Transcriptome data reveal beneficial effects of Rickettsia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) on Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) through nutritional factors and defense mechanisms.

Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a destructive insect pest of many crops. Rickettsia infection in different cryptic species of B. tabaci has been observed worldwide. Understanding the interactions between these 2 organisms is critical to developing Rickettsia-based strategies to control B. tabaci and thereby reduce the transmission of related vector-borne viruses. In this study, we investigated the effects of Rickettsia infection on the biological characteristics of the Middle East Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) strain of B. tabaci through biological analysis of infected and uninfected individuals. The results of this study suggest that Rickettsia may confer fitness benefits. These benefits include increased fertility, improved survival rates, accelerated development, and resulted in female bias. We also investigated the transcriptomics impact of Rickettsia infection on B. tabaci by performing a comparative RNA-seq analysis of nymphs and adult females, both with and without the infection. Our analysis revealed 218 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in infected nymphs compared to uninfected ones and 748 significant DEGs in infected female adults compared to their uninfected whiteflies. Pathway analysis further revealed that Rickettsia can affect many important metabolic pathways in whiteflies. The results suggest that Rickettsia plays an essential role in energy metabolism, and nutrient synthesis in the B. tabaci MEAM1, and depends on metabolites obtained from the host to ensure its survival. Overall, our findings suggest that Rickettsia has beneficial effects on B. tabaci and offered insights into the potential molecular mechanisms governing the interactions between Rickettsia and B. tabaci MEAM1.

Surgical outcomes and perioperative risk factors of patients with interstitial lung disease after pulmonary resection.

BACKGROUND: Patients of interstitial lung disease (ILD) combined with pulmonary lesions are increasingly common in clinical practice. Patients with ILD are at significantly higher risk for complications after pulmonary resection (including lobectomy and sublobar resection), especially acute exacerbations of ILD (AE-ILD). The purpose of this study is to summarize the short-term and long-term outcomes after pulmonary resection in ILD patients and to analyze the clinical factors affecting surgical safety. METHODS: From January 2004 to January 2022, a total of 78 patients who were diagnosed with ILD and underwent pulmonary resection at our center were enrolled in this study. Clinical data, pathological findings, surgical procedures, and intraoperative safety of these patients were collected retrospectively. Postoperative 90-day complications and mortality, long-term surgical outcomes from postoperative 90 days to 24 months, and changes in ILD condition were investigated. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors associated with postoperative complications. RESULTS: The median age of patients was 66.5 (range 33-86) years, 82.1% (64/78) of patients were male, and 78.2% (61/78) of patients had comorbidities. Idiopathic ILD and secondary ILD accounted for 86% and 14%, thoracotomy and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery accounted for 12.8% and 87.2%, and lobectomy and sublobar resection accounted for 37.2% and 62.8%, respectively. Postoperative 90-day complications occurred in 25.6% (20/78) of patients, with pulmonary complications and AE-ILD occurring in 15.4% and 9.0% of patients, respectively. The postoperative 90-day mortality rate was 5.1% (4/78), and the cause of death was AE-ILD. Exacerbation of ILD or other complications occurred in 12.8% (10/78) of patients from postoperative 90 days to 24 months. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that comorbidity, extent of resection, systemic lymph node dissection, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and pathology of pulmonary lesion were associated with postoperative 90-day complications. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index and intraoperative blood loss were identified as independent risk factors of postoperative 90-day complications. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ILD have a significantly higher risk of postoperative 90-day complications and mortality after pulmonary resection, especially pulmonary complications and AE-ILD. After postoperative 90 days, the risk of deterioration of pulmonary status remains high, including exacerbation of ILD and complications associated with long-term use of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressant. Age, comorbidity and intraoperative blood loss are high risk factors for postoperative 90-day complications.

Rickettsia transmission from whitefly to plants benefits herbivore insects but is detrimental to fungal and viral pathogens.

