Associations of procalcitonin, C-reaction protein and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in China.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an important and urgent threat to global health. Inflammation factors are important for COVID-19 mortality, and we aim to explore whether the baseline levels of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reaction protein (CRP) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with COVID-19. A retrospective study was conducted and a total of 76 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were included between January 17, 2020 to March 2, 2020, of these cases, 17 patients were dead. After adjusting covariates, PCT (≥ 0.10 ng/mL) and CRP (≥ 52.14 mg/L) exhibited independent increasing risks of mortality were used hazard ratio (HR) of 52.68 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.77-1571.66) and 5.47 (95% CI: 1.04-28.72), respectively. However, NRL (≥ 3.59) was not found to be an independent risk factor for death in our study. Furthermore, the elevated PCT levels were still associated with increasing risk of mortality in the old age group (age ≥ 60 y), and in the critically severe and severe patients after adjustment for complications. Thu Baseline levels of PCT and CRP have been addressed as independent predictors of mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Effect of grelin on TRX expression in chronic heart failure tissue: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to explore the effect of grelin on TRX expression (TRXE) in chronic heart failure tissue (CHFT). METHODS: We will search electronic databases from inception to the March 1, 2020 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PEDro, the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. We will not apply any limitations to the language and publication status. Any randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that studied the effect of grelin on TRXE in CHFT will be included. Study quality will be checked by Cochrane risk of bias and evidence quality will be appraised by Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation. All extracted data will be analyzed by RevMan 5.3 Software. RESULTS: This study will summarize the present RCTs to assess the effect of grelin on TRXE in CHFT. CONCLUSION: The results of this study will provide conclusive evidence of the effect of grelin on TRXE in CHFT. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: INPLASY202040078.

Cloning and transcription analysis of the Candida rugosa propionyl-CoA dehydrogenase gene and its expression in Pichia pastoris.

The propionyl-CoA dehydrogenase (PACD) gene was cloned from Candida rugosa by the cDNA RACE technique. The full cDNA of the PACD gene has a length of 1408 bp, which contains a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 1329 bp, coding for 442 amino acids. The cDNA of PACD was cloned into the expression plasmid pPIC9K and transformed into Pichia pastoris GS115. The recombinant protein was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography, and its size was observed to be approximately 49 kDa as estimated by SDS-PAGE. Anti-His antibodies were used to characterise the recombinant PACD by western-blot analysis. The recombinant protein retained the activity of catalysing propionyl-CoA to acryloyl-CoA. The results of dot-blotting hybridisation using a PACD cDNA probe indicated that the PACD mRNA level was modified at different stages: mRNA levels were low for the first 36 h, then increased through 48 h and eventually reached a stable level. These results indicate that propionate induction could significantly activate PACD mRNA expression. Information from this study will be helpful in elucidating the metabolic pathway for 3-hydroxypropionic acid production in C. rugosa.

Expression and characterization of a novel propionyl-CoA dehydrogenase gene from Candida rugosa in Pichia pastoris.

The propionyl-CoA dehydrogenase (PACD) gene was firstly cloned from Candida rugosa by the cDNA RACE technique. The 6× His-tagged recombinant PACD gene was expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115 and purified with Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. SDS-PAGE analysis and Western blotting revealed that the molecular mass of the purified PACD was 49 kDa. The results showed that the recombinant protein had the activity of catalyzing propionyl-CoA to acrylyl-CoA. The K (m), k (cat), and V (max) values of the purified PACD were calculated to be 40.86 µM, 0.566 s(-1) and 0.693 U mg(-1) min(-1). The optimal temperature and pH of the purified PACD were 30 °C and 7.0, respectively. The recombinant PACD maintained 76.3%, 30.1%, and 4.3% of its original activity after 2 h incubation in standard buffer at 30, 40, and 50 °C, respectively. Mg(2+) had an activating effect on the enzyme, while Mn(2+), Ca(2+), Zn(2+), and Cu(2+) had weak inhibition. Since PACD catalyzed the key step (from propionyl-CoA to acrylyl-CoA) in the modified ß-oxidation pathway from glucose to 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP), the integration of recombinant PACD could benefit the engineered strains for effective production of 3-HP from the most abundant biomass-sugars.

Glycerol/glucose co-fermentation: one more proficient process to produce propionic acid by Propionibacterium acidipropionici.

Cosubstrates fermentation is such an effective strategy for increasing subject metabolic products that it could be available and studied in propionic acid production, using glycerol and glucose as carbon resources. The effects of glycerol, glucose, and their mixtures on the propionic acid production by Propionibacterium acidipropionici CGMCC1.2225 (ATCC4965) were studied, with the aim of improving the efficiency of propionic acid production. The propionic acid yield from substrate was improved from 0.475 and 0.303 g g(-1) with glycerol and glucose alone, respectively, to 0.572 g g(-1) with co-fermentation of a glycerol/glucose mixture of 4/1 (mol/mol). The maximal propionic acid and substrate conversion rate were 21.9 g l(-1) and 57.2% (w/w), respectively, both significantly higher than for a sole carbon source. Under optimized conditions of fed-batch fermentation, the maximal propionic acid yield and substrate conversion efficiency were 29.2 g l(-1) and 54.4% (w/w), respectively. These results showed that glycerol/glucose co-fermentation could serve as an excellent alternative to conventional propionic acid fermentation.

Application of real-time PCR to monitor population dynamics of defined mixed cultures of moderate thermophiles involved in bioleaching of chalcopyrite.

To compare oxidative dissolution rates of chalcopyrite by different consortia of moderately thermophilic acidophiles, various defined mixed cultures of three bacteria Acidithiobacillus caldus s2, Leptospirillum ferriphilum YSK, and Sulfobacillus sp. LN and one archaeon Ferroplasma thermophilum L1 were studied in batch shake flask cultures incubated at 45 degrees C. Chalcopyrite dissolution was determined by measuring variations of soluble copper, ferric iron, and pH. Microbial population dynamics involved in bioleaching process were monitored using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. The complex consortia containing both chemoautotrophic (L. ferriphilum and At. caldus) and chemomixotrophic (Sulfobacillus LN and F. thermophilum) moderate thermophiles were found to be the most efficient in all of those tested. Mutualistic interactions between physiologically distinct moderately thermophilic acidophiles, involving transformations of iron and sulfur and transfer of organic compound, were considered to play a critical role in promoting chalcopyrite dissolution. The real-time PCR assay was reliable to analyze population dynamics of moderate thermophiles in bioleaching systems, and the analysis results were consistent with physiological characteristics of these strains.