Research status and challenges of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children: A bibliometric and visualization analysis from 2011 to 2023.

BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infections occur in regional outbreaks every 3 to 7 years, lasting up to 2 years. Since this fall, there has been a significant rise in MP infections among children in China, indicating a regional epidemiological trend that imposes an increased national public health burden. To date, bibliometric methods have not been applied to studies on MP infection in children. METHODS: We searched for all relevant English publications on MP pneumonia in children published from 2011 to 2023 using Web of Science. Analytical software tools such as Citespace and VOSviewer were employed to analyze the collected literature. RESULTS: 993 articles on MP pneumonia in children were published in 338 academic journals by 5062 authors affiliated with 1381 institutions across 75 countries/regions. China led in global productivity with 56.19%. Among the top 10 prolific organizations, 8 were Chinese institutions, with Soochow University being the most active, followed by Capital Medical University and Zhejiang University. Zhimin Chen from Zhejiang University School of Medicine exhibited the highest H-index of 32. Keyword co-occurrence network analysis revealed 7 highly relevant clusters. CONCLUSION: The current research hotspots and frontiers in this field are primarily MP pneumonia, refractory MP pneumonia, lactate dehydrogenase, asthma, and biomarker. We anticipate that this work will provide novel insights for advancing scientific exploration and the clinical application of MP pneumonia in children.

School climate and school identification as determinants of smoking conventional cigarettes or vaping among adolescents in China: Stress-coping mediation mechanisms.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking conventional cigarettes or vaping (SV) poses significant health threats to adolescents. School climate and school identification are key elements of the school environment and potential factors of SV. Based on the Stress Coping Theory, the mediations between school climate/school identification and SV, via perceived stress/active coping, were examined. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among secondary school students from February to March 2022 in Taizhou, China. Structural equation modeling was used. RESULTS: The prevalence of SV among the 7526 participants was 4.7% (singular use of conventional cigarettes: 3.2%; singular use of electronic cigarettes: 3.6%; dual use: 2.1%). School climate, school identification, and active coping were positively, and perceived stress (family stress, academic stress, and peer-related stress) were negatively associated with SV. The association between school climate and SV was fully mediated via: 1) school climate → perceived stress → SV; 2) school climate → active coping → SV; and 3) school climate → perceived stress → active coping → SV. The effect sizes were 52.1%, 43.8%, and 6.3%, respectively. Similar partial mediation mechanisms were found between school identification and SV, with relatively small effect sizes (<10%). CONCLUSIONS: This study observed the prevalence of SV among Chinese secondary school students. School climate and school identification had both significant direct and indirect (via perceived stress/active coping) effects on SV. Positive school environments may reduce students' stress and promote active coping. The stress coping mechanisms explained the association between school climate and SV better than between school identification and SV.

Development, validation, and implementation of an ultratrace analysis method for the determination of moenomycin A, in aquatic animal products.

Moenomycin A, an antimicrobial growth promoter widely used as an additive in aquaculture feedstuffs, has been restricted for use in the European Union and China due to its potential risk of promoting resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria and causing residues in aquatic animal products. Although methods for analyzing moenomycin A in feedstuffs have been developed, no established method exists for aquatic matrices. In this study, we present, for the first time, a sensitive and validated high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for the determination of moenomycin A in aquatic animal products. Samples were extracted using methanol and purified with the QuEChERS method employing C18 sorbent. The aliquot was dried under a nitrogen stream, reconstituted with methanol-water solvent, and analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS. The developed method exhibited good linearity (r2 > 0.995) over a wide concentration range (1-100 µg/L) and a low limit of detection (1 µg/kg). Average recoveries ranged between 70 and 110% at spiked concentrations of 1, 50, and 100 µg/kg, with associated intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations of 1.25 to 7.32% (n = 6) and 2.91 to 10.08% (n = 3), for different representative aquatic animal production, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported HPLC-MS/MS method for the quantification of moenomycin A in aquatic animal products. The new approach was effectively employed in the analysis of moenomycin A across various aquatic samples.

