Genetic diversity and differentiation analysis reveals geographical structure characteristics of Dermatophagoides farinae (Acari: Pyroglyphidae).

Dermatophagoides farinae (Acari: Pyroglyphidae) has been reported as one of the major sources of indoor allergens that trigger allergic disease in humans. In this study, the genetic diversity and differentiation of nine geographic populations of D. farinae were investigated by analyzing mitochondrial and nuclear genes (COI, Cytb, COI+Cytb, and ITS). The results showed high genetic diversity across the D. farinae populations. The BX (Benxi) population showed the lowest genetic diversity, possibly due to climatic causes. Significant genetic differentiation was observed among D. farinae populations based on mitochondrial genes. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) results elucidated that the contribution to the rate of variation was primarily from among populations. Phylogenetic analysis and haplotype network based on mitochondrial genes both indicated significant geographic structure among D. farinae populations. The nine geographic populations of D. farinae were divided into two groups with the Qinling Mountains-Huai River Line serving as the boundary for spatial analysis of molecular variance analysis (SAMOVA). However, the Mantel test analysis showed no association between genetic differentiation and geographic distance because of the high level of gene flow among some populations through the transportation of stored food. Overall, these results indicate both significant genetic differentiation among D. farinae populations, but also significant gene exchange between them. Results from the analysis of the nuclear gene ITS differed from the mitochondrial genes due to differences in molecular markers between mitochondrial genes and nuclear genes. These observations improve our understanding of the genetic diversity and structure of D. farinae populations.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of Thyreophagus entomophagus and Acarus siro (Sarcoptiformes: Astigmatina) provide insight into mitogenome features, evolution, and phylogeny among Acaroidea mites.

Mites from the Acaroidea (Sarcoptiformes: Astigmatina) are important pests of various stored products, posing potential threats to preserved foods. In addition, mites can cause allergic diseases. Complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are valuable resources for different research fields, including comparative genomics, molecular evolutionary analysis, and phylogenetic inference. We sequenced and annotated the complete mitogenomes of Thyreophagus entomophagus and Acarus siro. A comparative analysis was made between mitogenomic sequences from 10 species representing nine genera within Acaroidea. The mitogenomes of T. entomophagus and A. siro contained 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and one control region. In Acaroidea species, mitogenomes have highly conserved gene size and order, and codon usage. Among Acaroidea mites, most PCGs were found to be under purifying selection, implying that most PCGs might have evolved slowly. Our findings showed that nad4 evolved most rapidly, whereas cox1 and cox3 evolved most slowly. The evolutionary rates of Acaroidea vary considerably across families. In addition, selection analyses were also performed in 23 astigmatid mite species, and the evolutionary rate of the same genes in different superfamilies exhibited large differences. Phylogenetic results are mostly consistent with those identified by previous phylogenetic studies on astigmatid mites. The monophyly of Acaroidea was rejected, and the Suidasiidae and Lardoglyphidae appeared to deviate from the Acaroidea branch. Our research proposed a review of the current Acaroidea classification system.

Incidence and prognostic factors of primary thyroid lymphoma and construction of prognostic models for post-chemotherapy and postoperative patients: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is a rare thyroid malignancy, there are few large sample studies on PTL and no standardized treatment regimen has been established due to the rarity. The aims of this study were to explore the incidence and prognostic factors of PTL and construct visual prognostic prediction models for post-chemotherapy and postoperative patients. METHODS: The incidence of PTL in 1975-2017 was extracted from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, then assessed using joinpoint regression software. A total of 1616 eligible PTL patients diagnosed in 1998-2016 were brought into prognostic analysis. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were carried out to reveal independent prognostic elements for overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). RESULTS: PTL incidence showed a relatively steady increase in 1975-1994, which annual percent change (APC) was 4.0%, and steady decreasing in 1994-2017(APC - 2.4%). Age, marital status, lymphoma Ann Arbor stage, histological subtypes, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation were significantly correlated to OS and CSS. Nomograms were constructed to predict OS and CSS in post-chemotherapy and postoperative PTL patients separately, and were verified to have good reliability. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of PTL increased and subsequently decreased. We revealed the prognostic implications and constructed reliable nomograms for post-chemotherapy and postoperative PTL patients.

De novo sequence of the mitochondrial genome of Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Acari: Sarcoptiformes) including 22 tRNA sequences and the largest non-coding region.

