregulated in αSyn transgenic flies, based on unbiased proteomics, revealing a possible, albeit ineffective, compensatory response. Overall, our results reinforce the important role of lysosomal genes in brain health and PD pathogenesis, and implicate several metabolic pathways, including cholesterol homeostasis, in αSyn-mediated neurotoxicity.

Long-term outcomes with HLX01 (HanliKang®), a rituximab biosimilar, in previously untreated patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: 5-year follow-up results of the phase 3 HLX01-NHL03 study.

HLX01 (HanliKang®) is a rituximab biosimilar that showed bioequivalence to reference rituximab in untreated CD20-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in the phase 3 HLX01-NHL03 study. Here, we report the 5-year follow-up results from the open-label extension part. Patients were randomised to either rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) or HLX01 plus CHOP (H-CHOP) every 21 days for up to six cycles. The primary efficacy endpoint was overall survival (OS), and secondary efficacy endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Of the 407 patients enrolled in HLX01-NHL03, 316 patients (H-CHOP = 157; R-CHOP = 159) were included in the 5-year follow-up for a median duration of 65.1 (range, 2.2-76.5) months. 96.5% of the patients had an International Prognostic Index (IPI) of 1 or 2, and 17.7% had bone marrow involvement. The 5-year OS rates were 81.0% (95% CI: 74.9-87.5%) and 75.4% (95% CI: 68.9-82.6%)( HR: 0.75, 95% CI 0.47-1.20; p = 0.23) while 5-year PFS rates were 77.7% (95% CI: 71.4-84.6%) and 73.0% (95% CI: 66.3-80.3%) (HR: 0.84, 95% CI 0.54-1.30; p = 0.43) in the H-CHOP and R-CHOP groups, respectively. Treatment outcomes did not differ between groups regardless of IPI score and were consistent with the primary analysis. H-CHOP and R-CHOP provided no significant difference in 5-year OS or PFS in previously untreated patients with low or low-intermediate risk DLBCL.

Perinatal outcomes comparison between neuraxial and general anesthesia in pregnant women with placenta accreta spectrum: a multicenter retrospective study.

PURPOSE: We investigated the impact of anesthesia mode on perinatal outcomes in patients with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) undergoing cesarean delivery and identified factors associated with adverse perinatal events. METHODS: The multicenter retrospective analysis was conducted in patients with PAS who delivered at three medical centers. Patients were classified according to whether they received general anesthesia (GA) or neuraxial anesthesia (NA). We compared the basic clinical characteristics of patients in the pre-propensity score matching (PSM) and post-PSM cohorts and identified factors associated with a high risk of adverse maternal outcomes. RESULTS: This study included a total of 425 patients, with 307 (72.2%) in the GA group and 118 (27.8%) in the NA group. After PSM, 162 patients were identified for analysis. In the post-matched cohort, the NA group exhibited shorter total operation time (P = 0.030) and postoperative length of hospital stay (P = 0.037). Additionally, the NA group experienced lower intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.001) and received fewer units of transfused packed red blood cells (PRBC) (P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that GA (P < 0.001), emergency cesarean delivery (P = 0.010), vascular lacunae within the placenta (P < 0.001), hypervascularity of uterine-placental margin (P = 0.002), hypervascularity of the cervix (P = 0.014), and balloon placement in the abdominal aorta (P < 0.001) were associated with a high risk of adverse maternal events. CONCLUSION: In comparison to GA, cesarean delivery with NA in PAS patients appears to be associated with reduced intraoperative blood loss, PRBC transfusion, operating duration, and postoperative hospital stay.

Delayed interval delivery in a quadruplet pregnancy: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: As the rate of multiple pregnancies increases, delayed interval delivery (DID) is increasingly being implemented to improve perinatal outcomes. But there are no international guidelines for DID in multiple pregnancies. We report a case of DID in a quadruplet pregnancy and review the relevant literature to summarize the management of DID in multiple pregnancies. CASE PRESENTATION: A 22-year-old woman, 22 2/7 weeks' gestation, with quadruplets, was admitted to the hospital for a first cervical cerclage due to cervical dilation. Twenty-five days later, it was found that the cervix was dilated again, so after removing the cervical cerclage, the first quadruplet was delivered vaginally (25 6/7 weeks), and a second cervical cerclage was performed. Four days later, due to re-dilation of the cervix, after removal of the cervical cerclage, the second quadruplet was delivered vaginally (26 3/7 weeks), followed by a third cervical cerclage. Six days later, the pregnancy was terminated by cesarean section due to fetal distress, and the third and fourth quadruplets were delivered (27 2/7 weeks). The patient had no postoperative complications, and all four infants were treated in the neonatal intensive care unit and discharged successfully. CONCLUSION: This case emphasizes that comprehensive management of delayed interval delivery can improve perinatal outcomes in multiple pregnancies, including anti-infection, tocolytic therapy, practice to promote fetal lung, and cervical cerclage.