An iron-containing POM-based hybrid compound as a heterogeneous catalyst for one-step hydroxylation of benzene to phenol.

It is a major challenge to perform one-pot hydroxylation of benzene to phenol under mild conditions, which replaces the environmentally harmful cumene method. Thus, finding highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts that can be recycled is extremely significant. Herein, a (POM)-based hybrid compound {[FeII(pyim)2(C2H5O)][FeII(pyim)2(H2O)][PMoV2MoVI9VIV3O42]}·H2O (pyim = 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole) (Fe2-PMo11V3) was successfully prepared by hydrothermal synthesis using typical Keggin POMs, iron ions and pyim ligands. Single-crystal diffraction shows that the Fe-pyim unit in Fe2-PMo11V3 forms a stable double-supported skeleton by Fe-O bonding to the polyacid anion. Remarkably, due to the introduction of vanadium, Fe2-PMo11V3 forms a divanadium-capped conformation. Benzene oxidation experiments indicated that Fe2-PMo11V3 can catalyze the benzene hydroxylation reaction to phenol in a mixed solution of acetonitrile and acetic acid containing H2O2 at 60 °C, affording a phenol yield of about 16.2% and a selectivity of about 94%.

Copper-containing POM-based hybrid P2Mo22V4Cu4 nanocluster as heterogeneous catalyst for the light-driven hydroxylation of benzene to phenol.

The current traditional phenol production process has many shortcomings, and the efficient and clean photocatalytic one-step oxidation to phenol is gradually attracting attention. Heteropolyacids (PMo10V2) with high-density Lewis acid active sites and excellent photoelectron transfer ability are ideal choices for catalytic reactions. In this study, a copper-modified isolated dimeric hybrid nanocluster, [Cu(pyim)2]2[Cu(pyim)2(P2MoVI20MoV2VIV4O82)]2·(H2O) (pyim = [2-(pyridin-2-yl)imidazole]), was synthesized by a convenient hydrothermal method. The structural analysis demonstrated that the compound was composed of metal-organic complexes containing pyim ligands, Keggin-type heteropolyacids, and transition metal copper ions. Remarkably, this not only solves the difficulty that the heteropolymeric acid cannot be recovered by dissolving in the solvent but also introduces the copper atom as a second active center. The catalyst exhibited a benzene conversion of 15.6% and a selectivity of 85.2% in a mixed solution of acetonitrile and acetic acid under optimal reaction conditions. After four catalytic cycles, the PXRD pattern proved that the catalyst was still stable. This study provides a good idea for photocatalytic reactions and other environmental applications.

Characteristics of arsenic speciation in mainly cultured shellfish from Sanmen Bay, Zhejiang Province, China.

Sanmen Bay plays a crucial role in economic shellfish aquaculture in China, yet few studies exist on the arsenic speciation of shellfish from this area. In this study, arsenic speciation of 11 cultured shellfish species from Sanmen Bay were analyzed by HPLC/ICP-MS. The results showed that organic arsenic particularly AsB, was the dominant arsenic species, constituting 21 %-71 % of the total arsenic. Conversely, the levels of inorganic arsenic were relatively low, ranging from 0.007 to 0.093 mg/kg, only accounted for 0.2 %-5.7 % of the total arsenic. There was no significant level correlation between inorganic arsenic and total arsenic in Sanmen Bay shellfish, so the concentration of inorganic arsenic did not increase with the total arsenic. Overall, the present study firstly revealed the arsenic speciation of shellfish from Sanmen Bay and also suggested that the proportion of inorganic arsenic should be considered in the revision of arsenic limit values.

MoO42--templated Ln20Ni21 heterometallic clusters with large low-field magnetic entropy.

