TRIB1 rs17321515 gene polymorphism increases the risk of coronary heart disease in general population and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients in Chinese Han population.

BACKGROUND: Present evidences suggested that TRIB1 rs17321515 polymorphism was tightly associated with the increased risk of NAFLD and CHD. CHD is one of the main complications of NAFLD, whether TRIB1 rs17321515 polymorphism could affect the risk of CHD in general population and NAFLD patients in Chinese Han population was remain unknown. The present study was designed to investigate the association between TRIB1 rs17321515 polymorphism and the risk of CHD in general population and NAFLD patients in Chinese Han population, and investigate the effect of TRIB1 rs17321515 polymorphism on serum lipid levels. PATIENTS AND METHODS: TRIB1 rs17321515 gene polymorphism was genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in healthy controls (n = 175), CHD patients (n = 155), NAFLD patients (n = 146), and NAFLD+CHD patients (n = 156). Serum lipid profiles were determined using biochemical methods. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 24.0 statistical software. RESULTS: The TRIB1 rs17321515 AA+GA genotypes were the significant risk factors for the CHD in general population (OR = 1.788; 95% CI: 1.104-2.897; P = 0.018) and in the NAFLD patients (OR = 1.760; 95% CI: 1.071-2.891; P = 0.026). After adjusted for age, gender, and body mass index, the risk for CHD in general population (OR = 1.857; 95% CI: 1.116-3.089; P = 0.017) and NAFLD patients was still significant (OR = 1.723; 95% CI: 1.033-2.873; P = 0.037). In addition, TRIB1 rs17321515 A carriers possess the higher lipid profiles in the included subjects. CONCLUSIONS: TRIB1 rs17321515 AA+GA genotypes were significant associated with the risk of CHD in general population and in NAFLD patients in Chinese Han population. The rs17321515 A allele increases the serum lipid profiles in included subjects.

TRIB1 rs17321515 and rs2954029 gene polymorphisms increase the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese Han population.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of the lipid homeostasis is an independent risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Some studies had demonstrated that TRIB1 gene polymorphisms affect the plasma lipids metabolism, but no related data was available for TRIB1 gene polymorphisms in the lipids metabolism in Chinses Han population. The present study was conducted to investigate the association between TRIB1 gene polymorphisms (rs17321515 and rs2954029) and the risk of NAFLD in Chinese Han population and their effects on serum lipid profiles. PATIENTS AND METHODS: TRIB1 rs17321515 and rs2954029 gene polymorphisms were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in B-type ultrasonography-proven NAFLD patients (n = 146) and healthy controls (n = 175). Serum lipid profiles were determined using biochemical methods. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0 statistical software. RESULTS: The allele distributions of TRIB1 rs17321515 A and rs2954029 A were significant different between the NAFLD patients and healthy controls (P = 0.026, P = 0.045, respectively). The genotype distribution of TRIB1 rs17321515 was significant different between NAFLD patients and healthy controls (P = 0.038). The TRIB1 rs17321515 GA + AA genotype and TRIB1 rs2954029 TA + AA genotype markedly increase the NAFLD risk (OR = 1.885; 95%CI: 1.157-3.070; OR = 1.627; 95%CI: 1.011-2.619, respectively), after adjusted for age, gender, and body mass index, the NAFLD risk still significant (OR = 2.240; 95%CI: 1.196-4.197; OR = 2.050; 95%CI: 1.110-3.786, respectively). In addition, TRIB1 rs17321515 A and rs2954029 A carriers possess the higher lipid profiles in the included subjects. CONCLUSIONS: TRIB1 rs17321515 and rs2954029 were significant associated with the risk of NAFLD in Chinese Han population. The rs17321515 A and rs2954029 A allele increases the serum lipid profiles in Chinese Han population.

Transcriptome analysis of a taxol-producing endophytic fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides MD2.

The shortage of molecular information for taxol-producing fungi has greatly impeded the understanding of fungal taxol biosynthesis mechanism. In this study, the transcriptome of one taxol-producing endophytic fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides MD2 was sequenced for the first time. About 1.77 Gbp clean reads were generated and further assembled into 16,603 unigenes with an average length of 1110 bp. All of the unigenes were annotated against seven public databases to present the transcriptome characteristics of C. cladosporioides MD2. A total of 12,479 unigenes could be annotated with at least one database, and 1593 unigenes could be annotated in all queried databases. In total, 8425 and 3350 unigenes were categorized into 57 GO functional groups and 262 KEGG pathways, respectively, exhibiting the dominant GO terms and metabolic pathways in the C. cladosporioides MD2 transcriptome. One potential and partial taxol biosynthetic pathway was speculated including 9 unigenes related to terpenoid backbone biosynthesis and 40 unigenes involved in the biosynthetic steps from geranylgeranyl diphosphate to 10-deacetylbaccatin III. These results provided valuable information for the molecular mechanism research of taxol biosynthesis in C. cladosporioides MD2.