Bacterial endosymbionts play important roles in the life histories of herbivorous insects by impacting their development, survival, reproduction, and stress tolerance. How endosymbionts may affect the interactions between plants and insect herbivores is still largely unclear. Here, we show that endosymbiotic Rickettsia belli can provide mutual benefits also outside of their hosts when the sap-sucking whitefly Bemisia tabaci transmits them to plants. This transmission facilitates the spread of Rickettsia but is shown to also enhance the performance of the whitefly and co-infesting caterpillars. In contrast, Rickettsia infection enhanced plant resistance to several pathogens. Inside the plants, Rickettsia triggers the expression of salicylic acid-related genes and the two pathogen-resistance genes TGA 2.1 and VRP, whereas they repressed genes of the jasmonic acid pathway. Performance experiments using wild type and mutant tomato plants confirmed that Rickettsia enhances the plants' suitability for insect herbivores but makes them more resistant to fungal and viral pathogens. Our results imply that endosymbiotic Rickettsia of phloem-feeding insects affects plant defenses in a manner that facilitates their spread and transmission. This novel insight into how insects can exploit endosymbionts to manipulate plant defenses also opens possibilities to interfere with their ability to do so as a crop protection strategy. IMPORTANCE: Most insects are associated with symbiotic bacteria in nature. These symbionts play important roles in the life histories of herbivorous insects by impacting their development, survival, reproduction as well as stress tolerance. Rickettsia is one important symbiont to the agricultural pest whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Here, for the first time, we revealed that the persistence of Rickettsia symbionts in tomato leaves significantly changed the defense pattern of tomato plants. These changes benefit both sap-feeding and leaf-chewing herbivore insects, such as increasing the fecundity of whitefly adults, enhancing the growth and development of the noctuid Spodoptera litura, but reducing the pathogenicity of Verticillium fungi and TYLCV virus to tomato plants distinctively. Our study unraveled a new horizon for the multiple interaction theories among plant-insect-bacterial symbionts.

Knockdown of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor ß1 Subunit Decreases the Susceptibility to Five Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci).

The sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, (Gennadius) (Hemiptera:Aleyrodidae) is a global pest of crops. Neonicotinoids are efficient insecticides used for control of this pest. Insecticidal targets of neonicotinoids are insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Here, we characterized and cloned the full length of the nAChR ß1 subunit (BTß1) in B. tabaci and confirmed the consistency of BTß1 in B. tabaci MEAM1 and MED. Expression levels of BTß1 in different developmental stages and body parts of adults were investigated and compared in B. tabaci MED. dsRNA was prepared to knock down BTß1 in adult B. tabaci and significantly decreases the susceptibility to five neonicotinoid insecticides, including imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiacloprid, nitenpyram, and dinotefuran. This study indicated BTß1 as a notable site influencing the susceptibility of B. tabaci to neonicotinoids.

Postoperative clinical outcomes of patients with thymic epithelial tumors after over-3-year follow-up at a single-center.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate postoperative clinical outcomes and analyze influencing factors for patients with thymic epithelial tumors over 3 years after operation. METHODS: Patients with thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) who underwent surgical treatment in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Beijing Hospital from January 2011 to May 2019 were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Basic patient information, clinical, pathological, and perioperative data were collected. Patients were followed up by telephone interviews and outpatient records. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 26.0. RESULTS: A total of 242 patients (129 men, 113 women) with TETs were included in this study, of which 150 patients (62.0%) were combined with myasthenia gravis (MG) and 92 patients (38.0%) were not. 216 patients were successfully followed up and their complete information was available. The median follow-up period was 70.5 months (range, 2-137 months). The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate of the whole group was 93.9%, and the 5-year OS rate was 91.1%. The 3-year relapse-free survival (RFS) rate of the whole group was 92.2%, and the 5-year relapse-free survival rate was 89.8%. Multivariable COX regression analysis indicated that recurrence of thymoma was an independent risk factor for OS. Younger age, Masaoka-Koga stage III + IV, and TNM stage III + IV were independent risk factors for RFS. Multivariable COX regression analysis indicated that Masaoka-Koga staging III + IV, WHO type B + C were independent risk factors for postoperative improvement of MG. For patients with MG, the postoperative complete stable remission (CSR) rate was 30.5%. And the result of multivariable COX regression analysis showed that thymoma patients with MG with Osserman staging IIA + IIB + III + IV were not prone to achieving CSR. Compared with patients without MG, MG was more likely to develop in patients with WHO classification type B, and patients with myasthenia gravis were younger, with longer operative duration, and more likely to develop perioperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-year overall survival rate of patients with TETs was 91.1% in this study. Younger age and advanced stage were independent risk factors for RFS of patients with TETs, and recurrence of thymoma were independent risk factors for OS. In patients with MG, WHO classification type B and advanced stage were independent predictors of poor outcomes of MG treatment after thymectomy.