New Insights into the TIFY Gene Family of Brassica napus and Its Involvement in the Regulation of Shoot Branching.

As plant-specific transcription factors, the TIFY family genes are involved in the responses to a series of biotic and abiotic stresses and the regulation of the development of multiple organs. To explore the potential roles of the TIFY gene family in shoot branching, which can shape plant architecture and finally determine seed yield, we conducted comprehensive genome-wide analyses of the TIFY gene family in Brassica napus. Here, HMMER search and BLASTp were used to identify the TIFY members. A total of 70 TIFY members were identified and divided into four subfamilies based on the conserved domains and motifs. These TIFY genes were distributed across 19 chromosomes. The predicted subcellular localizations revealed that most TIFY proteins were located in the nucleus. The tissue expression profile analyses indicated that TIFY genes were highly expressed in the stem, flower bud, and silique at the transcriptional level. High-proportioned activation of the dormant axillary buds on stems determined the branch numbers of rapeseed plants. Here, transcriptome analyses were conducted on axillary buds in four sequential developing stages, that is, dormant, temporarily dormant, being activated, and elongating (already activated). Surprisingly, the transcription of the majority of TIFY genes (65 of the 70) significantly decreased on the activation of buds. GO enrichment analysis and hormone treatments indicated that the transcription of TIFY family genes can be strongly induced by jasmonic acid, implying that the TIFY family genes may be involved in the regulation of jasmonic acid-mediated branch development. These results shed light on the roles of TIFY family genes in plant architecture.

Transgenic cotton expressing Cry1B protein has no adverse effect on predatory insect Propylea Japonica.

The lady beetle Propylea japonica is a dominant natural predator of insect pests in farmland ecosystems and an important non-target indicator insect for the environmental safety assessment of GM crops. The commercial cultivation of GM crops may cause P. japonica to frequently be exposed to the Bt protein environment. In this study, the biological characteristics, enzyme activity, and expression levels of detoxification and metabolism in P. japonica were studied after Cry1B protein treatment. No significant differences were observed in developmental duration, emergence rate, or body weight at different ages after feeding larvae 0.5 mg/mL of Cry1B protein compared with the control. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) after feeding 0.25 mg/mL and 0.5 mg/mL Cry1B protein. However, when the concentration of Cry1B protein increased to 1.0 mg/mL, the activities of the GST, CAT, and POD increased significantly. Compared with the control group, there were no significant differences in the expression levels of most detoxification metabolism related genes; only a few genes had changed expression levels at the individual concentrations (CYP345B1, CYP4Q2, CYP9F2, GST, and microsomal GST). Overall, these results suggest that Cry1B protein has little or no effect on the biological characteristics of P. japonica. Genes related to enzyme activity and detoxification are differentially expressed at high concentration stimulation. Therefore, this research suggests that the potential risks of Cry1B for the predator P. japonica are negligible.

