Air pollution, genetic factors, and chronic rhinosinusitis: A prospective study in the UK Biobank.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a prevalent upper respiratory condition that manifests in two primary subtypes: CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). While previous studies indicate a correlation between air pollution and CRS, the role of genetic predisposition in this relationship remains largely unexplored. We hypothesized that higher air pollution exposure would lead to the development of CRS, and that genetic susceptibility might modify this association. METHODS: This cohort study involving 367,298 adult participants from the UK Biobank, followed from March 2006 to October 2021. Air pollution metrics were estimated at residential locations using land-use regression models. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to explore the associations between air pollution exposure and CRS, CRSwNP, and CRSsNP. A polygenic risk score (PRS) was constructed to evaluate the joint effect of air pollution and genetic predisposition on the development of CRS. RESULTS: We found that the risk of CRS increased under long-term exposure to PM2.5 [the hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % CIs: 1.59 (1.26-2.01)], PM10 [1.64 (1.26-2.12)], NO2 [1.11 (1.04-1.17)], and NOx [1.18 (1.12-1.25)], respectively. These effects were more pronounced among participants with CRSwNP, although the differences were not statistically significant. Additionally, we found that the risks for CRS and CRSwNP increased in a graded manner among participants with higher PRS or higher exposure to PM2.5, PM10, or NOx concentrations. However, no multiplicative or additive interactions were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of CRS, particularly CRSwNP underscoring the need to prioritize clean air initiatives and environmental regulations.

Health policy competencies in regional organizations: a retrospective analysis for 76 regional organizations from 1945 to 2015.

BACKGROUND: Health policy competencies of regional organizations include mandates to create regional health laws and policies, as well as authorities that allow member states to undertake collective actions in the health field. The examination of the health policy competencies of regional organizations is essential, as it constitutes an important prerequisite for regional organizations to govern regional health. This study aims to map the development trajectory of health policy competencies in regional organizations worldwide and investigate their potential correlates. This will contribute to the enhanced promotion of both existing and new regional health cooperation. METHODS: This retrospective analysis utilized the health policy competencies of the 76 regional organizations worldwide from 1945 to 2015, as investigated in the Regional Organizations Competencies Database. By aggregating member state data from various sources such as the IHME Global Burden of Disease 2019, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization, we extracted the mean values and coefficients of variation for the covariates in regional organization characteristics, socioeconomic and demographic factors, health status and health-system capacity. The correlation between changes in the health policy scope of regional organizations and independent variables was analyzed using Poisson pseudo-likelihood regression with multiple levels of fixed effects. RESULTS: From 1945 to 2015, the number of regional organizations with health policy competencies experienced a slow growth stage before 1991 and an explosive growth stage post-1991. By 2015, 48 out of the 71 existing regional organizations had developed their health policy competencies, yet 26 (54.2%) of these organizations possessed only 1-2 health policy competencies. An enhancement in the health policy scope of a regional organization correlated with its founding year, a greater number of policy fields, higher under-five mortality, and larger disparities in trade and healthcare access and quality indexes among member states. In contrast, larger disparities in population, under-five mortality and health worker density among member states, along with more hospital beds per capita, were negatively correlated with the expansion of a regional organization's health policy scope. CONCLUSION: Since 1991, there has been a surge of interest in health among regional organizations, although health remains a secondary priority for them. The health policy competencies of regional organizations are pivotal for promoting social equity within regional communities. Its establishment is also closely linked to the level and disparities among member states in aspects such as trade, population, child mortality rates, and health system capacity.

Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter and periodontitis: An observational study using nationally representative survey data.

AIM: The rising prevalence of periodontitis imposes substantial burdens on individuals and society. Identifying environmental risk factors for periodontitis may contribute to tackling the global public health burden of it. This study aimed to assess the association between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and periodontitis in a nationally representative population from China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this multi-centre cross-sectional study of 372 communities in 31 provinces of Mainland China, we used data from the Fourth National Oral Health Survey of China in 2015-2016, in combination with high-resolution gridded concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Logistic regression was applied to assess the relationship between long-term PM2.5 exposure and the risk of periodontitis. In addition, we examined whether the association varied by individual characteristics, and estimated the exposure-response relationship and the risk of damaged tooth in each tooth quadrant. RESULTS: A total of 8391 participants from 96 cities were diagnosed with periodontitis, accounting for 60.04% (8391/13,459) of the participants. For each 10 µg/m3 increment in 1-, 3- and 5-year average concentrations of PM2.5, the risk of total periodontitis increased by 9.0% (95% confidence interval: 6.0%, 12.0%), 8.0% (6.0, 11·0) and 7.0% (5.0, 10.0), respectively. Mild periodontitis was more strongly associated with PM2.5 exposure than moderate and severe periodontitis. The teeth in the lower anterior, lower posterior or upper anterior are more susceptible to the effect of PM2.5 on the periodontal pocket, calculus and bleeding gums. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 is significantly associated with an increased risk of periodontitis in the nationally representative Chinese population. Considering the rising prevalence of periodontitis, considerable costs of treatment, and substantially adverse effects on individuals and society, these findings suggest that stricter air quality regulations may help ease the burden of periodontal disease.