In this study, we de novo sequenced and analyzed the circular mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Tyrophagus putrescentiae. It was 14,156 bp long and contained a complete set of 37 genes, contrary to the initial published sequences; it included 22 tRNA sequences and the largest non-coding region. The mtDNA gene order of T. putrescentiae was found to be identical to that of Aleuroglyphus ovatus, Caloglyphus berlesei, and Rhizoglyphus robini (all Acaroidea). Most tRNAs of T. putrescentiae lack at least a D-arm or T-arm. Tyrophagus putrescentiae tRNAs also shared considerable structural and sequence similarity with the tRNAs of other reported Acaroidea species that have the full set of tRNAs. The largest non-coding region was located between trnF and trnS1, and it contained a microsatellite-like (AT)n sequence, short palindromic sequences, and several hairpin loops, as observed in other reported Acaroidea species (excepting Tyrophagus longior).

miR-155 contributes to Df1-induced asthma by increasing the proliferative response of Th cells via CTLA-4 downregulation.

Allergen-induced airway inflammation is characterized by Th2-mediated eosinophilic inflammation in the lungs. While the molecular mechanisms leading to this abnormal Th2 response remain unclear. Recent studies have demonstrated that MicroRNAs (miRNAs) modulate allergic airway inflammation. In this study, the role of miRNAs in allergic asthma pathogenesis was examined. Differentially expressed miRNAs were identified via miRNA microarray, with miR-155 being among the most highly expressed in asthma mice lungs. Examination of miR-155 overexpression resulted in enhanced inflammation and mucus hypersecretion in the lungs of allergen-challenged mice compared with control animals. Furthermore, CTLA-4, an important negative regulator of T-cell activation, was identified as a direct miR-155 target. Moreover, miR-155 overexpression in CD4+ T cells resulted in decreased CTLA-4 levels and a subsequent increased proliferative response. Collectively, these findings suggest that miR-155 might contribute to allergic asthma by increasing the proliferative response of Th cells via CTLA-4 downregulation and thus may be a potential therapeutic target for allergic asthma.

Association of Immune Factors with Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND Presently, studies of factors associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) focus on patients' socio-demographic characteristics and living habits, to the exclusion of biochemical indicators, especially immune factors. This study was carried out to determine whether immune factors are associated with drug-resistant TB. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 227 drug-resistant pulmonary TB patients and 225 drug-susceptible pulmonary TB patients were enrolled in this study. Information on socio-demographic characteristics and biochemical indicators were obtained through their clinical records. Non-conditional logistic regression was used to analyze the association of these indicators with drug-resistant TB. RESULTS There were significant differences in re-treatment, marital status, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood uric acid (BUA), carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), T-spot, and CD3 and CD4 counts between the 2 groups. In multivariable analysis, re-treatment [Odds Ratio (OR)=5.290, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]=2.652-10.551); CD3 (OR=1.034, 95% CI=1.001-1.068); CD4 (OR=1.035, 95% CI =1.001-1.070) and IgM (OR=1.845, 95% CI=1.153-2.952) were associated with drug-resistant TB. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest the need for greater attention to re-treatment cases and immune function when treating drug-resistant TB.

Agkistrodon acutus-purified protein C activator protects human umbilical vein endothelial cells against H2O2-induced apoptosis.

CONTEXT: Recent studies show that the Agkistrodon acutus (Viperidae) (syn. Deinagkistrodon acutus) protein C activator (PCA) treats acute myocardial infarction and ischaemia-reperfusion animal models effectively, while the underlying mechanism remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of PCA on the injury of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) induced by H2O2 and the underlying mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Primary cultured HUVECs were pretreated with PCA (20, 40 and 80 µg/mL) for 1 h, then HUVEC apoptosis was induced by 300 µmol/mL H2O2. Apoptosis was analyzed by AnnexinV-FITC/PI, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was tested by flow cytometry. Colorimetric methods were used to detect the levels of NO and IL-1. In addition, real-time PCR and western blot analyses were used to detect the expression of eNOS and phospho-p38/MAPK. RESULTS: Morphological changes were induced by H2O2 in HUVECs. The cell survival rate was increased by 43.9, 64.0 and 80.6% in each PCA pretreated group (20, 40 and 80 µg/mL) compared to the model group. In each PCA pretreated group, oxidative stress level was also decreased to 54.7, 42.7 and 25.1%. Moreover, the level of IL-1 was decreased to 83.3, 62.2 and 30.7%. The level of NO was increased by 155.9, 232.4 and 317.6%. Apoptosis rate was decreased to 59.0, 47.7 and 32.7%. Phospho-p38 expression was downregulated, but eNOS expression was upregulated. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results suggest that PCA can effectively protect the endothelial cells from injury induced by H2O2, which may be associated with antioxidation, upregulation of eNOS and downregulation of p38-MAPK.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the brown leg mite, Aleuroglyphus ovatus (Acari: Sarcoptiformes): evaluation of largest non-coding region and unique tRNAs.