Surgical treatment of intermediate to high grade thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms: case series of five patients and literature review.

Background: Thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms (Th-NENs) are extremely rare. Th-NENs are divided into four pathological subtypes: typical carcinoid (TC), atypical carcinoid (AC), large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), and small cell carcinoma (SCC). The latter three subtypes are highly aggressive with poor prognosis. There are limited reports on the optimal surgical strategies for Th-NENs. This study aims to report a case series of Th-NENs after surgical treatment and review the literatures. Methods: We report a case series of five patients diagnosed with Th-NENs and summarize their clinical characteristics. Literatures related to surgical treatment of Th-NENs were reviewed. Results: There were three males and two females, and mean age was 53.6 years. No myasthenia gravis or neuroendocrine symptoms were found. Three patients were diagnosed with AC and the other two were diagnosed with LCNEC. Two patients were stage II-b, one patient was stage III-a, and two patients were stage IV-b. One patient received preoperative chemotherapy, one patient received preoperative chemoradiotherapy, and three patients underwent surgery directly. Two patients underwent extended thymectomy via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), two patients underwent extended thymectomy via median sternotomy, and one patient underwent resection of anterior mediastinal tumor, sternal metastases, superior vena cava and partial right atrium via median sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass. R0 resection was achieved in 80% (4/5) of patients. There was no postoperative 90-day complication and death. One patient had no recurrence. One patient had lymph node metastases and was still alive after somatostatin analogue therapy. One patient had no recurrence of Th-NENs but died of other tumors. Two patients had distant metastases. Median overall survival (mOS) was 49 (range, 4-134) months. A total of 22 original studies related to surgical treatment of Th-NENs were retrieved. Conclusions: Th-NENs is a very rare and extremely aggressive malignancy. Early diagnosis and surgical resection are the most important methods to improve prognosis. Radical resection and lymph node dissection are recommended for accurate staging and better prognosis. Currently, there are few clinical data on Th-NENs and several important surgical issues remain unresolved. In the future, multi-center, large-sample database and clinical studies are urgently needed to explore better treatment modality.

The novel HLA-C*03 allele, HLA-C*03:597, identified in a Chinese patient.

HLA-C*03:597 differs from HLA-C*03:03:01:01 by a single non-synonymous nucleotide substitution in exon 5 (922 A>G).

The Impact of Traditional Chinese Medicine QingreHuoxue Treatment and the Combination of Methotrexate and Hydroxychloroquine on the Radiological Progression of Active Rheumatoid Arthritis: A 52-Week Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Clinical Study.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used successfully to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). QingreHuoxue treatment (QingreHuoxue decoction [QRHXD]/QingreHuoxue external preparation [QRHXEP]) is a Chinese medicine treatment for RA. To date, very few studies have compared the long-term effects of QRHXD with those of conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs on RA disease activity and radiological progression. QRHXD delayed the radiological progression and showed long-term clinical efficacy of RA. In clinical experiments, the clinical evidence of delaying the radiological progression of RA patients was obtained. A portion of the patients who participated in the "Traditional Chinese Medicine QingreHuoxue Treatment vs. the Combination of Methotrexate and Hydroxychloroquine for Active Rheumatoid Arthritis" study were followed up for 52 weeks, and intention-to-treat (ITT) and compliance protocol (PP) analyses were used to collect and compare the clinical indicators and imaging data between baseline and week 52. Two radiologists who were blind to treatment scored the images independently. Of the 468 subjects, 141 completed the 52-week follow-up. There were no significant differences among the three groups: the traditional Chinese medicine comprehensive treatment group, the Western medicine treatment group, and the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment group. There were no differences in the total Sharp score, joint space stenosis score, and joint erosion score at baseline or 52 weeks. In the comparison of the estimated annual radiographic progression (EARP) and the actual annual Sharp total score changes among the three groups, the actual changes were much lower than the EARP at baseline. The radiological progress in all three groups was well controlled. Results of the ITT and PP data sets showed that the disease activity score 28 level of the three groups at 52 weeks was significantly lower than that at baseline. During the 52-week treatment period, the clearance of heat and promotion of blood circulation controlled disease activity and delayed the radiological progress of active RA.