Associations Between Hourly Ambient Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Ambulance Emergency Calls: Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Study.

BACKGROUND: Associations between short-term exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) air pollutants and mortality or hospital admissions have been well-documented in previous studies. Less is known about the associations of hourly exposure to PM air pollutants with ambulance emergency calls (AECs) for all causes and specific causes by conducting a case-crossover study. In addition, different patterns of AECs may be attributed to different seasons and daytime or nighttime periods. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we quantified the risk of all-cause and cause-specific AECs associated with hourly PM air pollutants between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2019, in Shenzhen, China. We also examined whether the observed associations of PM air pollutants with AECs for all causes differed across strata defined by sex, age, season, and the time of day. METHODS: We used ambulance emergency dispatch data and environmental data between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2019, from the Shenzhen Ambulance Emergency Centre and the National Environmental Monitor Station to conduct a time-stratified case-crossover study to estimate the associations of air pollutants (ie, PM with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm [PM2.5] or 10 µm [PM10]) with all-cause and cause-specific AECs. We generated a well-established, distributed lag nonlinear model for nonlinear concentration response and nonlinear lag-response functions. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate odds ratios with 95% CIs, adjusted for public holidays, season, the time of day, the day of the week, hourly temperature, and hourly humidity, to examine the association of all-cause and cause-specific AECs with hourly air pollutant concentrations. RESULTS: A total of 3,022,164 patients were identified during the study period in Shenzhen. Each IQR increase in PM2.5 (24.0 µg/m3) and PM10 (34.0 µg/m3) concentrations over 24 hours was associated with an increased risk of AECs (PM2.5: all-cause, 1.8%, 95% CI 0.8%-2.4%; PM10: all-cause, 2.0%, 95% CI 1.1%-2.9%). We observed a stronger association of all-cause AECs with PM2.5 and PM10 in the daytime than in the nighttime (PM2.5: daytime, 1.7%, 95% CI 0.5%-3.0%; nighttime, 1.4%, 95% CI 0.3%-2.6%; PM10: daytime, 2.1%, 95% CI 0.9%-3.4%; nighttime, 1.7%, 95% CI 0.6%-2.8%) and in the older group than in the younger group (PM2.5: 18-64 years, 1.4%, 95% CI 0.6%-2.1%; ≥65 years, 1.6%, 95% CI 0.6%-2.6%; PM10: 18-64 years, 1.8%, 95% CI 0.9%-2.6%; ≥65 years, 2.0%, 95% CI 1.1%-3.0%). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of all-cause AECs increased consistently with increasing concentrations of PM air pollutants, showing a nearly linear relationship with no apparent thresholds. PM air pollution increase was associated with a higher risk of all-cause AECs and cardiovascular diseases-, respiratory diseases-, and reproductive illnesses-related AECs. The results of this study may be valuable to air pollution attributable to the distribution of emergency resources and consistent air pollution control.

Drinking water quality and inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective cohort study.

Environmental factors, such as drinking water and diets, play an important role in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study aimed to investigate the associations of metal elements and disinfectants in drinking water with the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to assess whether diet influences these associations. We conducted a prospective cohort study including 22,824 participants free from IBD from the Yinzhou cohort study in the 2016-2022 period with an average follow-up of 5.24 years. The metal and disinfectant concentrations were measured in local pipeline terminal tap water samples. Cox regression models adjusted for multi-level covariates were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). During an average follow-up period of 5.24 years, 46 cases of IBD were identified. For every 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in the concentration of manganese, mercury, selenium, sulfur tetraoxide (SO4), chlorine, and nitrate nitrogen (NO3_N) were associated with a higher risk of IBD with the HRs of 1.45 (95% CI: 1.14 to 1.84), 1.51 (95% CI: 1.24-1.82), 1.29 (95% CI: 1.03-1.61), 1.52 (95% CI: 1.26-1.83), 1.26 (95% CI: 1.18-1.34), and 1.66 (95% CI: 1.32-2.09), whereas zinc and fluorine were inversely associated with IBD with the HRs of 0.42 (95% CI: 0.24 to 0.73) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.54-0.84), respectively. Stronger associations were observed in females, higher income groups, low education groups, former drinkers, and participants who never drink tea. Diets have a moderating effect on the associations of metal and nonmetal elements with the risk of IBD. We found significant associations between exposure to metals and disinfectants and IBD. Diets regulated the associations to some extent.