The circular mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Aleuroglyphus ovatus was sequenced. It was 14,328 bp long, and consisted of 37 coding genes including 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. This is the first description of the complete mitogenome of a species in the Acaridae (Acari: Sarcoptiformes). The mtDNA gene order for A. ovatus is identical to those of Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus, but distinctly different from the mtDNA of other Acari. Most inferred tRNA genes of A. ovatus are extremely truncated (48-62 bp), lack stem-loops on either the T- or D-arm (except the trnK), and are unable to fold into the canonical tRNA cloverleaf structure. The largest non-coding region (378 bp) contained several conserved sequences involved in the regulation of mitogenome replication, including one core sequence (ACAT) associated with termination of the J-strand replication and several hypothetical stem-loop structures. The microsatellite-like (AT)n sequence in the largest non-coding region was observed in two other Astigmata species, but it has not been found in other Acari.

Mitochondrial genomes of four slug moths (Lepidoptera, Limacodidae): Genome description and phylogenetic implications.

The family Limacodidae belongs to the superfamily Zygaenoidea, which includes 1672 species commonly referred to as slug moths. Limacodidae larvae are major pests for many economically important plant species and can cause human dermatitis. At present, the structure of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome), phylogenetic position, and adaptive evolution of slug moths are poorly understood. Herein, the mitogenomes of Parasa lepida, Phlossa conjuncta, Thosea sinensis, and Setora sinensis were sequenced and compared with other available mitogenome sequences to better characterize the mitogenomic diversity and evolution of this moth family. The mitogenomes of P. lepida, P. conjuncta, T. sinensis, and S. sinensis were confirmed to be circular in structure with lengths of 15,575 bp, 15,553 bp, 15,535 bp, and 15,529 bp, respectively. The Limacodidae mitogenomes exhibited similar nucleotide composition, codon usage, RNA structure, and control region patterns, indicating the conservation of the mitogenome in the family Limacodidae. A sliding window, Ka/Ks, and genetic distance analyses revealed that the atp8 and nad6 genes exhibited the highest levels of variability and the most rapid evolutionary rates among the 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) encoded in these Limacodidae mitogenomes, suggesting that they may offer value as candidate DNA markers. The phylogenetic analysis recovered the overall relationship as Tortricoidea + (Sesiidae + (Zygaenoidea + (Cossoidea/+Choreutoidea + (others)))). Within Zygaenoidea, Limacodidae was recovered as monophyletic, and the phylogenetic relationships were recovered as (Phaudidae + Zyganidae) + Limacodidae in all six phylogenetic trees. The analysis indicated that P. lepida, P. conjuncta, T. sinensis, and S. sinensis are members of the Limacodidae.

[Investigation on species and community ecology of cheyletoid mites breeding in the stored traditional Chinese medicinal materials].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the species of Cheyletoid mites breeding status in the stored traditional Chinese medicinal materials and the relationship between its community and habitats. METHODS: A total of 60 samples of the traditional Chinese medicinal materials were collected from Huainan, Wuhu and Xuancheng in China. The mites were isolated with shakesieve shock, directicopy, Tullgren funnel, waternacopy and redricopy, and identified and counted under the light microscope. RESULTS: Cheyletoid mites were represented in 48 of the 60 samples, and the breeding rate accounted for as high as 80.0% (48/60). Totally, 6 species of Cheyletoid mites were identified, which belonged to Cheyletus, Acaropsis, Cheletomorpha, Eucheyletic and Pseudocheyles genera under the family of Cheyletidae. In the three investigated areas, the average breeding density of Cheyletoid mites was 109.75 heads/g, and average richness index was 1.54. The index of species diversity was 2.55 and the number of evenness was 0.95. CONCLUSION: This result entails positive prevention and control of the mite breeding in storage and processing of herbal materials.