[Analysis of clinical phenotypes and ATP7B gene variants in 75 children patients with Wilson' s disease].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical phenotypes and ATP7B gene variants among children patients with Wilson' s disease from Northwestern China. METHODS: The clinical features and variants of the ATP7B gene among 75 children with hepatic Wilson' s disease were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 75 cases, 4 were presymptomatic, 59 had isolated transaminase elevation, 12 had acute and/or chronic liver diseases. Nine children were found to harbor homozygous variants, 64 harbored compound heterozygous variants, and two only had heterozygous variants of the ATP7B gene. In total 49 variants were detected, with common variants including c.2333G>T (p.Arg778Leu), c.2621C>T (p.Ala874Val) and c.2975C>T (Pro992Leu), which yielded allelic frequencies of 28.7%, 12.7% and 9.3%, respectively. Six novel variants were detected, which included c.1908dupC (p.Asn637Glnfs*118), c.4179_4180insC (p.Pro1394Profs*15), c.1604A>G (p.Glu535Gly), c.2278C>T (p.Pro760Ser), c.3008C>A (p.Ala1003Glu) and c.3532A>C (p.Thr1178Pro). Except for c.1604A>G (p.Glu535Gly), the remainder five were all predicted to be likely pathogenic. No significant correlation was found between genotype and phenotype among the patients. CONCLUSION: The common mutation types of the ATP7B gene among patients with hepatic Wilson disease in Northwestern China are c.2333G>T (p.Arg778Leu), c.2621C>T (p.Ala874Val) and c.2975C>T (p.Pro992Leu), there is no significant correlation between their genotypes and phenotypes.

[Clinical features and genetic testing of a Chinese pedigree affected with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical features and genetic variants of two patients from a pedigree affected with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome and explore their genotype-phenotype correlation. METHODS: Clinical data and family history of the pedigree were collected. Whole exome sequencing was carried out to identify the potential variants. Suspected variants were verified by Sanger sequencing of the family members. RESULTS: The proband and her sister both presented with feeding difficulty, facial dysmorphism, seizures, and mental and speech retardation. The third child of this family presented with feeding difficulty, poor weight gain and severe malnutrition after birth. He had died of unknown cause at 6 months without genetic testing. The fourth child was a healthy boy. Genetic testing showed that both the proband and her sister have carried c.127G>T (p.Val43Phe) and c.820_825del (p.Asn274_Val275del) compound heterozygous variants of the DHCR7 gene (NM_001360.2), but the fourth child carried neither of the variants. The two variants were unreported in the literature and disease-related databases, and were not included in the 1000G and gnomAD databases. The c.820_825del variant may affect the sterol-sensitive region of the DHCR7 protein, which can lead to deletion of two amino acids at positions 247 and 275, causing truncation of the DHCR7 protein. It is speculated that this may affect the stability of protein's spatial conformation, thereby decrease the activity of the enzyme. The c.127G>T variant may affect the first transmembrane region of the protein, which is involved in the transmembrane transport of proteins. Multiple software predicted it to be harmful. Conservation analysis suggested that the three amino acids all locate in a highly conserved region of the protein. In consideration of the clinical phenotype, family history and result of genetic testing, we speculated that both patients had Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome due to variants of the DHCR7 gene. CONCLUSION: This pedigree has enriched the phenotypic and genotypic data of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, which clarified the genetic etiology of the patients and provided a basis for genetic counseling of this pedigree.

[Analysis of a novel JAG1 variant and clinical phenotype in a family affected with Alagille syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis of a pedigree affected with Alagille syndrome (ALGS). METHODS: Targeted capture and next generation sequencing was carried out for the proband. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing among his family members. Their pathogenicity of the variant was predicted with bioinformatic analysis. Clinical characteristics and genotype-phenotype correlation were analyzed. RESULTS: The proband, his elder sister and mother were found to carry a heterozygous c.1270dupG (p.Ala424Glyfs*5) variant of the JAG1 gene, which may lead to premature termination of translation and a truncated protein with loss of function. The variant was unreported previously. The phenotypes of the proband (cholestasis, pulmonary artery stenosis and peculiar faces) have differed from those of his elder sister (cholestasis with pruritus, posterior embryonic ring of cornea) and mother (with no clinical manifestation). Cholestasis and peculiar face of the proband became insignificant with age. CONCLUSION: The c.1270dupG (p.Ala424Glyfs*5) variant of the JAG1 gene probably underlay the ALGS in this pedigree with incomplete penetrance.

