ABSTRACT
Objectives: Crohn's disease is an incurable disease characterized by unpredictable intestinal symptoms, which unavoidably affect patients' lives and contribute to feelings of stigma. This study aimed to explore the status and its correlates of stigma among patients with Crohn's disease. Methods: Using a convenience sampling, 146 hospitalized patients with Crohn's disease were recruited in a tertiary hospital in Southern China from October 2020 to March 2021. The participants were assessed by demographic and disease-related questionnaires, the Social Impact Scale (SIS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Self-Efficacy Scale (IBD-SES), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). Multivariate linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the influencing factors of stigma among patients with Crohn's disease. Results: The mean SIS score was 58.14 ± 10.74, representing a moderate effect of stigma, and 85.6% (125/146) of the patients experienced moderate to high levels of stigma. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that perceived public awareness of the disease, family income, age, and self-efficacy were the main influencing factors of stigma, which could explain 52% of the total variation of stigma among patients with Crohn's disease. Conclusion: Stigma among patients with Crohn's disease is influenced by perceived public awareness of the disease, family income, age, and self-efficacy. Interventions aimed at improving self-efficacy and public awareness should be considered to alleviate the level of stigma, especially for those aged 40 years or older or low-income patients.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) is a common reason for tumor-related fatalities globally, as it results in distant metastasis. Methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14), a notable RNA N6-adenosine methyltransferase (m6A), plays a significant role in the growth of tumor through controlling the RNA working. This study aims to highlight METTL14 in STAD's biological function and molecular mechanism. METHODS: Bioinformatics and immunohistochemical (IHC) assays have been utilized for the detection of METTL14 expression in the STAD. METTL14's biological function has been shown while making use of HGC-27 and AGS cells in vitro experiments. MeRIP-qPCR and luciferase reporter assays were employed for the exploration of METTL14's mechanism modifying the target of phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN). Subcutaneous xeno transplantation model and STAD liver metastasis orthotopic tumor model were used to study METTL14 in STAD in vivo. RESULTS: METTL14 expression was substantially downregulated in STAD reflecting contribution to major tumors, progressed TNM stage as well as poor overall survival (OS) in STAD. Moreover, METTL14's inhibition of STAD cells proliferation, migration and invasion has been verified in vitro assays. Furthermore, an identification of PTEN being METTL14-mediated m6A modification's substrate has been made. METTL14's overexpression highly enhanced PTEN mRNA m6A variation, stabilized PTEN mRNA and increased protein expression. Further, it has been found out that METTL14-mediated STAD cells inhibition of proliferation and invasion dependent on PTEN. At last, we demonstrated that METTL14 inhibit STAD growth and metastasis in vivo models. CONCLUSIONS: METTL14 inhibits tumor growth and metastasis of STAD via stabilization of PTEN mRNA expression. Therefore, METTL14 is a potential biomarker of prognosis and therapeutic targets for STAD.
ABSTRACT
In the title complex, [Cu(C(8)H(9)N(2)O(4))(2)(H(2)O)(2)]·2C(3)H(7)NO, the Cu(II) ion, lying on an inversion center, is six-coordinated in a slightly distorted octa-hedral geometry. Two N atoms and two O atoms from two H(2)pimda (H(3)pimda is 2-propyl-1H-4,5-dicarb-oxy-lic acid) ligands are in the equatorial plane. The axial positions are occupied by two O atoms from two water mol-ecules. A two-dimensional supra-molecular network parallel to (001) is constructed by N-Hâ¯O and O-Hâ¯O hydrogen bonds. An intra-molecular O-Hâ¯O hydrogen bond is also observed.