Genetic characteristics of classical astroviruses in Shenzhen, China, 2016-2019.

Human astrovirus (HAstV) is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus and is the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis. However, despite its prevalence, astroviruses still remain one of the least studied enteroviruses. In this study, we sequenced 11 classical astrovirus strains from clinical samples collected in Shenzhen, China from 2016 to 2019, analyzed their genetic characteristics, and deposited them into GenBank. We conducted phylogenetic analysis using IQ-TREE software, with references to astrovirus sequences worldwide. The phylogeographic analysis was performed using the Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis Sampling Trees program, through Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling. We also conducted recombination analysis with the Recombination Detection Program. The newly sequenced strains were categorized as HAstV genotype 1, which is the predominant genotype in Shenzhen. Phylogeographic reconstruction indicated that HAstV-1 may have migrated from the United States to China, followed by frequent transmission between China and Japan. The recombination analysis revealed recombination events within and across genotypes, and identified a recombination-prone region that produced relatively uniform recombination breakpoints and fragment lengths. The genetic analysis of HAstV strains in Shenzhen addresses the current lack of astrovirus data in the region of Shenzhen and provides key insights to the evolution and transmission of astroviruses worldwide. These findings highlight the importance of improving surveillance of astroviruses.

Absorption and Transport Characteristics and Mechanisms of Carnosic Acid.

Carnosic acid (CA) is a phenolic diterpenoid mainly found in rosemary and sage. CA has been reported to possess health-beneficial effects in various experimental settings. Herein, a mouse experiment and Caco-2 single-cell model were used to understand the absorption and transport characteristics of CA. First, we determined the tissue distribution of CA in mice, following an oral gavage at a physiologically relevant dose. We found that CA was bioavailable systemically and present locally in the digestive tract, especially in the cecum and colon. Next, we thought to characterize the absorption and transport of CA in the Caco-2 cell monolayer model of the intestinal epithelial barrier. In the Caco-2 cell model, CA exhibited a moderate permeability and was subjected to a mild efflux. Moreover, the apparent permeability coefficient (Papp) of CA transported across Caco-2 cell monolayers was significantly changed when the inhibitors of specific active transporter and passive diffusion were added to cells, suggesting that the absorption and transport of CA involved both passive and active transportation. The present study is an important first step towards understanding the absorption, transport, and metabolic mechanisms of CA. This could provide the scientific basis for developing CA-containing functional foods or dietary supplements with improved bioavailability.

Expression and role of interleukin-9 in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

PURPOSE: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is a systemic autoimmune disease that can lead to blindness. This study was designed to investigate whether interleukin (IL)-9 plays a role in the development of VKH disease. METHODS: IL-9, IL-17, and interferon (IFN)-γ levels, present in the supernatants of cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CD4+T cells, were assessed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. IL-9 mRNA expression in PBMCs was measured with real-time quantitative PCR. The proliferation of PBMCs in response to different doses of recombinant human IL-9 (rIL-9) was measured using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. RESULTS: IL-9 mRNA levels in PBMCs were statistically significantly elevated in patients with active VKH disease compared to those in patients with inactive VKH disease (p<0.05) and normal controls (p<0.05). Statistically significantly higher expression of IL-9 was observed in the supernatants of stimulated PBMCs (p<0.01) and CD4+ T cells (p<0.01) from patients with active VKH disease compared to that in cells from patients with inactive VKH disease and normal controls. rIL-9 at a concentration of 100 ng/ml did not induce proliferation of PBMCs (p>0.05). After the PBMCs and CD4+ T cells were stimulated with rIL-9 (100 ng/ml), the secretion of IL-17 was increased statistically significantly (p<0.05), whereas the level of IFN-γ was not statistically significantly altered (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that IL-9 is involved in the pathogenesis of VKH disease, and that IL-9 might also enhance the inflammatory response by increasing the secretion of IL-17, an established proinflammatory cytokine in VKH disease. Manipulation of IL-9 could represent a novel option for the treatment of VKH disease.

Association between polymorphisms in lysyl oxidase-like 1 and susceptibility to pseudoexfoliation syndrome and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.

The present knowledge on the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEXS) and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEXG) is controversial and inconclusive. This meta-analysis sought to derive a more precise estimation of the effects of LOXL1 SNP loci (rs1048661, rs3825942, and rs2165241) on PEXS/PEXG. Literature searches were conducted on the PubMed, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases through October 2013. Twelve studies describing 1810 cases and 1790 controls met the inclusion criteria. The strengths of the associations found through the meta-analysis were assessed with pooled odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). A meta-regression analysis was also used to examine the influence of the study and population characteristics. The results indicated that rs1048661 TT carriers had 92.1% and 40.4% less risk of developing PEXS/PEXG than did the controls in the Caucasian and Asian populations, respectively. Carriers of rs3825942 AA or rs2165241 CC also had significantly less PEXS/PEXG susceptibility than did the non-carriers. Meta-regression showed that in Caucasians, the male proportion (slope: 0.272; 95% CI: 0.167-0.376; P = 0.0001) and mean age (slope: 0.796; 95% CI: 0.375-1.217; P = 0.0002) of the PEXS/PEXG subjects correlated positively with the effect of rs3825942 on PEXS/PEXG susceptibility. The meta-analysis suggested that LOXL1 rs1048661 TT, rs3825942 AA, and rs2165241 CC were associated with a reduced risk of developing PEXS/PEXG.