The global prevalence ptxP3 lineage of Bordetella pertussis was rare in young children with the co-purified aPV vaccination: a 5 years retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The global prevalent ptxP3 strains varies from about 10% to about 50% of circulating B. pertussis population in different areas of China. METHODS: To investigate the difference of vaccination status between different genotypes in the circulating B. pertussis after 10 years of acellular pertussis vaccine (aPV) used in China. The nasopharyngeal swabs and isolates of B. pertussis from these patients were used to perform genotyping of antigen genes. We use antibiotic susceptibility test against erythromycin and sequencing methods for site 2047 of 23S rRNA to determine the resistance status. RESULTS: The ptxP1 allele with erythromycin resistant (ER) B. pertussis infection (total of 449 subjects) consisted of 84.70 to 96.70% from 2012 to 2016 in this study. Vaccinated with co-purified aPV was found in 133(133/403,33.0%), 1(1/9,11.1%) and 2(2/21,9.5%) in ptxP1/fhaB3-ER, ptxP1/fhaB2-ES and ptxP3/fhaB2-ES B. pertussis infected children each, which showed a significant difference (χ2 = 6.87, P = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: The ptxP3-ES B. pertussis was rare while the ptxP1-ER B. pertussis was steadily increased in Xi'an, China from 2012 to 2016, where co-purified aPV was prevalent used. This pose a hypothesis that the co-purified aPV might protect against ptxP3 strains more efficient, which generated a rare chance for ptxP3 strains to be under the antibiotic pressure and further developed to be erythromycin resistance. A further cohort study and the mechanisms of the additional antigen proteins of co-purified aPV protected against B. pertussis should be consideration.

Inhibition of NADPH Oxidase 5 (NOX5) Suppresses High Glucose-Induced Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Extracellular Matrix Accumulation in Human Glomerular Mesangial Cells.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to explore the effects of NADPH oxidase 5 (NOX5) in high glucose-stimulated human glomerular mesangial cells (HMCs). MATERIAL AND METHODS Cells were cultured under normal glucose (NG) or high glucose (HG) conditions. Then, NOX5 siRNA was transfected into HG-treated HMCs. A Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, colony formation assay and 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine (EDU) incorporation assay were applied to measure cell proliferative ability. In addition, the levels of oxidative stress factors including reactive oxygen species (ROS), malonaldehyde (MDA), NADPH, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in HMCs were detected by kits. Moreover, the expression of TLR4/NF-kappaB signaling and extracellular matrix (ECM) associated genes were evaluated by western blotting. RESULTS The results revealed that the NOX5 was overexpressed in HG-treated HMCs. Silencing of NOX5 decreased proliferation of HMCs induced by HG. And NOX5 silencing alleviated the production of MDA and NADPH accompanied by an increase of SOD and GSH-PX levels. Additionally, the contents of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1ß, and MCP-1 were reduced after transfection with NOX5 siRNA. Furthermore, silencing of NOX5 deceased the expression of collagen I, collagen IV, TGF-ß1, and fibronectin induced by HG stimulation. TLR4, MyD88, and phospho-NF-kappaB p65 expression were downregulated notably in NOX5 silencing group. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these findings demonstrated that inhibition of NOX5 attenuated HG-induced HMCs oxidative stress, inflammation, and ECM accumulation, suggesting that NOX5 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for diabetic nephropathy (DN) treatment.

[Relationship of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Expression with Clinical Features and Prognosis in Patients with Acute Leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein in patients with acute leukemia and its relationship to clinical features and prognosis of acute leukemia. METHODS: A total of115 patients with acute leukemia were enrolled in the experimental group and 20 healthy individuals were used as control. Peripheral blood or bone marrow samples were collected, and mononuclear cells were isolated. The expression of CFTR protein was detected by Western blot. The relationships of CFTR protein expression to clinical features and prognosis was analyzed. RESULTS: The expression of CFTR protein was not detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of normal control, while it was positive in more than half of acute leukemias including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but negative in the patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (M3). In the patients with AML, there was no difference in peripheral white blood cells (WBC), peripheral blast cells, platelet and hemoglobin (HGB) between CFTR-positive and CFTR-negative patients. There was no relationship between the expression of CFTR protein and gene mutations such as NPM1, CEBPA, FLT3-ITD, and C-Kit. Complete remission (CR) rate after two course in CFTR-negative patients was slightly higher than that in positive patients. The survival time of CFTR-negative patients was little longer than that of positive patients, but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of CFTR protein seems not associated with clinical features, treatment response and prognosis in the patients with acute leukemia.

Effects of Dangguibuxue decoction on rat glomerular mesangial cells cultured under high glucose conditions.