The anionic template method is an effective strategy for synthesizing high-nuclearity transition-lanthanide (3d-4f) heterometallic clusters. Herein, two lanthanide clusters with formulas [Gd20Ni21(µ3-OH)21(CO3)6(IDA)21(C2H4NO2)6(C2O4)3(MoO4)1.5(µ2-OH)1.5(H2O)9]Cl10.5·79H2O (1) and [Tb20Ni21(µ3-OH)21(CO3)6(IDA)21(C2H4NO2)6(C2O4)3(MoO4)(µ2-OH)2(H2O)10]Cl11·32H2O (2) were synthesized by introducing MoO42- anions as templates. Structural analysis indicates that compounds 1 and 2 are isomorphic, featuring a fascinating triangular-shaped metal framework. Magnetic property investigations illuminate the fact that compound 1 exhibits a large -ΔSm of 37.83 J kg-1 K-1 at 3 K for ΔH = 7 T. In particular, it is worth mentioning that compound 1 has an excellent low-field magnetic entropy (-ΔSm = 23.85 J kg-1 K-1 at 2 K, 2 T).

Two bimetal-doped (Fe/Co, Mn) polyoxometalate-based hybrid compounds for visible-light-driven CO2 reduction.

Two polyoxometalate (POM)-based hybrid compounds have been successfully designed and constructed by the hydrothermal method with molecular formulas [K(H2O)2FeII0.33Co0.67(H2O)2(DAPSC)]2{[FeII0.33Co0.67(H2O)(DAPSC)]2[FeII0.33Co0.67(H2O)4]2[Na2FeIII4P4W32O120]}·21.5H2O (1), and [Na(H2O)2FeII0.33Mn0.67(H2O)2(DAPSC)]2{[FeII0.33Mn0.67(H2O)(DAPSC)]2[FeII0.33Mn0.67(H2O)4]2[Na2FeIII4P4W32O120(H2O)2]}·24H2O (2) (DAPSC = 2,6-diacetylpyridine bis-(semicarbazone)), respectively. Structural analysis revealed that 1 and 2 consisted of metal-organic complexes containing DAPSC ligands with dumbbell-type inorganic clusters, iron-cobalt (iron-manganese) and some other ions. By utilizing a combination of strongly reducing {P2W12} units and bimetal-doped centres the CO2 photoreduction catalytic capacity of 1 and 2 was improved. Notably, the photocatalytic performance of 1 was much better than that of 2. In CO2 photoreduction, 1 exhibited CO selectivity as high as 90.8%. Furthermore, for 1, the CO generation rate reached 6885.1 µmol g-1 h-1 at 8 h with 3 mg, and its better photocatalytic performance was presumably due to the introduction of cobalt and iron elements to give 1 a more appropriate energy band structure. Further recycling experiments indicated that 1 was a highly efficient CO2 photoreduction catalyst, which could still possess catalytic activity after several cycles.

Research advances in endometriosis-related signaling pathways: A review.

Endometriosis (EM) is characterized by the existence of endometrial mucosa outside the uterine cavity, which causesinfertility, persistent aches, and a decline in women's quality of life. Both hormone therapies and nonhormone therapies, such as NSAIDs, are ineffective, generic categories of EM drugs. Endometriosis is a benign gynecological condition, yet it shares a number of features with cancer cells, including immune evasion, survival, adhesion, invasion, and angiogenesis. Several endometriosis-related signaling pathways are comprehensively reviewed in this article, including E2, NF-κB, MAPK, ERK, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, YAP, Wnt/ß-catenin, Rho/ROCK, TGF-ß, VEGF, NO, iron, cytokines and chemokines. To find and develop novel medications for the treatment of EM, it is essential to implicitly determine the molecular pathways that are disordered during EM development. Additionally, research on the shared pathways between EM and tumors can provide hypotheses or suggestions for endometriosis therapeutic targets.