Pan-cancer analysis of PCAT6 and its effect on oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation and migration.

Bioinformatics methods were used to analyze the role of PCAT6 in a variety of tumors and verify its role in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) EC109 cells. The pan-cancer dataset was downloaded from the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) database to analyze the expression of PCAT6 in pan-cancer and its relationship with prognosis, clinical features, and immune infiltration. The expression and prognosis of PCAT6 in ESCC were verified by Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and Kaplan-Meier database. CCK8, colony formation, wound healing, Transwell cell invasion (CI), and cell migration (CM) assays were used to detect the effect of PCAT6 knockdown on the ability of ESCC cell proliferation (CP), CI and CM. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis was used to analyze the signaling pathways involved in the regulation of PCAT6. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting were used to examine the expression of cancer stem cell-related markers and the activation of JAK/STAT pathway in ESCC after PCAT6 knockdown. PCAT6 is significantly up-regulated in a variety of tumor tissues, and its expression is closely related to prognosis, clinical features and immune infiltration. High expression of PCAT6 leads to poor prognosis in ESCC patients. In ESCC EC109 cells, PCAT6 knockdown inhibited the ability of CP, CI, CM, and stemness, and inhibited the activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway. PCAT6 expression is elevated in a variety of tumors. PCAT6 plays an oncogene role in ESCC by activating the JAK/STAT signaling pathway.

WTAP promotes oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma development by decreasing CPSF4 expression in an m6A-dependent manner.

m6A is a widespread RNA modification. However, the mechanism through which m6A regulated the progress of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains undetermined. The levels and prognosis of WTAP were analysed using an ESCC tissue microarray (87 ESCC and 44 paracancerous tissues). TCGA and Oncolnc databases validate WTAP expression and prognosis. CCK8, colony formation (CF), wound healing, transwell cell invasion (CI), and migration (CM) assays were employed for the detection of the biological impacts of WTAP. Expression of tumour stemness-related genes was assessed via qRT-PCR and western blotting. The m6A RNA methylation (m6AMe) quantitative kit was employed for cellular methylation level detection. Arraystar m6A-mRNA and lncRNA epitranscriptomic microarray analyses were used to screen low methylation, high expression, and prognosis-related candidate gene CPSF4. KEGG enrichment analysis was used to screen the downstream signalling pathways of CPSF4. WTAP, a methyltransferase "writer", was markedly enhanced in ESCC and was strongly correlated with poor patient outcome. WTAP knockdown inhibited the cell proliferation (CP), CI, CM, and stemness of ESCC cells in vitro and reduced the overall m6A modification (m6AMo) percentage of ESCC cells. CPSF4 is a target of WTAP-based m6AMo. WTAP-based m6AMo of CPSF4 transcript reduced the stability of CPSF4 by relying on YTHDF2. We identified the significant role of WTAP-catalysed m6AMo in ESCC tumourigenesis, wherein it facilitates ESCC tumour growth and metastasis through decreasing CPSF4 expression in an m6A-dependent manner.

A rapid identification method for common astigmatid species based on multiplex polymerase chain reaction.

Astigmatid mites are economically significant pests of stored products and sources of inhalant allergens causing allergic rhinitis and asthma worldwide. The morphological identification of astigmatid mites at the species level is often a difficult task due to their small size, phenotypic similarity and lack of diagnostic characters. We used multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify astigmatid mite species, which could complement the morphological data for the species-specific identification of mites. Internal ribosomal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences (i.e., partial 18S, the full length of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and partial 28S) from eight astigmatid species (Acarus siro, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Suidasia nesbitti, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Chortoglyphus arcuatus and Gohieria fuscus) were obtained by DNA extraction and then sequenced after PCR amplification. Specific primers were designed in the ITS2 region manually. Results revealed that an identification method for eight common astigmatid species was established based on multiplex PCR, which should be effective for the identification of other species of mites by redesigning species-specific primers in future experiments.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Scatoglyphus polytrematus (Acari: Acaridae).

