[Course of disease and related epidemiological parameters of COVID-19: a prospective study based on contact tracing cohort].

Objective: To analyze the course of disease and epidemiological parameters of COVID-19 and provide evidence for making prevention and control strategies. Methods: To display the distribution of course of disease of the infectors who had close contacts with COVID-19 cases from January 1 to March 15, 2020 in Guangdong Provincial, the models of Lognormal, Weibull and gamma distribution were applied. A descriptive analysis was conducted on the basic characteristics and epidemiological parameters of course of disease. Results: In total, 515 of 11 580 close contacts were infected, with an attack rate about 4.4%, including 449 confirmed cases and 66 asymptomatic cases. Lognormal distribution was fitting best for latent period, incubation period, pre-symptomatic infection period of confirmed cases and infection period of asymptomatic cases; Gamma distribution was fitting best for infectious period and clinical symptom period of confirmed cases; Weibull distribution was fitting best for latent period of asymptomatic cases. The latent period, incubation period, pre-symptomatic infection period, infectious period and clinical symptoms period of confirmed cases were 4.50 (95%CI:3.86-5.13) days, 5.12 (95%CI:4.63-5.62) days, 0.87 (95%CI:0.67-1.07) days, 11.89 (95%CI:9.81-13.98) days and 22.00 (95%CI:21.24-22.77) days, respectively. The latent period and infectious period of asymptomatic cases were 8.88 (95%CI:6.89-10.86) days and 6.18 (95%CI:1.89-10.47) days, respectively. Conclusion: The estimated course of COVID-19 and related epidemiological parameters are similar to the existing data.

[Clinical effects of retrograde anterolateral thigh perforator flaps assisted with computed tomography angiography in repairing skin and soft tissue defects around the knee or in proximal lower leg].

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of retrograde anterolateral thigh perforator flaps assisted with computed tomography angiography (CTA) in repairing skin and soft tissue defects around the knee or in proximal lower leg. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. From May 2015 to October 2019, 17 patients with skin and soft tissue defects around the knee or in proximal lower leg were admitted to the Department of Orthopedics of Jizhong Energy Xingtai Mig General Hospital, including 12 males and 5 females, aged 16-65 years, with an average age of 35 years. The areas of skin and soft tissue defects after debridement ranged from 6.0 cm×3.0 cm to 15.0 cm×9.0 cm. The retrograde anterolateral thigh perforator flaps were designed according to the origin and distribution of the perforating branches in flaps and the length of the vascular pedicle examined with CTA and the condition of the wound to repair the wounds. The areas of resected flaps ranged from 6.5 cm×3.5 cm to 15.5 cm×9.5 cm. The wounds in donor sites of flaps were sutured directly or covered with medium-thickness skin grafts from healthy upper leg. The sources of the perforating branches in flaps were recorded. The lateral circumflex femoral artery, its branches, and the relative length of the vascular pedicle were compared between preoperative CTA detection and intraoperative observation. The survivals of the flaps were observed. At the last follow-up, the effects of flaps in repairing wounds were evaluated according to evaluation standard of efficacy satisfaction; the motion ranges of flexion and extension of the knee joint were measured, and the knee joint function was evaluated according to the Hohl knee joint function evaluation standard; the sensory function in the flap area was evaluated according to the sensory function evaluation standard formulated by the British Medical Research Council; the wound healing and the occurrence of complication affecting motor function of limb of flap donor sites was observed. Data were statistically analyzed with paired sample t test. Results: The perforating branches in flaps originated from descending branches, oblique branches, and rectus femoris branches of lateral circumflex femoral artery in 7, 6, and 4 patients, respectively. The flaps with blood supply from descending branches, oblique branches, and rectus femoris branches of lateral circumflex femoral artery were type 1, 2, and 3 retrograde anterolateral thigh perforator flaps, respectively. The preoperative CTA examination of lateral circumflex femoral artery and its branches were consistent with those observed during operation. The relative lengths of vascular pedicles of type 1, 2, and 3 retrograde anterolateral thigh perforator flaps calculated after CTA examination were 0.32±0.13, 0.56±0.07, and 0.56±0.15, which were close to 0.35±0.12, 0.52±0.10, and 0.53±0.12 measured and calculated during operation, respectively (t=0.45, 0.80, 0.31, P>0.05). All flaps survived in 17 cases without vascular crisis. At the last follow-up, 16 patients were satisfied with effects of flaps in wound repair, with 1 patient feeling average about the effect; the flexion range of knee joint was 100-120°, and the extension range of knee joint was -2-0°; knee joint function was evaluated as excellent in 9 cases, good in 7 cases, and poor in 1 case; the sensory function of the flap area reached S4 level in 2 cases, S3 level in 8 cases, and S2 level in 7 cases; the wounds in flap donor sites healed well; there was no adverse effect in motor function of limbs. Conclusions: Retrograde anterolateral thigh perforator flap is an effective method for repairing skin and soft tissue defects around the knee or in proximal lower leg. Preoperative CTA examination can fully show the anatomical characteristics of the branches of the lateral circumflex femoral artery and the perforating vessels of each branch, which can guide preoperative flap design and operation, thus shortening operation time and improving flap survival rate, with good clinical effects.