Highly Sensitive Determination of Antibiotic Residues in Aquatic Products by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Antibiotic drug residues are crucial to ensure food safety and minimize risk to human health. Herein, a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography−tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC−MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of antibiotic residues (mainly amphenicols) consisting of chloramphenicol (CAP), thiamphenicol (TAP), florfenicol (FF), and florfenicol amine (FFA) in aquatic products. Amphenicols were well separated on a Kinetex F5 (100 mm × 3.0 mm, 2.6 µm) chromatographic column with the mobile phases of 1 mM ammonium acetate aqueous solution and methanol solution and measured after positive and negative electrospray ionizations using four internal standards. To our knowledge, it was the first time to report the good performance of F5 column and four internal standards for the determination of amphenicols. The established method featured a good linear relationship between chromatographic peak area ratios and the concentrations of amphenicols (R2 > 0.992), a wide and low detection matrix-based range of 0.01−5 µg/L, a low detection limit of 0.01 µg/kg, etc. The spiked assays evidenced the accuracy and reliability of the developed method with the recoveries between 84.0 and 105%, the intraday relative standard deviations (RSDs) over the range of 0.769−13.7%, and the interday RSDs over the range of 0.582−13.3%. Finally, the proposed method was applied to investigate amphenicol residues in various aquatic products, including fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, and other aquatic species.

Cumulative Scoring Systems and Nomograms for Predicating Survival in Patients With Glioblastomas: A Study Based on Peripheral Inflammatory Markers.

Inflammation is a hallmark of cancers. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic potential of hematological inflammatory markers in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients. The clinical data of 99 patients with lower-grade gliomas and 88 patients with GBMs were retrospectively analyzed. The optimal cutoff values for peripheral markers were determined by X-tile. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to identify markers with prognostic significance. Several scoring systems were constructed by combining these prognostic markers. The predictive accuracies of nomograms incorporating these scoring systems were evaluated by Harrell's concordance index and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. GBM patients exhibited higher neutrophil counts (p=0.001), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p<0.001), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (p=0.001), as well as lower lymphocyte counts (p=0.023), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) (p=0.015), and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) (p=0.003) than those with lower-grade gliomas. Multivariate analysis indicated that a high NLR (> 2.0) (Hazard ratio[HR]=2.519, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.220-5.204, p=0.013), low LMR (< 2.3) (HR=2.268, 95%CI: 1.172-4.386, p=0.015), or low AGR (< 1.7) (HR=2.924, 95%CI: 1.389-6.135, p=0.005) were associated with poor overall survival in GBM patients. The scoring systems of AGR-NLR, AGR-LMR, and LMR-NLR were associated with GBM survival. The nomogram integrating AGR-NLR score had the best efficacy in predicting GBM survival (c-index=0.874). Pretreatment scores of AGR-NLR, AGR-LMR, and LMR-NLR may serve as prognostic factors for GBM patients, and a nomogram integrating AGR-NLR may provide a reliable tool to facilitate personalized preoperative evaluations.

Scutellarin Improves Type 2 Diabetic Cardiomyopathy by Regulating Cardiomyocyte Autophagy and Apoptosis.

Diabetes cardiomyopathy has metabolic disorder and abnormality of cardiomyocytes, which is closely related to autophagy or apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. Scutellarin (SCU) is an important monomer extracted from Erigeron breviscapus (vant.) Hand.-Mazz. This study was conducted to investigate the function of SCU on apoptosis and autophagy of myocardial cells. We established a model of type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy by high-fat and high-sugar diet. The results indicated that SCU downregulated blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and upregulated high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level. In addition, SCU downregulated lactic dehydrogenase 1 (LDH1) and creatine kinase (CK) levels. Meanwhile, SCU improved the myocardium morphology and reduced myocardial apoptosis. Furthermore, SCU promoted the mRNA and protein expression of autophagy-related factors (Beclin-1 and LC3-II) and inhibited the mRNA and protein expression of apoptosis-related factors (caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, caspase-12, Bax, and Cyt-C). In conclusion, SCU can promote autophagy signal pathway by upregulating the autophagy-related factors and inhibit the apoptotic signal pathway by downregulating apoptosis-related factors, thereby relieving type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy (T2DC).

Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis Malignant Invasion of Cervical Wall and Rectal Wall With Lynch Syndrome： A Rare Case Report and Review of Literature.