BACKGROUND: Dysfunction of glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) plays an important role in pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Here, we investigated the effects of Dangguibuxue decoction (DBD), an herbal traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) formula composed of Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix, on GMC proliferation and fibrogenesis under high-glucose (HG) conditions. METHODS: Sixty male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups and administered intragastric 0.9% saline, low concentration DBD (DBD-L, 1.75 g/kg/d), middle concentration DBD (DBD-M, 3.5 g/kg/d), high concentration DBD (DBD-H, 7.0 g/kg/d) and gliclazide (GL, 2 mg/kg/d), respectively, for 1 week, and then their sera were obtained. Rat mesangial cells (HBZY-1 cells) were treated with these sera under HG condition (30 mmol/L). RESULTS: The proliferation of GMCs under HG conditions was significantly greater than that under normal glucose condition. Low concentration DBD (DBD-L) inhibited proliferation of GMCs after 72-h incubation (P < 0.01), while high concentration DBD (DBD-H) inhibited GMCs proliferation at 24, 48 and 72 time points (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the inhibitory effect of DBD-H and GL sera on GMC proliferation (P > 0.05). Furthermore, all concentrations of DBD (DBD-L, DBD-M and DBD-H) significantly decreased the protein expression of α-SMA(α-smooth muscle actin) (P < 0.01), an indicator of interstitial fibrosis of GMCs. Finally, DBD-L, DBD-M, DBD-H sera obviously inhibited the increase of HYP (hydroxyproline)secretion under HG condition (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate an inhibitory effect of DBD extract on proliferation and fibrogenesis of GMCs under HG conditions. The potential role of DBD in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy merits further investigation.

Effects of human adipose-derived stem cells on the viability of rabbit random pattern flaps.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Flap necrosis is the most commonly encountered outcome influencing the effect of operations in clinical practice. The advent of cytotherapy and regenerative medicine with stem cells, especially adipose-derived stem cell therapy, appears to be a promising approach in providing multi-lineage differentiating cells. However, autologous stem cells are limited in both quantity and quality in aging individuals. Hence, xenogenic stem cell therapy was used in this study. METHODS: Random pattern flaps (6 cm × 2 cm) were prepared in a rabbit model transplanted either with 4 × 10(5) human adipose-derived stem cells at five sites or equal volumes of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium. At 7 days after operation, the viability of the flaps from both groups was evaluated. We determined the numbers of locally infiltrating T cells, whereas the CD4/CD8 ratio, interferon, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and IL-10 in the serum were determined to evaluate the immunological response of the rabbit. Moreover, Dil labeling was administrated to trace the homing of the transplanted stem cells. RESULTS: Both the survival areas and the capillary number of the flaps that were injected with human adipose-derived stem cells significantly increased as compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, no significant difference in the immune response was detected between the groups. Dil-labeled stem cells were found to participate in the formation of tubular structures, which were further shown to be CD31+, although not predominantly. CONCLUSIONS: Human adipose-derived stem cells could be used therapeutically to improve the viability of random pattern flaps without detection of serious immune rejection of stem cells.

Characteristics of cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal band in anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody associated disease.

Objective: To analyze the immune parameters of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and oligoclonal band (OCB) type in patients with anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated diseases (MOGAD). Methods: Patients who were seropositive for MOG-IgG and diagnosed with MOGAD according to the diagnosis criteria in the Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University from December 2020 to June 2022 were retrospectively included in this study. Complete clinical data, blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from all the participants. Paired serum and CSF MOG-IgG and autoimmune encephalitis antibody were assayed by Cell Based Assay (CBA) based on transfected target antigens. Paired serum and CSF albumin and IgG were detected by turbidimetric scattering method, and OCB was detected by standard operation procedure as described. Results: A total of 86 patients (44 males and 42 females) with MOGAD were included in this study, with a median age of 30 years (range: 5-82 years). Among all the patients, 73 patients showed OCB type I, 12 patients showed OCB type II, and one patient showed OCB type III. The overall positive rate of CSF-OCB in MOGAD patients was 15.1 %. The 24-h intrathecal synthesis rate of CSF in the OCB-positive group (n = 13) was higher than that in the OCB-negative group [n = 73, 0.62 (0.26) vs 5.11 (13.67), P = 0.003]. Subgroup analysis revealed that the positive rates of CSF-OCB in the single MOG group (n = 61) and the group combined with other antibodies (n = 25) were 14.8 % and 16.0 %, respectively. The incidence of meningoencephalitis (13/61 vs 13/25, P = 0.011) was significantly different between the two groups. The proportion of patients with high (≥1:32) or low (≤1:10) CSF MOG-IgG also showed significant difference in the group combined with other antibodies (P = 0.032). Optic neuritis was more common in the relapse course group (n = 49) than the monophasic course group (n = 37, P < 0.001) No significant diferences of CSF immune parameters were found in the MOG-IgGserum+/CSF- group and the MOG-IgGserum+/CSF + group, and the titer of MOG-IgG in the serum or CSF did not influence CSF immune parameters in different subgroups. Conclusion: The overall positive rate of CSF-OCB in MOGAD patients was 15.1 %. The 24-h intrathecal synthesis rate of cerebrospinal fluid in the OCB-positive group was higher than that in the OCB-negative group. This study illustrated OCB characterization in MOGAD patients, and will shed light on the standardization of OCB test in the study of immune diseases.