MiR-19a suppress apoptosis of myocardial cells in rats with myocardial ischemia/reperfusion through PTEN/Akt/P-Akt signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To detect differentially expressed micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) in rats with myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MIR), and to explore the influence of miR-19a on MIR rats and its mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Firstly, the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used to prepare MIR models, RNAs were extracted, and miRNA sequencing analysis was carried out to determine differentially expressed miRNAs related to MIR. Secondly, the predicted target genes of miR-19a were collected, and WebGestalt was applied to analyze gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment. Thirdly, the expression of the related proteins and the apoptosis of myocardial cells in MIR rats were detected via Western blotting. Fourthly, the interaction between miR-19a and the target gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was examined through Luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: Compared with that in the Sham operation (Sham) group, the miR-19a expression in rat myocardial tissues in the MIR group was significantly increased (p<0.05). Compared with those in the miR-negative control (miR-NC) group, the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expressions of PTEN in the miR-19a group were notably decreased (p<0.05). In comparison with the miR-NC group, miR-19a group had elevated expression of phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-Akt) (p<0.05). The Luciferase reporter gene assay manifested the direct binding of miR-19a to PTEN mRNA. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-19a inhibits the PTEN expression by directly binding to the 3'-UTR of PTEN mRNA, thus activating the Akt/p-Akt signaling pathway to suppress the apoptosis of myocardial cells in MIR injury.

Genetic polymorphisms in androgen receptor-binding sites predict survival in prostate cancer patients receiving androgen-deprivation therapy.

BACKGROUND: Activated androgen receptor binds to androgen-responsive elements (AREs) in genome to regulate target gene transcription and, consequently, mediates physiological or tumorigenic processes of the prostate. Our aim was to determine whether genetic variants in AREs are associated with clinical outcomes after androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) in prostate cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We systematically investigated 55 common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genome-wide insilico-predicted AREs in a cohort of 601 men with advanced prostate cancer treated with ADT. The prognostic significance of these SNPs on disease progression, prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) and all-cause mortality (ACM) after ADT was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression model. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, two, five, and four SNPs were associated with disease progression, PCSM, and ACM, respectively. After adjusting for known prognostic factors, ARRDC3 rs2939244, FLT1 rs9508016, and SKAP1 rs6504145 remained as significant predictors for PCSM and FBXO32 rs7830622 and FLT1 rs9508016 remained as significant predictors for ACM in multivariate analysis. Moreover, strong combined genotype effects on PCSM and ACM were also observed (P(trend) < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that SNPs in AREs influence prostate cancer survival and may further advance our understanding of the disease progression.