Background: Malignant transformation of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) invading the cervix and rectum is quite rare, especially in patients combined with Lynch syndrome (LS). We report a rare case of a 49-year-old perimenopausal woman with endometrioid carcinoma arising from the pouch of Douglas, invading the cervix and rectum 1 year after a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy treatment for ovarian endometriosis. The genetic testing of the patient showed germline mutations in MSH2, which combined with the special family history of colorectal cancer of the patient, was also thought to be associated with LS. We have analyzed the reported cases of DIE malignant transformation over the last 10 years, and reviewed the relevant literature, in order to strengthen the clinical management of patients with endometriosis, particularly patients with DIE, and reveal a possible correlation between malignant transformation of endometriosis and LS. Case Presentation: A 49-year-old perimenopausal woman presented with hypogastralgia, diarrhea, and intermittent fever for more than 1 month. A Transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) showed a cervix isthmus mass, and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass in pouch of Douglas with high suspicion of malignancy, possibly invading the anterior wall of the rectum. Prior to surgery, the patient performed the ultrasound guided pelvic mass biopsy through the vagina, and the pathology of the mass showed endometrioid carcinoma. The patient received a gynecological-surgical laparotomy and enterostomy, and a histopathology revealed endometrioid carcinoma infiltrating the cervical wall and rectal wall. In the family genetic history of the patient, her mother and two sisters suffered from colorectal cancer, so lesion tissue and blood were taken for genetic testing, which showed a germline mutation in MSH2, with LS being considered. After the surgical treatment, the patient received six courses of paclitaxel-carboplatin chemotherapy. During the course of treatment, bone marrow suppression occurred, but was healed after symptomatic treatment. To date, the patient is generally in good health, and imaging examination showed no evidence of recurrence. Conclusion: The risk of malignant transformation of endometriosis is increased in perimenopause and postmenopause, as DIE is a rare malignant transformation of endometriosis. DIE can invade other adjacent organs and cause poor prognosis, thus, comprehensive gynecological-surgical treatment should be necessary. In addition, if histopathology showed endometrioid carcinoma, the possibility of LS should be considered, and if necessary, immunohistochemical staining and gene detection should be improved to provide follow-up targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

PPARß down-regulation is involved in high glucose-induced endothelial injury via acceleration of nitrative stress.

Endothelial injury plays a vital role in vascular lesions from diabetes mellitus (DM). Therapeutic targets against endothelial damage may provide critical venues for the treatment of diabetic vascular diseases. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ß (PPARß) is a crucial regulator in DM and its complications. However, the molecular signal mediating the roles of PPARß in DM-induced endothelial dysfunction is not fully understood. The impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation and destruction of the endothelium structures appeared in high glucose incubated rat aortic rings. A high glucose level significantly decreased the expression of PPARß and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) at the mRNA and protein levels, and reduced the concentration of nitric oxide (NO), which occurred in parallel with an increase in the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and 3-nitrotyrosine. The effect of high glucose was inhibited by GW0742, a PPARß agonist. Both GSK0660 (PPARß antagonist) and NG-nitro-l-arginine-methyl ester (NOS inhibitor) could reverse the protective effects of GW0742. These results suggest that the activation of nitrative stress may, at least in part, mediate the down-regulation of PPARß in high glucose-impaired endothelial function in rat aorta. PPARß-nitrative stress may hold potential in treating vascular complications from DM.

Immune Cell Infiltration as Signatures for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Malignant Gynecological Tumors.