We assembled and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome of Scatoglyphus polytrematus. It is the first complete mitochondrial genome sequence from the genus Scatoglyphus. The mitogenome was 13,966 bp in length and contains 37 genes (including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA), and two ribosomal RNA (rRNA)), and one largest non-coding region. The gene arrangement of S. polytrematus is consistent with the pattern of possible common ancestor of astigmatid mites. In the present study, phylogenetic analysis shows that genus Scatoglyphus was clustered into one branch with other Acaridae species.

Morphological mechanism allowing a parasitic leech, Ozobranchus jantseanus (Rhynchobdellida: Ozobranchidae), to survive in ultra-low temperatures.

Ozobranchus jantseanus is the largest metazoan known to survive in liquid nitrogen without pretreatment to date; however, the mechanism underlying this tolerance remains unclear. In this study, the first analyses of histological and morphological changes in normal, frozen, and dehydrated states were performed. Adults survived after direct placement in liquid nitrogen for 96 h, with a survival rate of approximately 86.7%. The leech could withstand rapid desiccation and its survival rate after rehydration was 100% when its water loss was below about 84.8%. After freezing, desiccation, and ethanol dehydration, the leech immediately formed a hemispherical shape. Particularly during drying, an obvious transparent glass-like substance was observed on surface. Scanning electron microscopy revealed many pores on the surface of the posterior sucker, creating a sponge-like structure, which may help to rapidly expel water, and a hemispherical shape may protect the internal organs by contraction and folding reconstruction in the anterior-posterior direction. A substantial amount of mucopolysaccharides on the surface and acid cells and collagen fibers in the body, all of which contained substantial polysaccharides, may play a key protective role during freezing. Our results indicate that the resistance of leeches to ultra-low temperatures can be explained by cryoprotective dehydration/vitrification strategies. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Mitochondrial analysis of oribatid mites provides insights into their atypical tRNA annotation, genome rearrangement and evolution.

BACKGROUND: The mitochondrial (mt) genomes of Sarcoptiformes mites typically contain 37 genes. Although the loss of genes is rare in Sarcoptiformes mite mitogenomes, two of the six previously reported oribatid mites (Acariforms: Sarcoptiformes) are reported to have lost parts of their tRNA genes. To confirm whether the tRNA genes were indeed lost and whether the loss is universal, we re-annotated the available oribatid mite sequences and sequenced the mitogenome of Oribatula sakamorii. METHODS: The mitogenome of O. sakamorii was sequenced using an Illumina HiSeq sequencer. The mt tRNA gene was annotated using multi-software combined with a manual annotation approach. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using the maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods with concatenated nucleotide and amino acid sequences. RESULTS: The mitogenomes of O. sakamorii contained 37 genes, including 22 tRNA genes. We identified all mt tRNA genes that were reported as "lost" in Steganacarus magnus and Paraleius leontonychus and revealed certain atypical tRNA annotation errors in oribatid mite sequences. Oribatid mite mitogenomes are characterized by low rates of genetic rearrangement, with six or seven gene blocks conserved between the mitogenome of all species and that of ancestral arthropods. Considering the relative order of the major genes (protein-coding genes and rRNAs), only one or two genes were rearranged with respect to their positions in the ancestral genome. We explored the phylogenetic relationships among the available oribatid mites, and the results confirmed the systematic position of Hermannia in the Crotonioidea superfamily. This was also supported by the synapomorphic gene-derived boundaries. CONCLUSIONS: The tRNA "lost" phenomenon is not universal in oribatid mites. Rather, highly atypical secondary structure of the inferred mt tRNA genes made them unidentifiable using a single type of tRNA search program. The use of multi-software combined with a manual annotation approach can improve the accuracy of tRNA gene annotation. In addition, we identified the precise systematic position of Hermannia and validated that Astigmata is nested in Oribatida.

First molecular evidence of Anaplasma spp. co-infection in stray dogs from Anhui, China.

Anaplasma species are obligate intracellular pathogens that threaten the health of both humans and animals worldwide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Anaplasma species in stray dogs in Anhui Province, China. Blood samples from 201 apparently healthy stray dogs were collected from August 2017 to January 2018, and Anaplasma spp. infection in these dogs was evaluated by nested PCR and phylogenetic analysis. The overall infection rate of Anaplasma spp. in stray dogs was 38.3% (77/201). The prevalences of single infection of A. platys, A. phagocytophilum and A. ovis were 15.4%, 11.9%, and 8.5%, respectively. Co-infection rate of A. platys and A. phagocytophilum was 1.5% and that of A. platys and A. ovis was 0.5%. Co-infection by these three pathogens was found in one sample (0.5%). This is the first report of Anaplasma spp. infections in stray dogs from Anhui, China.

