Diagnostic Potential of Serum Glycome Analysis in Lung Cancer: A Glycopattern Study.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death, with high morbidity and mortality rates due to the lack of reliable methods for diagnosing lung cancer at an early stage. Low-dose computed tomography can help detect abnormal areas in the lungs, but only 16% of cases are diagnosed early. Tests for lung cancer markers are often employed to determine genetic expression or mutations in lung carcinogenesis. Serum glycome analysis is a promising new method for early lung cancer diagnosis as glycopatterns exhibit significant differences in lung cancer patients. In this study, we employed a solid-phase chemoenzymatic method to systematically compare glycopatterns in benign cases, adenocarcinoma before and after surgery, and advanced stages of adenocarcinoma. Our findings indicate that serum high-mannose levels are elevated in both benign cases and adenocarcinoma, while complex N-glycans, including fucose and 2,6-linked sialic acid, are downregulated in the serum. Subsequently, we developed an algorithm that utilizes 16 altered N-glycans, 7 upregulated and 9 downregulated, to generate a score based on their intensity. This score can predict the stages of cancer progression in patients through glycan characterization. This methodology offers a potential means of diagnosing lung cancer through serum glycome analysis.

Insights into the evolution of the ISG15 and UBA7 system.

The genetic origins of novelty are of central interest in evolutionary biology. ISG15 and UBA7 are present only in vertebrates. The emergence and evolution of them are not clear. Phylogenetic comparisons revealed that UBA7 descends from gene duplication, and ISG15 and UBA7 arose from UBB/UBC and UBA1, respectively. Uba7 exhibits ubiquitin-activation activity in fish but not tetrapods, suggesting that the relationship of ISG15/Uba7 was promiscuous in origin but was later coopted toward higher specificity. Zebrafish Uba7 is capable of activating the ubiquitin cascade in vitro and in vivo, and it displays distinct specificity preference toward substrates and E2 enzymes compared to zebrafish Uba1. These results together provide a framework for understanding the origin and diversification of ISG15/Uba7 and may serve as a paradigmatic example in which an originally minor functionality in an old gene is made into a new high-specificity protein through random mutations and natural selection.

Green fluorescent protein-fused bacteriophage cellular wall-binding domain as broad-spectrum signal probe for fluorimetry of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains.

As a "superbug", methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has long been one of the most ubiquitous drug-resistant bacteria inducing numerous nosocomial infections. To achieve effective diagnosis and following treatment decision of infectious diseases induced by MRSA, it is highly desired to establish rapid analysis and antibiotic susceptibility test methods for this pathogen. In this study, we successfully expressed a bifunctional protein by fusing green fluorescent protein and cellular wall-binding domain of bacteriophage P108. The bifunctional protein can be employed as a signal probe for broad-spectrum fluorimetry of MRSA strains because it can both bind with the target pathogen and emit intensive fluorescence. By using it as the signal probe and porcine IgG as the capture agent, MRSA can be analyzed within a dynamic range of 1.0 × 103-2.0 × 107 CFU mL-1 with a sandwich mode. The fluorimetry was also applied to test antibiotic susceptibility of this pathogen to five antibiotics, and all results are conformable with those obtained with a standard micro broth dilution method. The above results demonstrate the attractive perspective of the bifunctional protein for rapid diagnosis and effective medication of infectious diseases induced by MRSA.

COVID-19 patients with hypertension are at potential risk of worsened organ injury.

In less than 6 months, COVID-19 spread rapidly around the world and became a global health concern. Hypertension is the most common chronic disease in COVID-19 patients, but its impact on these patients has not been well described. In this retrospective study, 82 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were enrolled, and epidemiological, demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological and therapy-related data were analyzed and compared between COVID-19 patients with (29 cases) or without (53 cases) hypertension. The median age of the included patients was 60.5 years, and the cohort included 49 women (59.8%) and 33 (40.2%) men. Hypertension (31 [28.2%]) was the most common chronic illness, followed by diabetes (16 [19.5%]) and cardiovascular disease (15 [18.3%]). The most common symptoms were fatigue (55 [67.1%]), dry cough (46 [56.1%]) and fever ≥ 37.3 °C (46 [56.1%]). The median time from illness onset to positive RT-PCR test was 13.0 days (range 3-25 days). There were 6 deaths (20.7%) in the hypertension group and 5 deaths (9.4%) in the nonhypertension group, and more hypertensive patients with COVID-19 (8 [27.6%]) than nonhypertensive patients (2 [3.8%]) (P = 0.002) had at least one comorbid disease. Compared with nonhypertensive patients, hypertensive patients exhibited higher neutrophil counts, serum amyloid A, C-reactive protein, and NT-proBNP and lower lymphocyte counts and eGFR. Dynamic observations indicated more severe disease and poorer outcomes after hospital admission in the hypertension group. COVID-19 patients with hypertension have increased risks of severe inflammatory reactions, serious internal organ injury, and disease progression and deterioration.