Clinical characteristics of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis and distinguished features from rheumatoid arthritis: a single-center experience in China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH). METHODS: The clinical manifestations, laboratory examination results and histologic characteristics of eleven patients with MRH were collected and compared with those of 33 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. RESULTS: In total, 72.7% of the MRH patients were women. The median age was 46 years (range 33-84 years). Diagnosed by specific pathologic features, all MRH patients exhibited cutaneous involvement. The dorsa of the hands, arms, face and auricle were the most commonly affected areas. Nodules were also located on the legs, scalp, trunk, neck, and even the hypoglossis and buccal mucosa. Ten MRH patients (90.9%) had symmetric polyarthritis. Compared with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, MRH patients were more likely to have distal interphalangeal joint (DIP) involvement (63.6% vs 24.2%, P = 0.017) and less likely to have elbow (36.4% vs 72.7%, P = 0.003), ankle (45.5% vs 93.9%, P < 0.001) and metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP) (36.4% vs 78.8%, P = 0.009) involvement. Positivity for rheumatoid factor (RF) (36.4% vs 84.6%, P = 0.001) and anti-CCP antibody (9.1% vs 81.8%, P = 0.000), as well as the median RF titer [43.8 (31.7-61.0) vs 175.4 (21.3-940.3), P = 0.021], in MRH patients was lower than in RA patients. Elevation of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was also less common in MRH patients than in RA patients (36.4% vs 72.7%, P = 0.030). After treatment with median- to large-dose corticosteroids and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, 8 patients achieved complete remission and 2 patients partial remission (skin lesions ameliorated, joint lesions not ameliorated). CONCLUSION: Always pathologically diagnosed, MRH is a systemic disease involving RA-like erosive polyarthritis and a specific distribution of skin nodules characterized by "coral beads". More DIP involvement and less elbow, ankle and MCP involvement are seen in MRH than in RA. In addition, less positivity and lower-titer RF, uncommon presence of anti-CCP antibodies and ESR elevation may be helpful to distinguish MRH from RA.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Qingre Huoxue Treatment vs. the Combination of Methotrexate and Hydroxychloroquine for Active Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used successfully to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Qingre Huoxue treatment (Qingre Huoxue decoction (QRHXD)/Qingre Huoxue external preparation (QRHXEP)) is a therapeutic scheme of TCM for RA. To date, there have been few studies comparing the efficacy and safety of QRHXD and conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) for the treatment of active RA. This was investigated in a multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 468 Chinese patients with active RA [disease activity score (DAS)-28 > 3.2] treated with QRHXD/QRHXEP (TCM group), methotrexate plus hydroxychloroquine [Western medicine (WM) group], or both [integrative medicine (IM) group]. Patients were followed up for 24 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the change in DAS-28 from baseline to 24 weeks. The secondary outcome measures were treatment response rate according to American College of Rheumatology 20, 50, and 70% improvement criteria (ACR-20/50/70) and the rate of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02551575). DAS-28 decreased in all three groups after treatment (p < 0.0001); the score was lowest in the TCM group (p < 0.05), while no difference was observed between the WM and IM groups (p > 0.05). At week 24, ACR-20 response was 73.04% with TCM, 80.17% with WM, and 73.95% with IM (based on the full analysis set [FAS], p > 0.05); ACR-50 responses were 40.87, 47.93, and 51.26%, respectively, (FAS, p > 0.05); and ACR-70 responses were 20.87, 22.31, and 25.21%, respectively, (FAS, p > 0.05). Thus, treatment efficacy was similar across groups based on ACR criteria. On the other hand, the rate of TRAEs was significantly lower in the TCM group compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Thus, QRHXD/QRHXEP was effective in alleviating the symptoms of active RA-albeit to a lesser degree than csDMARDs-with fewer side effects. Importantly, combination with QRHXD enhanced the efficacy of csDMARDs. These results provide evidence that QRHXD can be used as an adjunct to csDMARDs for the management of RA, especially in patients who experience TRAEs with standard drugs. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCTNCT025515.

Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in monocytes derived from patients with primary Sjogren syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Epigenetics, especially DNA methylation, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS). Our study aimed to reveal the role of DNA methylation in peripheral monocytes of pSS patients. METHODS: A total of 11 pSS patients and five age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. Monocytes were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells using magnetic microbeads. DNA methylation profiles were generated using Human Methylation 850K BeadChips. RESULTS: In monocytes from pSS patients, we identified 2819 differentially methylated positions (DMPs), comprising 1977 hypomethylated- and 842 hypermethylated-DMPs, corresponding to 1313 unique genes when compared with HCs. IFI44L, MX1, PAARP9, and IFITM1, which influence the interferon (IFN) signaling pathway, were among the genes hypomethylated in pSS. Functional analysis of genes with a minimum of two DMPs showed involvement in antigen binding, transcriptional regulation, cell adhesion, IFN-γ pathway, type I IFN pathway, antigen presentation, Epstein-Barr virus infection, human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 virus infection, and metabolic disease-related pathways. In addition, patients with higher serum IgG levels exhibited enrichment in Notch signaling and metabolic-related pathways. Upon comparing monocytes with salivary gland epithelial cells, an important overlap was observed in the cell cycle, cell senescence, and interleukin-17 signaling pathways. The differentially methylated genes were more enriched in the ribosome- and AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathway in anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB autoantibodies double-positive patients. CONCLUSION: Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling revealed significant differences in DNA methylation in monocytes isolated from patients with pSS.

Genome-wide identification and analysis of sulfatase and sulfatase modifying factor genes in Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).

The invasive pest whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is a complex species, of which Middle East-Minor Asia 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) are the two most damaging members. Previous research showed that cabbage is frequently infested with MEAM1 but seldomly with MED, and this difference in performance is associated with glucosinolate (GS) content. Some insects can modify GS using glucosinolate sulfatase (SULF), the activity of which is regulated by sulfatase modifying factor 1 (SUMF1); therefore, to increase our understanding of different performances of MEAM1 and MED on cabbage plants, we identified and compared nine putative SULFs and one SUMF in MEAM1 and MED. We found that the lengths of two genes, BtSulf2 and BtSulf4, differed between MEAM1 and MED. The messenger RNA levels of BtSulf4 increased more than 20-fold after MEAM1 and MED adults were exposed to GS, but BtSulf2 expression was only induced by GS in MEAM1. Knockdown of BtSulf2 and BtSulf4 in MEAM1 resulted in a substantial increase in the mortality of GS-treated adults but not in MED. These results indicate that differences in BtSulf2 and BtSulf4 sequences and/or expression may explain why MEAM1 performs better than MED on cabbage. Our results provide a basis for future functional research on SULF and SUMF in B. tabaci.

