Biological roles of toll-like receptors and gut microbiota in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most considerably common malignancies of the alimentary system, with high mortality and incidence rates.  The present study suggested that the occurrence of CRC is closely related to bacteria, as the large intestine is a gathering place for human micro-organisms. However, the nosogenesis of bacteria leading to tumorigenesis is still obscure. Recently, many studies have reported that toll-like receptors and their related molecular pathways are involved in the process of gut micro-organisms generating CRC. Gut micro-organisms can promote or inhibit the development of CRC via binding to special toll-like receptors. In this paper, the authors review the relationship among toll-like receptors, gut micro-organisms and CRC in order to provide a reference for future tumor immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Novel acetylation-related gene signatures for predicting the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer.

Histone acetylation may affect the tumorigenesis and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, there is still a lack of studies exploring the effect of acetylation-related genes on the prognosis of CRC. To explore the role of acetylation-related genes in CRC prognosis using bioinformatics strategies, the expression data and survival information of CRC patients were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus. The Molecular Signatures Database was used to select acetylation-related genes. Univariate and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analyses were used to screen prognostic genes. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted for survival analysis. Cibersort and pRRophetics were used to analyze immune infiltration and predict drug sensitivity, respectively. By implementing independent prognostic factors, a nomogram model was constructed. The result showed that a total of 48 prognostic genes which screened from the acetylation-related gene set were mainly enriched in ABC transporters and acetylation/deacetylation-related pathways. Three gene signatures (SDR16C5, MEAF6, and SOX4) were further defined, and a prognostic model was constructed that showed high sensitivity and specificity for predicting CRC prognosis in both training and validation cohorts. Patients with different prognostic risks also presented differential expression of gene signatures, infiltration of activated CD4 memory T cells, and drug sensitivity to bicalutamide, gefitinib, Lenalidomide, and imatinib. The nomogram suggested the potential of a risk score-based model in predicting 1- and 2-year survival in patients with CRC. In conclusion, we proposed three gene signatures from an acetylation-related gene set as potential targets for epigenetic therapy and constructed a prognostic model for CRC.

Construction of risk assessment index system of epidemic infectious diseases in primary and middle schools / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To establish a risk assessment index system for epidemic infectious diseases in primary and secondary schools, for early warning and prevention of school infectious diseases accurately and timely.@*Methods@#Through literature review, the indicators pool was established by consulting relevant experts and referring to practical experience. Then two rounds of expert consultation using the Delphi method were conducted(13 experts of round 1, and 20 experts of round 2). The concentration of expert opinions (the average, the percentage of full marks) and the coordination of expert opinions (the coefficient of variation, the coordination coefficient W ) were calculated and analyzed. The coordination coefficient W was obtained by nonparametric Kendall s W test of multiple samples. According to the experts feedback, necessary addition, reduction and modification of the indicators were carried out to determine the evaluation index system, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to calculate the weight of each indicator.@*Results@#The expert authority coefficients of the two rounds of consultation were 0.89 and 0.88, respectively, and the form recovery rate was 100%. The range of the variation coefficient of each three level indicator was 0.07-0.31 and 0.06-0.19, and the coordination coefficient W was 0.25 and 0.47, respectively, indicating that the consistency and credibility of expert opinions were good. Finally, the risk assessment index system of infectious diseases in primary and secondary schools was established, which was composed of 5 first level indexes, 23 second level indexes and 86 third level indexes. The AHP was used to calculate the intra level weight of the index. The variation coefficient of five first level indicators of school health management and security system, school health personnel facilities, health monitoring and cognition level, severity and coping measures were 0.09, 0.06, 0.08, 0.12 and 0.06 , respectively, and the weight coefficients were 20.42%, 21.19%, 19.87%, 17.45% and 21.08%, respectively.@*Conclusion@#The risk assessment index system of school infectious diseases is applicable to primary and secondary schools. The initiative, coordination and authority of experts in this system are all high. It is of practical guiding significance for the early warning of infectious diseases in primary and secondary schools.

Mechanisms of induction of tumors by cholesterol and potential therapeutic prospects.

Increasing evidence suggested that cholesterol is an important integrant of cell membranes, that plays a key role in tumor progression, immune dysregulation, and pathological changes in epigenetic mechanisms. Based on these theories, there is a growing interest on targeting cholesterol in the treatment of cancer. Here, we comprehensively reviewed the major function of cholesterol on oncogenicity, the therapeutic targets of cholesterol and its metabolites in cancer, and provide detailed insight into the essential roles of cholesterol in mediating immune and epigenetic mechanisms of the tumor microenvironment. It is also worth mentioning that the gut microbiome is an indispensable component of cancer mediation because of its role in cholesterol metabolism. Finally, we summarized recent studies on the potential targets of cholesterol and their metabolism, to provide more therapeutic interventions in oncology.

Acupuncture and moxibustion based on meridian differentiation for cervical spondylosis radiculopathy:a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the difference of clinical effects of acupoints selected based on meridian differen-tiation and conventional method for cervical spondylosis radiculopathy(CSR) treated with acupuncture and moxibustion.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty patients with CSR were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group,30 cases in each one.points of the injured meridians in the neck,namely six-points,were selected in the observation group,matched with-connecting points of the injured meridians on the same side and the interiorly-exteriorly correlated meridians on the opposite side. Conventional acupuncture was used on Fengchi(GB 20),Jiaji(EX-B 2) of the neck,Tianzhu(BL 10),Jianjing(GB 21),Houxi(SI 3),Hegu(LI 4) and Waiguan(TE 5) on the affected side in the control group. Treatment was given once every other day,three times a week and total 12 times in the two groups. Twenty subscales for CSR and visual analogue scale(VAS) were observed before and after treatment,and total effects were evaluated after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The effective rate of the observation group was 93.3%(28/30),which was better than 66.7%(20/30) of the control group(<0.05). The scores of 20 subscales and VAS after treatment were all improved compared with those before treatment in the two groups(all<0.01),with more apparent change in the observation group(both<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The effect of acupuncture and moxibustion based on meridian differentiation is obvious,and superior to that of conventional acupoints selection.</p>