Background Malignant gynecological tumors are the main cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide and include uterine carcinosarcomas, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. This study aims to determine the association between immune cell infiltration and malignant gynecological tumors and construct signatures for diagnosis and prognosis. Methods We acquired malignant gynecological tumor RNA-seq transcriptome data from the TCGA database. Next, the "CIBERSORT" algorithm calculated the infiltration of 22 immune cells in malignant gynecological tumors. To construct diagnosis and prognosis signatures, step-wise regression and LASSO analyses were applied, and nomogram and immune subtypes were further identified. Results Notably, Immune cell infiltration plays a significant role in tumorigenesis and development. There are obvious differences in the distribution of immune cells in normal, and tumor tissues. Resting NK cells, M0 Macrophages, and M1 Macrophages participated in the construction of the diagnostic model, with an AUC value of 0.898. LASSO analyses identified a risk signature including T cells CD8, activated NK cells, Monocytes, M2 Macrophages, resting Mast cells, and Neutrophils, proving the prognostic value for the risk signature. We identified two subtypes according to consensus clustering, where immune subtype 3 presented the highest risk. Conclusion We identified diagnostic and prognostic signatures based on immune cell infiltration. Thus, this study provided a strong basis for the early diagnosis and effective treatment of malignant gynecological tumors.

Association of tricellulin expression with poor colorectal cancer prognosis and metastasis.

Tricellulin is a tight­junction transmembrane protein that regulates cell­cell interactions. Altered tricellulin expression could promote tumor cell invasions and metastasis in human cancers. The present study assessed tricellulin expression in colorectal cancer tissues for any association with clinicopathological features of colorectal cancer patients and then investigated the underlying molecular events using quantitative proteomic analysis and in vitro experiments. Tissue samples from 98 colorectal cancer patients and 15 volunteers were collected for immunohistochemistry. Colorectal cell lines were used to overexpress or knockdown tricellulin expression in various assays. The data revealed that upregulated tricellulin expression was associated with lymph node and distant metastases and poor prognosis, while tricellulin overexpression promoted colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro. In contrast, tricellulin knockdown had positive effects on the tumor cells. Furthermore, TMT­LC­MS/MS and bioinformatics analyses revealed that tricellulin was involved in EMT and reduction of apoptosis through the NF­κB signaling pathway. These findings highlight for the first time the significance of tricellulin in colorectal cancer development and progression. Further study may validate tricellulin as a novel biomarker and target for colorectal cancer.

High expression of CDCA7 predicts tumor progression and poor prognosis in human colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most fatal types of cancer worldwide. This study aimed to determine the predictive and prognostic values of cell division cycle associated protein 7 (CDCA7) in CRC. Firstly, the relationship between CDCA7 and CRC was assessed through bioinformatics analysis. Subsequently, CDCA7 expression levels were detected in various CRC cell lines, as well as 15 fresh human CRC tissues and their paired adjacent normal colorectal tissues using reverse transcription­quantitative PCR and western blotting. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the levels of CDCA7 in 104 CRC tissues and their paired adjacent normal colorectal tissues. The present study revealed that CDCA7 expression was upregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines. The positive expression rates of CDCA7 in normal and CRC tissues were 26.92 and 75.96%, respectively. The intensities of CDCA7 immunostaining were significantly associated with CRC invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, tumor­node­metastasis stage and distant metastasis. However, no significant differences in sex, age, tumor size and CRC differentiation were found between high and low CDCA7 expression groups. Furthermore, patients with low CDCA7 expression exhibited a greater overall survival rate of CRC compared to those with high CDCA7 expression. The findings of this study indicated that CDCA7 may serve a significant role in CRC prognosis and progression, and may be considered a novel biomarker for the prediction of patient survival after colectomy.

Induction of fiber-like aggregation and gelation of collagen by ultraviolet irradiation at low temperature.

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is a common method of molecular crosslinking and sterilization of collagen. In this study, UV irradiation at low temperature conditions was investigated as an induction and regulation method for fiber-like aggregation and gelation of collagen. Differences between gelation processes induced by UV irradiation and by traditional temperature-induced methods as well as differences in the properties of the gelation products were systematically analyzed. We found that UV irradiation can induce fiber-like aggregation and gelation of bovine tendon collagen at lower temperatures (<17 °C) than the usual temperature of 37 °C. During UV irradiation, cross-linking and degradation of collagen molecules occurred along with typical collagen fiber formation. The collagen fibers, together with the grafted collagen molecules and the degraded collagen peptides, formed a gel product that had a unique, multi-layered network structure. Collagen gels induced by UV irradiation at low temperatures displayed improved thermal stability, mechanical strength, and cell-growth promoting ability compared with collagen gels that were induced at 37 °C. Our results open up new avenues for the production of collagen-based biomaterials.