Association between ambient temperature and chronic rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic exposure to particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5 ) is associated with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Elevated ambient temperature may increase PM2.5 levels and thereby exacerbate sinonasal symptoms. This study investigates the association between high ambient temperature and the risk of CRS diagnosis. METHODS: Patients with CRS were diagnosed at Johns Hopkins hospitals from May to October 2013-2022, and controls were matched patients without CRS meanwhile. A total of 4752 patients (2376 cases and 2376 controls) were identified with a mean (SD) age of 51.8 (16.8) years. The effect of maximum ambient temperature on symptoms was estimated with a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM). Extreme heat was defined as 35.0°C (95th percentile of the maximum temperature distribution). Conditional logistic regression models estimated the association between extreme heat and the risk of CRS diagnosis. RESULTS: Exposure to extreme heat was associated with increased odds of exacerbation of CRS symptoms (odds ratio [OR] 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.19). The cumulative effect of extreme heat during 0-21 lag days was significant (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.60-3.50) compared with the minimum morbidity temperature (MMT) at 25.3°C. Associations were more pronounced among young and middle-aged patients and patients with abnormal weight. CONCLUSIONS: We found that short-term exposure to high ambient temperature is associated with increased CRS diagnosis, suggesting a cascading effect of meteorological phenomena. These results highlight climate change's potentially deleterious health effects on upper airway diseases, which could have a significant public health impact.

Burden of liver complications related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in China from 2005 to 2019: Observations from the Global Burden of Disease Study, 2019.

AIM: To assess the burden of liver complications related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (LC-NAFLD) from 2005 to 2019 in China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used data from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, 2019, to present contemporary and varying profiles of China's LC-NAFLD burden. The Joinpoint Regression model and Gaussian process regression were, respectively, used to estimate the annual percentage change in prevalence rates and disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) rates, and the relationship between the sociodemographic index (SDI) and age-standardized rates of LC-NAFLD. RESULTS: In 2019, China had 293.42 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 263.69-328.44) LC-NAFLD cases with a prevalence rate and DALYs of 20.63 (95% UI: 23.09-18.54) per 1000 people and 591.03 thousand (95% UI: 451.25-737.33), respectively. North China had the highest prevalence but the lowest DALYs of LC-NAFLD, whereas Southwest China had the lowest prevalence but the highest DALYs. LC-NAFLD were more common in men than in women (male: female ratio, 1.27) in 2019. From 2005 to 2019, the prevalence of NAFLD cases increased by 68.32% (from 174.32 million in 2005 to 293.42 million in 2019), mainly because of an age-specific prevalence rate increase. CONCLUSION: The LC-NAFLD burden in China is substantial and has increased markedly over the past 15 years. Effective measures for low SDI regions and men are needed to address the rapidly increasing NAFLD burden.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and ischemic stroke: A Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have found an association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and ischemic stroke. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether genetic liability to ADHD has a causal effect on ischemic stroke and its subtypes. METHODS: In this two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study, genetic variants (nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms; P < 5 × 10-8) using as instrumental variables for the analysis was obtained from a genome-wide association study of ADHD with 19,099 cases and 34,194 controls. The outcome datasets for stroke and its subtypes were obtained from the MEGASTROKE consortium, with 40,585 cases and 406,111 controls. MR inverse variance-weighted method was conducted to investigate the effect of genetic liability to ADHD on ischemic stroke and its subtypes. Sensitivity analyses (median-based methods, MR-Egger, MR-robust adjusted profile scores, MR-pleiotropy residual sum and outlier) were also utilized to assess horizontal pleiotropy and remove outliers. Multivariable MR (MVMR) analyses were conducted to explore potential mediators. RESULTS: Genetically determined ADHD (per 1 SD) was significantly associated with a higher risk of any ischemic stroke (AIS) (odds ratio (OR) = 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05-1.25, P = 0.002) and large-artery atherosclerotic stroke (LAS) (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.10-1.76, P = 0.005). The significant association was also found in sensitivity analyses and MVMR analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic liability to ADHD was significantly associated with an increased risk of AIS, especially LAS. The association between ADHD and LAS was independent of age of smoking initiation but mediated by coronary artery disease.