Molecular evidence of coinfection of Anaplasma species in small ruminants from Anhui Province, China.

The species of the genus Anaplasma are obligate intracellular pathogens that threaten the health of both humans and animals. In this study, we investigated the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. ovis and A. bovis in 203 healthy small ruminants (117 goats and 86 sheep) in Anhui Province, China. The overall coinfection of Anaplasma species occurred in 33.0% (67/203) of all studied samples. The infection rates of A. ovis, A. bovis, and A. phagocytophilum were 14.5%, 12.0%, and 4.3% in goats and 26.7%, 17.4% and 3.5% in sheep, respectively. Coinfection of A. ovis + A. bovis was predominant in this study, with overall rates of 21.4% in goats and 20.9% in sheep, while the overall coinfection rates of A. ovis + A. phagocytophilum and A. bovis + A. phagocytophilum were 7.7% and 2.6% in goats and 7.0% and 4.7% in sheep, respectively. The occurrence of three-pathogen coinfection was also found in the studied ruminants, with a rate of 0.9% in goats and 1.2% among sheep. Phylogenetic analysis based on msp4 sequences showed that there were differences in the A. ovis genotype between sheep and goats in this study.

Upregulated forkhead-box A3 elevates the expression of forkhead-box A1 and forkhead-box A2 to promote metastasis in esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most lethal cancers currently known. Members of the forkhead-box A (FOXA) family, including FOXA1 and FOXA2, have been reported to regulate EC progression. However, the role of FOXA3, which is another FOXA member, has not yet been investigated. In the present study, public dataset analyses and immunohistochemistry of 96 samples from patients with EC were performed to determine the potential roles of FOXA3 in EC. The results revealed that FOXA3 was significantly upregulated in EC tumor tissues and Barrett's esophagus tissues. In addition, FOXA3 upregulation was positively associated with tumor invasion, distant metastasis, tumor-node-metastasis stage and shorter overall survival in patients with EC, and multivariate analysis identified FOXA3 as an independent prognostic marker. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the migratory and invasive abilities of EC109 and EC9706 cell lines were inhibited following FOXA3 knockdown. Notably, FOXA3 expression levels were positively correlated with FOXA1 and FOXA2 expression levels according to The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset analysis. Furthermore, FOXA3 knockdown decreased the expression levels of FOXA1 and FOXA2 in EC109 and EC9706 cell lines. Conversely, FOXA1 or FOXA2 overexpression compensated for the effects of FOXA3 knockdown on the migratory and invasive capacities of EC cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that FOXA3 upregulation in EC cells promoted metastasis through regulation of other FOXA members.

Investigation on the endemic characteristics of Metorchis orientalisin Huainan area, China

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the endemic characteristics of Metorchis orientalis (M. orientalis)in the Huainan area, Anhui province, China. METHODS: The first-intermediate host, second-intermediate host and reservoir hosts were collected, and the endemic characteristics of M. orientalis were examined through field investigation and artificial infection. RESULTS: Investigation was completed in 89 domestic ducks, 156 domestic chicken, 41 domestic geese, 20 domestic cats and 19 dogs. The infection rate of M. orientaliswas 18.0% (16/89) in ducks, 12.2% (19/156) in chicken, 9. 8% (4/41) in geese, 5.0% (1/20) in cats and 5.3% (1/19) in dogs. Sixty-seven cercariae of M. orientaliswere identified in 1,000 Parafossarulu s striatulus,with a natural infection rate of 6.7%, and 19 cercariae occurred in 300 Pseudorasbora parva, with a natural infection rate of 6.33%. The activity of the cercariae of M. orientaliswas associated with light intensity and temperature. The full life cycle of M. orientalisranged from 120 to 140 days; it occurred approximately in 89 days in snails, 28 days in fish and 20 days in ducks. CONCLUSION: M. orientalisis prevalent in the Huainan area, and it may complete its life cycle in Parafossarulus striatulus, Pseudorasbora parva and natively rais ed ducks.