Upregulation of nectin-4 is associated with ITGB1 and vasculogenic mimicry and may serve as a predictor of poor prognosis in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Unlike endothelium-dependent vasculature, vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is an alternative type of blood supply in tumors that is frequently associated with poor patient outcome. Nectin-4 serves a vital role in the formation and maintenance of adherens junctions; integrin ß-1 (ITGB1) promotes tumor invasion, metastasis and VM formation. In the present study, the analysis of nectin-4 mRNA expression in a database of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was combined with that of another non-overlapping cohort of 68 patients with CRC. TCGA data were used to examine nectin-4 mRNA expression in CRC and its correlation with the clinicopathological features of patients. Data from the non-overlapping cohort of patients was used to determine nectin-4 and ITGB1 protein expression in CRC by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Cluster of differentiation 34/periodic acid-Schiff double staining was performed to validate the presence of VM formation. The association with, and significance of combining nectin-4, ITGB1 protein expression and VM formation for predicting patient prognosis was evaluated. The TCGA dataset demonstrated that nectin-4 mRNA was upregulated in CRC, which was significantly relate to lymph node metastasis (P=0.0017), distant metastasis (P=0.0045), and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (P=0.0015). Of the 68 patients analyzed by IHC staining, 48 (70.6%) were positive for nectin-4, 46 (67.6%) for ITGB1 and 17 (25%) for VM formation. Nectin-4 protein expression was associated with ITGB1 protein expression (P<0.01) and VM formation (P<0.05). Nectin-4, ITGB1 expression and VM formation were associated with distant metastasis stage (P<0.05) and TNM stage (P<0.05). Based on these findings it was concluded that nectin-4 was upregulated in CRC tissues compared with normal mucosal tissues, and was associated with ITGB1 expression and VM formation. Furthermore, nectin-4 and ITGB1 protein expression, together with VM formation may be used to predict poor prognosis in CRC.

Relationship of vasculogenic mimicry, SphK1 expression, and Cx43 expression to metastasis and prognosis in colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of vasculogenic mimicry (VM) and expression of Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) and Connexin43 (Cx43) in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues, and to identify their inter-relationships and associations with multiple pathologic parameters. METHODS: Ninety-two CRC specimens and normal pericarcinoma tissues were analyzed for expression of SphK1 and Cx43 using immunohistochemistry, and for identification of VM using CD34-periodic acid-Schiff dual staining. RESULTS: The positive rate of SphK1 expression was greater in CRC cells than pericarcinoma cells (85.87% vs. 33.70%, P < 0.05). In contrast, the positive rate of Cx43 expression was greater in pericarcinoma cells than in CRC cells (58.70% vs. 92.39%, P < 0.05). Analysis of CRC tissues indicated that expression of SphK1 was associated with poor differentiation, advanced tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, and the presence of VM (P < 0.05 for each comparison). Expression of Cx43 was associated with high differentiation and the presence of VM (P < 0.05 for each comparison). Patient sex, age, tumor size, depth of invasion, and distant metastasis were unrelated to the expression of either protein. There was a significant correlation between the expression of SphK1 and Cx43 (P < 0.05). Analysis of overall patient survival indicated that SphK1 positivity and the presence of VM were significantly associated with poor survival, but Cx43 positivity had no relationship with survival. CONCLUSION: SphK1 protein expression was significantly greater in CRC tissues than pericarcinoma tissues, suggesting this protein may be associated with the pathogenesis of CRC. In addition, the significant correlation between expression of SphK1 and Cx43 in CRC tissues suggests their interaction may impact the pathogenesis of CRC.