Association between temperature variability and global meningitis incidence.

BACKGROUND: Meningitis can cause devastating epidemics and is susceptible to climate change. It is unclear how temperature variability, an indicator of climate change, is associated with meningitis incidence. METHODS: We used global meningitis incidence data along with meteorological and demographic data over 1990-2019 to identify the association between temperature variability and meningitis. We also employed future (2020-2100) climate data to predict meningitis incidence under different emission levels (SSPs: Shared Socioeconomic Pathways). RESULTS: We found that the mean temperature variability increased by almost 3 folds in the past 30 years. The largest changes occurred in Australasia, Tropical Latin America, and Central Sub-Saharan Africa. With a logarithmic unit increase in temperature variability, the overall global meningitis risk increases by 4.8 %. Australasia, Central Sub-Saharan Africa, and High-income North America are the most at-risk regions. Higher statistical differences were identified in males, children, and the elderly population. Compared to high-emission (SSP585) scenario, we predicted a median reduction of 85.8 % in meningitis incidence globally under the low-emission (SSP126) climate change scenario by 2100. CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence for temperature variability being in association with meningitis incidence, which suggests that global actions are urgently needed to address climate change and to prevent meningitis occurrence.

Distribution and changes in hepatitis C virus genotype in China from 2010 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes a large number of infections worldwide. New infections seem to be increasing according to a report of the World Health Organization in 2015. Although direct-acting antivirals are quite effective for most genotypes of the HCV, some genotypes fail to respond. Therefore, the trend of genotype distribution is vital to better control the development of this infection. AIM: To analyze the distribution and trends of the HCV genotype before and after the emergence of direct-acting antivirals in China. METHODS: We searched all literature published in five electronic databases-China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang Data, VIP Chinese Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System, and PubMed-from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2020. The search strategy combined medical subject headings and free-text terms, including "hepatitis C virus" or "HCV" and "genotype" or "subtype" and "China" or "Chinese". Additional relevant articles were searched by manual selection. Data were extracted to build a database. All of the data were totaled according to regions, periods, routes of transmission, and sexes. The percentages in various stratifications were calculated. RESULTS: There were 76110 samples from 30 provinces included in the study. Genotype 1 (G1) accounted for 58.2% of cases nationwide, followed by G2, G6, G3b, G3a, unclassified and mixed infections (17.5%, 7.8%, 6.4%, 4.9%, 1.8%, and 1.2%, respectively). The constitution of genotype varied among different regions, with G6 and G3b being more common in the south and southwest, respectively (28.1%, 15.4%). The past ten years have witnessed a decrease in G1 and G2 and an increase in G3 and G6 in almost all regions. The drug-use population had the most abundant genotypes, with G6 ranking first (33.3%), followed by G1 and G3b (23.4%, 18.5%). CONCLUSION: G3 and G6 pose a new challenge for HCV infection. This study revealed the distribution of HCV genotypes in China over the past 10 years, providing information for HCV management strategies.

Barriers and enablers in the implementation of a quality improvement program for acute coronary syndromes in hospitals: a qualitative analysis using the consolidated framework for implementation research.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic heart disease causes a high disease burden globally and numerous challenges in treatment, particularly in developing countries such as China. The National Chest Pain Centers Program (NCPCP) was launched in China as the first nationwide, hospital-based, comprehensive, continuous quality improvement (QI) program to improve early diagnosis and standardized treatment of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and improve patients' clinical outcomes. With implementation and scaling up of the NCPCP, we investigated barriers and enablers in the NCPCP implementation process and provided examples and ideas for overcoming such barriers. METHODS: We conducted a nationally representative survey in six cities in China. A total of 165 key informant interviewees, including directors and coordinators of chest pain centers (CPCs) in 90 hospitals, participated in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, translated into English, and analyzed in NVivo 12.0. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to guide the codes and themes. RESULTS: Barriers to NCPCP implementation mainly arose from nine CFIR constructs. Barriers included the complexity of the intervention (complexity), low flexibility of requirements (adaptability), a lack of recognition of chest pain in patients with ACS (patient needs and resources), relatively low government support (external policies and incentives), staff mobility in the emergency department and other related departments (structural characteristics), resistance from related departments (networks and communications), overwhelming tasks for CPC coordinators (compatibility), lack of available resources for regular CPC operations (available resources), and fidelity to and sustainability of intervention implementation (executing). Enablers of intervention implementation were inner motivation for change (intervention sources), evidence strength and quality of intervention, relatively low cost (cost), individual knowledge and beliefs regarding the intervention, pressure from other hospitals (peer pressure), incentives and rewards of the intervention, and involvement of hospital leaders (leadership engagement, engaging). CONCLUSION: Simplifying the intervention to adapt routine tasks for medical staff and optimizing operational mechanisms between the prehospital emergency system and in-hospital treatment system with government support, as well as enhancing emergency awareness among patients with chest pain are critically important to NCPCP implementation. Clarifying and addressing these barriers is key to designing a sustainable QI program for acute cardiovascular diseases in China and similar contexts across developing countries worldwide. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( ChiCTR 2100043319 ), registered 10 February 2021.