Antagonizing miR-7 suppresses B cell hyperresponsiveness and inhibits lupus development.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to address the biological function of miR-7 in an animal model of systemic lupus erythematosus. METHODS: MRLlpr/lpr lupus mice were administrated antagomiR-7 or a scramble control by tail vein for 5weeks. Three groups of animals' tissues were assessed for lupus manifestations by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry, and serum was examined for levels of autoantibodies and inflammatory cytokines. Splenic B cell subsets were assessed for intracellular expression of PI3K signaling by FACS. Finally, the ability of the miR-7 antagomir to regulate the expansion of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and B cell hyperresponsiveness was further explored. RESULTS: We found that miR-7 was up-regulated in MRLlpr/lpr lupus mice and directly targeted PTEN mRNA in B cells. Up-regulated miR-7 in MRLlpr/lpr lupus B cells was negatively correlated with PTEN expression. Notably, miR-7 antagomir treatment reduced lupus manifestations in MRLlpr/lpr lupus mice. miR-7-mediated down-regulation of PTEN/AKT signaling promoted B cell differentiation into plasmablasts/plasma cells and spontaneous germinal center (GC) formation, whereas miR-7 antagomir normalized splenic B cell subtypes. Besides suppressing the activation of B cells, miR-7 antagomir intervention also down-regulated STAT3 phosphorylation and production of IL-21 and reduced Tfh expansion. CONCLUSION: The above data have demonstrated the critical roles of miR-7 not only in regulating PTEN expression and also B cell and Tfh cell function in lupus-prone MRLlpr/lpr lupus mice. Furthermore, the disease manifestations in MRLlpr/lpr lupus mice are efficiently improved by miR-7 antagomir, indicating miR-7 as a potential treatment strategy in SLE.

Metagenomic profiling of the pro-inflammatory gut microbiota in ankylosing spondylitis.

OBJECTIVE: Gut dysbiosis has been reported implicated in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a common chronic inflammatory disease mainly affects sacroiliac joints and spine. Utilizing deep sequencing on the feces of untreated AS patients, our study aimed at providing an in-depth understanding of AS gut microbiota. METHODS: We analyzed the fecal metagenome of 85 untreated AS patients and 62 healthy controls by metagenomic shotgun sequencing, and 23 post-treatment feces of those AS patients were collected for comparison. Comparative analyses among different cohorts including AS, rheumatoid arthritis and Behcet's disease were performed to uncover some common signatures related to inflammatory arthritis. Molecular mimicry of a microbial peptide was also demonstrated by ELISpot assay. RESULTS: We identified AS-enriched species including Bacteroides coprophilus, Parabacteroides distasonis, Eubacterium siraeum, Acidaminococcus fermentans and Prevotella copri. Pathway analysis revealed increased oxidative phosphorylation, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and glycosaminoglycan degradation in AS gut microbiota. Microbial signatures of AS gut selected by random forest model showed high distinguishing accuracy. Some common signatures related to autoimmunity, such as Bacteroides fragilis and type III secretion system (T3SS), were also found. Finally, in vitro experiments demonstrated an increased amount of IFN-γ producing cells triggered by a bacterial peptide of AS-enriched species, mimicking type II collagen. CONCLUSIONS: These findings collectively indicate that gut microbiota was perturbed in untreated AS patients with diagnostic potential, and some AS-enriched species might be triggers of autoimmunity by molecular mimicry. Additionally, different inflammatory arthritis shared some common microbial signatures.

Effect of Sex and Air Temperature on the Flight Capacity of Bradysia odoriphaga (Diptera: Sciaridae).

Bradysia odoriphaga Yang & Zhang (Diptera: Sciaridae) is an important pest of Chinese chives. Information on the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the flight performance of B. odoriphaga is crucial for understanding the pest's ability to disperse and migrate. In this study, the effects of sex and air temperature on the flight performance of B. odoriphaga imagoes were assessed by tethering individual imagoes to computerized flight mills for a 10-h experiment. The results showed that the percentage of imagoes that flew a particular distance gradually decreased as flight distance increased. The percentage of imagoes was significantly higher for males than females when the flight distance was <300 m. Sex and air temperature significantly affected average flight time (which ranged from 14.6 to 68.3 min) and average flight distance (which ranged from 10.4 to 107.2 m), but did not significantly affect average flight speed (which ranged from 3.8 to 6.4 m/min). For both females and males, the average flight distance and flight time were shortest at 18°C and longest at 22°C; the interaction between air temperature and sex was not significant. The results suggest that B. odoriphaga has a poor potential for long-distance migration. These findings will be helpful for developing forecasting and management systems for B. odoriphaga.