CFViSA: A comprehensive and free platform for visualization and statistics in omics-data.

INTRODUCTION: The rapid growth of omics technologies has led to the use of bioinformatics as a powerful tool for unravelling scientific puzzles. However, the obstacles of bioinformatics are compounded by the complexity of data processing and the distinct nature of omics data types, particularly in terms of visualization and statistics. OBJECTIVES: We developed a comprehensive and free platform, CFViSA, to facilitate effortless visualization and statistical analysis of omics data by the scientific community. METHODS: CFViSA was constructed using the Scala programming language and utilizes the AKKA toolkit for the web server and MySQL for the database server. The visualization and statistical analysis were performed with the R program. RESULTS: CFViSA integrates two omics data analysis pipelines (microbiome and transcriptome analysis) and an extensive array of 79 analysis tools spanning simple sequence processing, visualization, and statistics available for various omics data, including microbiome and transcriptome data. CFViSA starts from an analysis interface, paralleling a demonstration full course to help users understand operating principles and scientifically set the analysis parameters. Once analysis is conducted, users can enter the task history interface for figure adjustments, and then a complete series of results, including statistics, feature tables and figures. All the graphic layouts were printed with necessary statistics and a traceback function recording the options for analysis and visualization; these statistics were excluded from the five competing methods. CONCLUSION: CFViSA is a user-friendly bioinformatics cloud platform with detailed guidelines for integrating functions in multi-omics analysis with real-time visualization adjustment and complete series of results provision. CFViSA is available at http://www.cloud.biomicroclass.com/en/CFViSA/.

Prognostic utility of preoperative inflammatory markers in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after hepatic resection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of preoperative systemic inflammatory markers, including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), remains controversial in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to investigate the prognostic value of preoperative NLR, PLR, and LMR in patients with ICC who underwent hepatic resection. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of four electronic databases. Two researchers assessed the quality of the available data using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We selected overall survival (OS) as the primary outcome and recurrence-free survival (RFS) and disease-free survival (DFS) as secondary outcomes. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were merged to evaluate the associations between inflammatory markers and ICC patient prognosis. RESULTS: Fifteen studies (18 cohorts) with 4123 cases were included in this meta-analysis. The results revealed that a high preoperative NLR was associated with short OS and RFS (HR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07, and HR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04-1.60, respectively) in patients with ICC. However, the association between PLR or LMR and ICC prognosis was not statistically significant. In addition, the publication bias and sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the results were reliable and stable. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis revealed that preoperative NLR may be a useful prognostic predictor for patients with ICC.

Evaluation of serum anti-pertussis toxin IgA antibodies for the diagnosis of Bordetella pertussis infection in young children.