PAGEANT: personal access to genome and analysis of natural traits.

GWASs have identified numerous genetic variants associated with a wide variety of diseases, yet despite the wide availability of genetic testing the insights that would enhance the interpretability of these results are not widely available to members of the public. As a proof of concept and demonstration of technological feasibility, we developed PAGEANT (Personal Access to Genome & Analysis of Natural Traits), usable through Graphical User Interface or command line-based version, aiming to serve as a protocol and prototype that guides the overarching design of genetic reporting tools. PAGEANT is structured across five core modules, summarized by five Qs: (i) quality assurance of the genetic data; (ii) qualitative assessment of genetic characteristics; (iii) quantitative assessment of health risk susceptibility based on polygenic risk scores and population reference; (iv) query of third-party variant databases (e.g. ClinVAR and PharmGKB) and (v) quick Response code of genetic variants of interest. Literature review was conducted to compare PAGEANT with academic and industry tools. For 2504 genomes made publicly available through the 1000 Genomes Project, we derived their genomic characteristics for a suite of qualitative and quantitative traits. One exemplary trait is susceptibility to COVID-19, based on the most up-to-date scientific findings reported.

Shared Genetic Architecture and Causal Relationship Between Asthma and Cardiovascular Diseases: A Large-Scale Cross-Trait Analysis.

Background: Accumulating evidence has suggested that there is a positive association between asthma and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), implying a common architecture between them. However, the shared genetic architecture and causality of asthma and CVDs remain unclear. Methods: Based on the genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics of recently published studies, our study examined the genetic correlation, shared genetic variants, and causal relationship between asthma (N = 127,669) and CVDs (N = 86,995-521,612). Statistical methods included high-definition likelihood (HDL), cross-trait meta-analyses of large-scale GWAS, transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS), and Mendelian randomization (MR). Results: First, we observed a significant genetic correlation between asthma and heart failure (HF) (Rg = 0.278, P = 5 × 10-4). Through cross-trait analyses, we identified a total of 145 shared loci between asthma and HF. Fifteen novel loci were not previously reported for association with either asthma or HF. Second, we mapped these 145 loci to a total of 99 genes whose expressions are enriched in a broad spectrum of tissues, including the seminal vesicle, tonsil, appendix, spleen, skin, lymph nodes, breast, cervix and uterus, skeletal muscle, small intestine, lung, prostate, cardiac muscle, and liver. TWAS analysis identified five significant genes shared between asthma and HF in tissues from the hemic and immune system, digestive system, integumentary system, and nervous system. GSDMA, GSDMB, and ORMDL3 are statistically independent genetic effects from all shared TWAS genes between asthma and HF. Third, through MR analysis, genetic liability to asthma was significantly associated with heart failure at the Bonferroni-corrected significance level. The odds ratio (OR) is 1.07 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.12; p = 1.31 × 10-3] per one-unit increase in loge odds of asthma. Conclusion: These findings provide strong evidence of genetic correlations and causal relationship between asthma and HF, suggesting a shared genetic architecture for these two diseases.

Application of Goldmag immune probe in timely detection of syphilis based on GIS platform.