Genome-wide analysis of odorant-binding proteins and chemosensory proteins in the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci.

Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory proteins (CSPs) of insects are thought to play roles in olfactory recognition affecting host choice, copulation, reproduction and other behaviors. Previous descriptions of OBPs and CSPs in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci often provided no or incomplete genetic information. In this study, we present a genome-wide and transcriptome-wide investigation of the OBPs and CSPs in B. tabaci MEAM1 (Middle East-Asia Minor1 species). Eight OBP and 19 CSP genes were identified that covered all previous sequences. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the CSP genes had a lineage-specific expansion (BtabBCSP1, BtabBCSP3, BtabBCSP13, BtabBCSP17, BtabBCSP18 and BtabBCSP19). Expression profiling of OBPs and CSPs by transcriptome sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) revealed that expression patterns differed among developmental stages of B. tabaci MEAM1. Five OBP genes and 11 CSP genes significantly differed between males and females; four of the 19 CSP genes were highly expressed in adults, while two were highly expressed in nymphs. The expression profiles of the OBP and CSP genes in different tissues of B. tabaci MEAM1 adults were analyzed by qPCR. Four OBP genes found in B. tabaci MEAM1 were highly expressed in the head. Conversely, only two CSPs were enriched in the head, while the other six CSPs were specifically expressed in other tissues. Our results provide a foundation for future research on OBPs and CSPs in B. tabaci.

Comparison of the impact of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F and Methotrexate treatment on radiological progression in active rheumatoid arthritis: 2-year follow up of a randomized, non-blinded, controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) alone or in combination with methotrexate (MTX) has been shown to be more effective than MTX monotherapy in controlling the manifestations in subjects with disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-naïve active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over a 6-month period. The long-term impact of these therapies on disease activity and radiographic progression in RA has not been examined. METHODS: Patients with DMARD-naïve RA enrolled in the "Comparison of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F with methotrexate in the Treatment of Active Rheumatoid Arthritis" (TRIFRA) study were randomly allocated into three arms with TwHF or MTX or the two in combination. Clinical indexes and radiographic data at baseline and year 2 was collected and compared using an intent-to-treat (ITT) and a per-protocol (PP) analysis. Two radiologists blinded to the treatment scored the images independently. RESULTS: Of 207 subjects 109 completed the 2-year follow up. The number of subjects withdrawing from the study and the number adhering to the initial regimens were similar among the three groups (p > = 0.05). In the ITT analysis, proportions of patients reaching American College of Rheumatology 50% (ACR50) response criteria were 46.4%, 58.0% and 50.7% in the MTX, TwHF and MTX + TwHF groups (TwHF vs MTX monotherapy, p = 0.004). Similar patterns were found in ACR20, ACR70, Clinical Disease Activity Index good responses, European League Against Rheumatism good response, remission rate and low disease activity rate at year 2. The results of the PP analysis agreed with those in the ITT analysis. The changes in total Sharp scores and joint erosion and joint space narrowing during the 2 years were associated with changes in disease activity measured by the 28-joint count Disease Activity Score and were comparable among the three groups (p > 0.05). Adverse events were similar in the three treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: During the 2-year therapy period, TwHF monotherapy was not inferior to MTX monotherapy in controlling disease activity and retarding radiological progression in patients with active RA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This is a follow-up study. Original trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT01613079 . Registered on 4 June 2012.