Association of serum ferritin with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of studies reported the connection between the level of serum ferritin (SFL) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, such connection was still disputable. The aim of our meta-analysis was to estimate SFL between the groups as below: patients with NAFLD against control group; non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients against control group; non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) patients against a control group and NASH patients vs NAFL patients. METHODS: We screened the studies in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Database and the Cochrane Central register controlled trials from the beginning to July 10, 2016 to find the studies indicated the connection between SFL and NAFLD (NAFL and/or NASH). Fourteen published studies which evaluate the SFL in NAFLD patients were selected. RESULTS: Higher SFL was noticed in NAFLD patients against control group (standardized mean difference [SMD] 1.01; 95% CI 0.89, 1.13), NASH patients against control group (SMD 1.21; 95% CI 1.00, 1.42), NAFL patients against control group (SMD 0.51; 95% CI 0.24, 0.79) and NASH patients against NAFL patients (SMD 0.63; 95% CI 0.52, 0.75). These results remained unaltered actually after the elimination of studies which were focused on paediatric or adolescent populations. Higher SFL was presented in NAFLD patients against the control group (SMD 1.08; 95% CI 0.95, 1.20) in adults and NASH patients against NAFL patients in adults (SMD 0.74; 95% CI 0.62, 0.87). The connection between SFL and NASH against NAFL group in paediatric or adolescent populations was observed inconsistently (SMD 0.10; 95% CI -0.18, 0.38). CONCLUSIONS: The level of SFL was elevated in patients with NAFLD (NAFL and/or NASH) compared with the controls. Compared with NAFL, The level of SFL was increased in NASH. The result remained unaltered actually after the elimination of studies focused on paediatric or adolescent populations.

Association between alcohol intake and the risk of pancreatic cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: Studies examining the association between alcohol intake and the risk of pancreatic cancer have given inconsistent results. The purpose of this study was to summarize and examine the evidence regarding the association between alcohol intake and pancreatic cancer risk based on results from prospective cohort studies. METHODS: We searched electronic databases consisting of PubMed, Ovid, Embase, and the Cochrane Library identifying studies published up to Aug 2015. Only prospective studies that reported effect estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of pancreatic cancer, examining different alcohol intake categories compared with a low alcohol intake category were included. Results of individual studies were pooled using a random-effects model. RESULTS: We included 19 prospective studies (21 cohorts) reporting data from 4,211,129 individuals. Low-to-moderate alcohol intake had little or no effect on the risk of pancreatic cancer. High alcohol intake was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer (risk ratio [RR], 1.15; 95% CI: 1.06-1.25). Pooled analysis also showed that high liquor intake was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer (RR, 1.43; 95% CI: 1.17-1.74). Subgroup analyses suggested that high alcohol intake was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer in North America, when the duration of follow-up was greater than 10 years, in studies scored as high quality, and in studies with adjustments for smoking status, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, and energy intake.. CONCLUSIONS: Low-to-moderate alcohol intake was not significantly associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer, whereas high alcohol intake was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, liquor intake in particular was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

Intraarticular gene transfer of TNFR:Fc suppresses experimental arthritis with reduced systemic distribution of the gene product.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Blockage of TNFalpha actions by systemic administration of TNF antagonists has recently been shown to ameliorate joint symptoms in RA patients. In the present study, a streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-induced rat arthritis model was used to evaluate the effect of different gene transfer routes of a TNF antagonist on the development and severity of arthritis. Successful delivery of a plasmid DNA encoding a rat TNF receptor-immunoglobulin Fc (TNFR:Fc) fusion gene prompted the subsequent administration of a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector encoding the antagonist, either locally (intraarticular) or systemically (intramuscular). The TNFR:Fc gene, delivered by either route, resulted in profound suppression of the arthritis as reflected in decreased inflammatory cell infiltration, pannus formation, cartilage and bone destruction, and mRNA expression of joint proinflammatory cytokines. Increased bioactive serum TNFR levels were detected as a result of rAAV-ratTNFR:Fc administration, concomitant with a decrease in circulating TNFalpha. Administration of the rAAV-ratTNFR:Fc vector to one joint also suppressed arthritis in the contralateral joint. Importantly, intraarticular administration resulted in significantly lower systemic distribution of the gene product. Hence, the use of rAAV as the delivery vector for TNFR:Fc effectively suppressed SCW-induced arthritis and may provide an approach for local delivery of antiarthritic therapy.