Genetic polymorphisms in oestrogen receptor-binding sites affect clinical outcomes in patients with prostate cancer receiving androgen-deprivation therapy.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence indicates that oestrogens have significant direct effects on normal prostate development and carcinogenesis. The majority of the biological activities of oestrogens are mediated through the oestrogen receptor (ER), which functions as a hormone-inducible transcription factor to regulate target gene expression by binding to oestrogen response elements (EREs) in the regulatory regions of target genes. Sequence variants in EREs might affect the ER-ERE interaction and subsequent physiological activities. Therefore, we tested whether common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) inside EREs are related to the clinical outcomes of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with prostate cancer. METHODS: We systematically evaluated 49 ERE SNPs predicted using a genome-wide database in a cohort of 601 men with advanced prostate cancer treated with ADT. The prognostic significance of these SNPs on disease progression, prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) and all-cause mortality (ACM) after ADT was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox regression model. RESULTS: Based on multiple hypothesis testing, BNC2 rs16934641 was found to be associated with disease progression; in addition, TACC2 rs3763763 was associated with PCSM, and ALPK1 rs2051778 and TACC2 rs3763763 were associated with ACM. These SNPs remained significant in multivariate analyses that included known clinicopathological predictors. Moreover, a combined genotype effect on ACM was observed when ALPK1 rs2051778 and TACC2 rs3763763 were analysed in combination. Patients with a greater number of unfavourable genotypes had a shorter time to ACM during ADT (P for trend <0.001). CONCLUSION: The incorporation of ERE SNPs into models with known predictors might improve outcome prediction in patients with prostate cancer receiving ADT.

Gene therapy with CX3CL1/Fractalkine induces antitumor immunity to regress effectively mouse hepatocellular carcinoma.

CX3CL1/Fractalkine(FK), a chemokine existing in both secreted and membrane anchored form, was reported to induce suppressive activities in tumor models. Here, we demonstrate for the first time the antitumor effects of FK in murine hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by constructing a FK eukaryotic expression vector (pIRES-FK) and transferring it into such tumor cells. Tumor rejection experiments were performed by injecting FK gene-modified murine HCC cell line (MM45T.Li) into immunocompetent mice, which significantly inhibited tumorigenicity or growth of MM45T.Li-FK cells. Immunohistochemistry examination and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses revealed both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells infiltration within the tumor together with a marked increase of these cells in the peripheral blood. Splenic lymphocyte from mice treated with MM45T.Li-FK were effective in the induction of tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells. We also observed an increased production of IL-2 and IFN-gamma in MM45T.Li-FK tumor tissue. Our results suggest that transfer of the FK gene into tumor cells could elicit a specific antitumor immunity capable of inhibiting tumor growth which lead to increased survival of tumor-bearing hosts. FK should be considered as a chemokine suitable for cancer immunoprevention or gene therapy.

Growth and body composition of Meishan and Yorkshire barrows and gilts.

Five barrows and five gilts of each of two breeds (Meishan [Ms] and Yorkshire [Y]) were slaughtered at birth and at 41, 71, 123, and 171 d of age and five gilts of each breed were slaughtered at 260 d of age. Major organ and visceral weights were obtained immediately postmortem (PM), whereas carcass characteristics, carcass composition, femur measurements, and two individual muscle weights were obtained 24 h PM. Linear and quadratic regression coefficients on age differed between the two breeds, in favor of Y barrows and gilts, for live weight, carcass weight, longissimus muscle area (LMA), liver, heart, spleen, and kidney weights, and femur cross-sectional, medullary, and cortical areas (P < .001), leaf fat weight, and percentage of body fat and protein. In contrast to somatic tissue, Ms gilts had uteri and ovaries that grew faster than those of Y gilts from birth to 260 d of age (P < .05), although the uterus and ovary weights were similar for both breeds by 260 d of age (P < .05). Regression coefficients differed (P < .05) between the two sexes for live, carcass, liver, lung and trachea, stomach and esophagus and leaf fat weights, dressing percentage, percentage of body protein, 10th rib backfat (TRBF) thickness (P < .001), and small intestine, kidney (P < .01), heart, and spleen weights (P < .05). Breed differences in regression coefficients differed between the two sexes for percentage of body protein and leaf fat weights (P < .05). Yorkshire pigs were larger, later-maturing pigs that grew faster from birth to 171 d of age. Yorkshire pigs slaughtered at 171 d of age had heavier total wholesale cut (WC), trimmed cut (TC), and boneless cut (BC) weights than did Ms pigs of the same age (P < .001).

Effects of porcine somatotropin on growth and carcass composition of Meishan and Yorkshire barrows.