Chinese Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Treatment and Research Group Registry IX: Clinical Features and Survival of Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in China.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 15-20% cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are diagnosed in children. There have been a few studies reporting the epidemiological data of pediatric-onset SLE (cSLE) in China, neither comparing the differences between cSLE and adult-onset SLE (aSLE). The aim of this study was to describe the impact of age of onset on clinical features and survival in cSLE patients in China based on the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research group (CSTAR) database. METHODS: We made a prospective study of 225 cSLE patients (aged Results: The mean age of cSLE patients was 12.16 ± 2.92 years, with 187 (83.1%) females. Fever (P < 0.001) as well as mucocutaneous (P < 0.001) and renal (P = 0.006) disorders were found to be significantly more frequent in cSLE patients as initial symptoms, while muscle and joint lesions were significantly less common compared to aSLE subjects (P < 0.001). The cSLE patients were found to present more frequently with malar rash (P = 0.001; odds ratio [OR], 0.624; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.470-0.829) but less frequently with arthritis (P < 0.001; OR, 2.013; 95% CI, 1.512-2.679) and serositis (P = 0.030; OR, 1.629; 95% CI, 1.053-2.520). There was no significant difference in SLE disease activity index scores between cSLE and aSLE groups (P = 0.478). Cox regression indicated that childhood onset was the risk factor for organ damage in lupus patients (hazard ratio 0.335 [0.170-0.658], P = 0.001). The survival curves between the cSLE and aSLE groups had no significant difference as determined by the log-rank test (0.557, P = 0.455). CONCLUSIONS: cSLE in China has different clinical features and more inflammation than aSLE patients. Damage may be less in children and there is no difference in 5- year survival between cSLE and aSLE groups.

RNA interference-mediated knockdown of the hydroxyacid-oxoacid transhydrogenase gene decreases thiamethoxam resistance in adults of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci.

Bemisia tabaci has developed a high level of resistance to thiamethoxam, a second generation neonicotinoid insecticide that has been widely used to control this pest. In this study, we investigated whether hydroxyacid-oxoacid transhydrogenase (HOT) is involved in resistance to the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam in the whitefly. We cloned the full-length gene that encodes HOT in B. tabaci. Its cDNA contains a 1428-bp open reading frame encoding 475 amino acid residues. Then we evaluated the mRNA expression level of HOT in different developmental stages, and found HOT expression was significantly greater in thiamethoxam resistance adults than in thiamethoxam susceptible adults. Subsequently, seven field populations of B. tabaci adults were sampled, the expression of mRNA level of HOT significant positive correlated with thiamethoxam resistance level. At last, we used a modified gene silencing system to knock-down HOT expression in B. tabaci adults. The results showed that the HOT mRNA levels decreased by 57% and thiamethoxam resistance decreased significantly after 2 days of feeding on a diet containing HOT dsRNA. The results indicated that down-regulation of HOT expression decreases thiamethoxam resistance in B. tabaci adults.

Comparative study of three-dimensional versus two-dimensional video-assisted thoracoscopic two-port lobectomy.

BACKGROUND: The advantages and disadvantages of three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) two-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy and systematic dissection of mediastinal lymph nodes for lung cancer were investigated. METHODS: Between December 2013 and July 2015 at Beijing Hospital, 191 patients underwent lobectomy and systematic dissection of mediastinal lymph nodes for lung cancer. After applying the study criteria, a total of 165 patients were included and allocated to 3D (n = 76) and 2D (n = 89) groups. Variables of the study design, including duration of surgery, volume of intraoperative bleeding, numbers and groups of lymph nodes dissected, drainage volume after surgery, duration of drainage tube insertion, hospitalization time after surgery, hospitalization costs, and complications, were recorded and analyzed. Intergroup differences for all data were compared and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: No statistical difference was found between the two groups with respect to duration of surgery, volume of intraoperative bleeding, drainage volume after surgery, duration of drainage tube insertion, hospitalization time after surgery, hospitalization costs, and complications ( P > 0.05). Additionally, there was no significant difference in the numbers and groups of all lymph nodes or N 2 lymph nodes resected ( P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Lobectomy with systematic lymph node dissection can be undertaken with two ports using a 3D thoracoscope, and presents similar results to the use of a traditional 2D thoracoscope, at no greater hospitalization cost but with better operational perception and sensitivity during surgery. Two-port lobectomy with systematic lymph node dissection using a 3D thoracoscope is a safe and effective surgical process for lung cancer treatment.