The purpose of this study was to apply goldmag immunoprobes into establishment of nanoparticles-based colorimetric assay as well as construction of immunochromatography quantitative and qualitative system by exploring point-of-care testing of syphilis with goldmag particles carrier-based immunoprobe and analysis of spatial data of Geographic Information System (GIS) platform. Goat anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG) was coupled on the surface of modified nanoparticles, taking N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethyl-carbodiimide as the connector. Then the nanoparticles were used for colorimetric detection of goat-anti-rabbit IgG in liquid phase system. Based on the analysis of spatial data in GIS platform, we found the probe constructed based on MUA-Fe304/Au nanoparticles responded more sensitive to detection objects compared with the probe designed based on PAA-Fe3O4/Au nanoparticles, and its reaction rate constant was two times that of PAA-Fe3O4/Au nanoparticles based goldmag immunoprobe. Goldmag particles not only can be coupled with biomolecules such as antibody/antigen and glycoprotein but also possess superparamagnetism.

Production of human type II collagen using an efficient baculovirus-silkworm multigene expression system.

Human type II collagen is a macromolecular protein found throughout the human body. The baculovirus expression vector system is one of the most ideal systems for the routine production and display of recombinant eukaryotic proteins in insect, larvae, and mammalian cells. We use this system to express a full-length gene, human type II collagen cDNA (4257 bp), in cultured Spodoptera frugiperda 9 cells (Sf9), Bombyx mori cells, and silkworm larvae. In this study, the expression of human type II collagen gene in both insect cells and silkworm larvae was purified by nickel column chromatography, leading to 300-kDa bands in SDS-PAGE and western blotting indicative of collagen α-chains organized in a triple-helical structure. About 1 mg/larva human type II collagen is purified from silkworm skin, which shows a putative large scale of collagen production way. An activity assay of recombinant human type II collagen expressed by silkworm larvae demonstrated that the recombinant protein has considerable bioactive properties. Scanning electron microscopy of purified proteins clearly reveals randomly distributed and pitted structures. We conclude that the baculovirus-silkworm multigene expression system can be used as an efficient platform for express active human type II collagen and other complicated eukaryotic proteins.

Analysis of codon usage bias of mitochondrial genome in Bombyx mori and its relation to evolution.

BACKGROUND: Synonymous codon usage bias (SCUB) is an inevitable phenomenon in organismic taxa, generally referring to differences in the occurrence frequency of codons across different species or within the genome of the same species. SCUB happens in various degrees under pressure from nature selection, mutation bias and other factors in different ways. It also attaches great significance to gene expression and species evolution, however, a systematic investigation towards the codon usage in Bombyx mori (B. mori) has not been reported yet. Moreover, it is still indistinct about the reasons contributing to the bias or the relationship between the bias and the evolution of B. mori. RESULTS: The comparison of the codon usage pattern between the genomic DNA (gDNA) and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from B. mori suggests that mtDNA has a higher level of codon bias. Furthermore, the correspondence analysis suggests that natural selection, such as gene length, gene function and translational selection, dominates the codon preference of mtDNA, while the composition constraints for mutation bias only plays a minor role. Additionally, the clustering results of the silkworm superfamily suggest a lack of explicitness in the relationship between the codon usage of mitogenome and species evolution. CONCLUSIONS: Among the complicated influence factors leading to codon bias, natural selection is found to play a major role in shaping the high bias in the mtDNA of B. mori from our current data. Although the cluster analysis reveals that codon bias correlates little with the species evolution, furthermore, a detailed analysis of codon usage of mitogenome provides better insight into the evolutionary relationships in Lepidoptera. However, more new methods and data are needed to investigate the relationship between the mtDNA bias and evolution.

[Insecticide resistance of Bemisia tabaci field populations].

Resistance to 13 insecticides in field populations of Bemisia tabaci from six regions (Fuzhou, Zhangzhou, Longyan, Sanming, Nanping, Ningde) of Fujian Province, China was monitored by adult leaf-dipping bioassay. Compared with the susceptible SUD-S strain, all the six field populations exhibited high levels of resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin (838.38-2460.52 fold), fenpropathrin (244.64-834.29 fold), cypermethrin (116.02-266.35 fold), deltamethrin (81.75-124.18 fold), acephate (425.18-875.56 fold) and chlorpyrifos (54.53-78.43 fold), moderate levels of resistance to dimethoate (14.16-17.66 fold), low to moderate levels of resistance to dichlorvos (6.23-11.25 fold) and low levels of resistance to methomyl (4.07-5.66 fold), respectively. Among these six field-collected populations, only Zhangzhou population had moderate resistance to imidacloprid, acetamiprid and thiamethoxam (23.08 fold, 10.32 fold and 24.60 fold, respectively). All field strains tested displayed no resistance to abamectin.