Effects of porcine somatotropin (pST) on growth and carcass characteristics of Meishan (Ms) and Yorkshire (Y) barrows given 3 mg of pST or saline daily were determined for two end points. First, 26 Ms and 26 Y barrows were treated from 119 d of age until the Y barrows reached 108 kg. Second, another 18 Ms barrows were treated to 108 kg BW. Age- and weight-matched treatments were analyzed. Results for both groups indicated pST effects (P < .05) for feed conversion (+) and intake (-), dressing percentage (-), percentage of carcass fat (-) and protein and water (+), leaf fat (-), backfat (BF) thickness (-), longissimus muscle area (LMA; +), skin thickness (+), muscle firmness and marbling scores (-), organ weights (+), belly (-), clear plate (-), ham (+), and total boneless cuts (BC; +). Somatotropin effects were also present for loin (-) and boneless Boston butt (BBB; +) in the age-matched group and for ADG (+), carcass weight (-), loin (-), jowl (-), and tenderloin (+) in the weight-matched group. Breed effects (P < .05), in favor of Y barrows, in both treatments existed for ADG (+) and feed intake (+), carcass weight (+), dressing percentage (+), LMA (+), skin thickness (-), muscle color and firmness scores (-), muscling score (+), all wholesale cuts (WC; +) except clear plate (age-matched), all trimmed cuts (TC; +) except picnic shoulder (weight-matched), and all BC (+). Breed effects, in favor of Y barrows, were also determined for carcass length (+), percentage of carcass ash (-), leaf fat (+), average BF thickness (+), and heart (-) and liver (-) weights in age-matched animals and percentage of carcass fat (-), protein (+), water (+), leaf fat (-), 10th rib, average, and P2 BF thicknesses (-), marbling score (-), femur length (-), and liver weights (+) in weight-matched animals. A higher response to pST (P < .05) was determined in Ms barrows than in Y barrows for percentage of carcass protein (+), liver (+), and heart (+) in the age-matched treatment and 10th rib BF thickness (-) and heart weight (+) in the weight-matched treatment. Yorkshire barrows treated with pST had more improved values for color score (+; age-matched) and BBB (+; weight-matched).

Carcass and muscle characteristics of Yorkshire, Meishan, Yorkshire x Meishan, Meishan x Yorkshire, Fengjing x Yorkshire, and Minzhu x Yorkshire pigs.

Five barrows and five gilts from each of the following breed types, Yorkshire (Y), Meishan (Ms), Fengjing x Y, Minzhu x Y, Ms x Y, and Y x Ms were slaughtered at an average live weight of 103 kg. Carcass composition and muscle characteristics were evaluated at 24 h postmortem. Chemical characteristics and palatability attributes were evaluated on the longissimus and semimembranosus muscles. No significant interactions between breed x muscle, breed x sex, or muscle x sex were observed so data were pooled across muscle and sex. Yorkshire had higher (P < .05) carcass weight, longissimus muscle area, trimmed and boneless ham and loin weights, and boneless picnic weight than Ms and the crossbreds were intermediate between Y and Ms. Yorkshire had higher (P < .05) muscling score, untrimmed ham weight, trimmed picnic weight, and juiciness score. Yorkshire had a lower cholesterol content than Ms or crossbreds, and Y had the highest water-holding capacity. The longissimus muscle from Ms and the crossbreds was firmer than that from Y (P < .05), and muscle from Ms had a higher pigment concentration (P < .05). Yorkshire and Fengjing x Y had higher tenderness scores (P < .05).

Effect of hyperalimentation on body composition in swine.

Fifty growing pigs were used in two experiments to evaluate the effects of cannulation and hyperalimentation on performance and body composition responses. Surgical implantation of a cannula into the greater curvature of the stomach and subsequent management associated with maintenance of the cannula did not result in a reduction (P > .05) of voluntary feed intake. Cannulation did not negatively affect gain (P > .05). Over the entire trial, feed efficiency was not changed by cannulation (P > .05). Cannulation itself did not affect protein or fat deposition (P > .05) in the carcass. Hyperalimentation to approximately 120% of control intake resulted in increased daily gain (P < .05) and similar feed efficiency (P > .05) compared with that of control animals. Hyperalimentation decreased protein deposition (P < .05) and tended to increase fat deposition.

DMSO potentiates aminonucleoside of puromycin nephrosis in rats.

Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), 3 g/kg body weight, administered daily by the intraperitoneal route, potentiated the proteinuria and formation of tubular casts in aminonucleoside of puromycin (PA) induced nephrosis in Sprague-Dawley rats. The effect was evident at 4 as well as 8-9 days following PA administration. In the absence of PA, DMSO did not induce proteinuria or cast formation. The mechanism by which DMSO enhanced proteinuria and cast formation is not known.