BACKGROUND: The determination of serum anti-pertussis toxin (PT) IgG antibodies is recommended for the diagnosis and surveillance of pertussis. However, the diagnostic power of anti-PT IgG can be hampered by possible interference from previous vaccinations. We aim to assess if anti-PT IgA antibodies can be well induced by Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) infections in children, and their capacity to improve pertussis serodiagnosis. METHODS: Serum samples from 172 hospitalized children younger than 10 years old with confirmed pertussis were tested. Pertussis was confirmed by culture, PCR and/or serology. Anti-PT IgA antibodies were determined with commercial ELISA kits. RESULTS: Sixty-four (37.2 %) subjects had anti-PT IgA antibodies greater than or equal to 15 IU/ml, and 52 (30.2 %) of them had anti-PT IgA antibodies greater than or equal to 20 IU/ml. No children with negative anti-PT IgG (less than 40 IU/ml) were observed to have anti-PT IgA antibodies greater than or equal to 15 IU/ml. Of patients younger than one year of age, about 50 % had an IgA antibody response. Moreover, the proportion of subjects with anti-PT IgA antibodies greater than or equal to 15 IU/ml among PCR negative subjects was significantly higher than that among PCR positive subjects (76.9 % vs 35.5 %). CONCLUSIONS: The determination of anti-PT IgA antibodies does not seem to have added value for the serodiagnosis of pertussis in children older than one year of age. However, for infants, determination of serum anti-PT IgA antibodies appears to be useful for the diagnosis of pertussis especially when PCR and culture are negative. The results should be interpreted with caution as the number of subjects included in this study was limited.

Portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the in-field screening of organic pollutants in soil and water at pollution incidents.

Environmental pollution incidents generate an emergency response from regulatory agencies to ensure that the impact on the environment is minimised. Knowing what pollutants are present provides important intelligence to assist in determining how to respond to the incident. However, responders are limited in their in-field capabilities to identify the pollutants present. This research has developed an in-field, qualitative analytical approach to detect and identify organic pollutants that are commonly detected by regulatory environmental laboratories. A rapid, in-field extraction method was used for water and soil matrices. A coiled microextraction (CME) device was utilised for the introduction of the extracted samples into a portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for analysis. The total combined extraction and analysis time was approximately 6.5 min per sample. Results demonstrated that the in-field extraction and analysis methods can screen for fifty-nine target organic contaminants, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons, monoaromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, phthalates, organophosphorus pesticides, and organochlorine pesticides. The method was also capable of tentatively identifying unknown compounds using library searches, significantly expanding the scope of the methods for the provision of intelligence at pollution incidents of an unknown nature, although a laboratory-based method was able to provide more information due to the higher sensitivity achievable. The methods were evaluated using authentic casework samples and were found to be fit-for-purpose for providing rapid in-field intelligence at pollution incidents. The fact that the in-field methods target the same compounds as the laboratory-based methods provides the added benefit that the in-field results can assist in sample triaging upon submission to the laboratory for quantitation and confirmatory analysis.

Response of the Propylea japonica Microbiota to Treatment with Cry1B Protein.

Propylea japonica (Thunberg) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a dominant natural enemy of insect pests in farmland ecosystems. It also serves as an important non-target insect for environmental safety evaluations of transgenic crops. Widespread planting of transgenic crops may result in direct or indirect exposure of P. japonica to recombinant Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein, which may in turn affect the biological performance of this natural enemy by affecting the P. japonica microflora. However, the effects of Bt proteins (such as Cry1B) on the P. japonica microbiota are currently unclear. Here, we used a high-throughput sequencing method to investigate differences in the P. japonica microbiota resulting from treatment with Cry1B compared to a sucrose control. The results demonstrated that the P. japonica microbiome was dominated by Firmicutes at the phylum level and by Staphylococcus at the genus level. Within-sample (α) diversity indices demonstrated a high degree of consistency between the microbial communities of P. japonica treated with the sucrose control and those treated with 0.25 or 0.5 mg/mL Cry1B. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the abundance of any taxa after treatment with 0.25 mg/mL Cry1B for 24 or 48 h, and treatment with 0.5 mg/mL Cry1B for 24 or 48 h led to changes only in Staphylococcus, a member of the phylum Firmicutes. Treatment with a high Cry1B concentration (1.0 mg/mL) for 24 or 48 h caused significant changes in the abundance of specific taxa (e.g., Gemmatimonades, Patescibacteria, Thauera, and Microbacterium). However, compared with the control, most taxa remained unchanged. The statistically significant differences may have been due to the stimulatory effects of treatment with a high concentration of Cry1B. Overall, the results showed that Cry1B protein could alter endophytic bacterial community abundance, but not composition, in P. japonica. The effects of Bt proteins on endophytes and other parameters in non-target insects require further study. This study provides data support for the safety evaluation of transgenic plants.