[Analysis of influence of MR signs on Harris score in ARCO stages 2-4 femoral head necrosis].

OBJECTIVE: To analysis and determine MR signs of Harris score ARCO stages 2-4 in osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH). METHODS: Thirty-four patients with ONFH of ARCO stages 2 to 4 who underwent routine MR, T2 mapping, 3D-SPACE sequence examination and Harris score were retrospectively collected from January 2019 to June 2020, and 3 patients were excluded, and 31 patients were finally included, including 23 males and 8 females, aged from 18 to 62 years old with an average of(40.0±10.8) years old. Among them 21 patients with bilateral femoral head necrosis, totally 52 cases, including 17 with ARCO stage 2 patients, 24 ARCO stage 3, and 11 ARCO stage 4. MR imaging signs (femoral head collapse depth, ONFH index, bone marrow edema, hyperplasia, grade and T2 value of cartilage injury, and joint effusion) were scored and measured on the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) workstation, and the cartilage quantitative parameter T2 value was calculated and measured on Siemens postprocessing workstation. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between various MR signs and Harris score, and then multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine impact of MR signs on Harris hip score. RESULTS: Femoral head collapse depth(r=-0.563, P=0.000), grade of cartilage injury(r=-0.500, P=0.000), and joint effusion (r=-0.535, P=0.000) were negatively correlated with Harris score by Pearson correlation analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that joint effusion(ß=-6.198, P=0.001) and femoral head collapse depth(ß=-4.085, P=0.014) had a significant negative impact on Harris hip score. CONCLUSION: Femoral head collapse depth and joint effusion both had significant negative relationship with Harris hip score. It is recommended to routinely evaluate femoral head collapse depth and joint effusion quantitatively and gradedly, so as to efficiently and accurately assist clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Screening of potential hub genes involved in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis infection via bioinformatics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common clinical form of leishmaniasis. Despite its low mortality, CL deserves further attention because its pathogenesis is currently no well-known or well-researched. METHODS: We downloaded the gene expression datasets of GSE55664 and GSE63931 with respect to leishmaniasis from the Gene Expression Synthesis (GEO) database. Additionally, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the infection and control groups were identified by packages of R software. The Gene Ontology (GO) function, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) pathway were utilized for the biological functional analysis. Subsequently, we identified the top ten hub genes from protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks based on STRING and Cytoscape software. The hub genes were validated in GraphPad Prism 8.0 using the GSE162760 dataset. Further, CIBERSORT was used to evaluate the immune cell infiltration proportions between the CL infection samples and the control samples based on the GSE43880 and GSE55664 datasets. RESULTS: The enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were significantly involved in cell-mediated immune responses, such as leukocyte cell-cell adhesion and T-cell activation. STAT1, CCR7, CCR2, and CXCL10 were identified as hub genes with statistical significance. These hub genes showed close correlations with various immune cells, such as M1 cells and CD4-activated memory T-cells. CONCLUSIONS: In our research, we used bioinformatics analysis to identify some molecular biomarkers and significant pathways in CL infection. These hub genes may provide new options for future diagnosis and treatment.

Identification of differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways with Candida infection by bioinformatics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Opportunistic Candida species causes severe infections when the human immune system is weakened, leading to high mortality. METHODS: In our study, bioinformatics analysis was used to study the high-throughput sequencing data of samples infected with four kinds of Candida species. And the hub genes were obtained by statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 547, 422, 415 and 405 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis groups were obtained, respectively. A total of 216 DEGs were obtained after taking intersections of DEGs from the four groups. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established using these 216 genes. The top 10 hub genes (FOSB, EGR1, JUNB, ATF3, EGR2, NR4A1, NR4A2, DUSP1, BTG2, and EGR3) were acquired through calculation by the cytoHubba plug-in in Cytoscape software. Validated by the sequencing data of peripheral blood, JUNB, ATF3 and EGR2 genes were  significant statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our study demonstrated the potential pathogenic genes in Candida species and their underlying mechanisms by bioinformatic analysis methods. Further, after statistical validation, JUNB, ATF3 and EGR2 genes were attained, which may be used as potential biomarkers with Candida species infection.

Identification of the Hub Genes and the Signaling Pathways in Human iPSC-Cardiomyocytes Infected by SARS-CoV-2.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enveloped single-stranded RNA virus that can lead to respiratory symptoms and damage many organs such as heart, kidney, intestine, brain and liver. It has not been clearly documented whether myocardial injury is caused by direct infection of cardiomyocytes, lung injury, or other unknown mechanisms. The gene expression profile of GSE150392 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The processing of high-throughput sequencing data and the screening of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were implemented by R software. The R software was employed to analyze the Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs was constructed by the STRING website. The Cytoscape software was applied for the visualization of PPI network and the identification of hub genes. The statistical analysis was performed by the GraphPad Prism software to verify the hub genes. A total of 516 up-regulated genes and 191 down-regulated genes were screened out. The top 1 enrichment items of GO in biological process (BP), Cellular Component (CC), and Molecular Function (MF) were type I interferon signaling pathway, sarcomere, and receptor ligand activity, respectively. The top 10 enrichment pathways, including TNF signaling pathway, were identified by KEGG enrichment analysis. A PPI network was established, consisting of 613 nodes and 3,993 edges. The 12 hub genes were confirmed as statistically significant, which was verified by GSE151879 dataset. In conclusion, the hub genes of human iPSC-cardiomyocytes infected with SARS-CoV-2 were identified through bioinformatics analysis, which may be used as biomarkers for further research.

Diagnostic value of Lipoarabinomannan antigen for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis in adults and children with or without HIV infection.

OBJECTIVES: Even today, tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading public health problem; yet, the current diagnostic methods still have a few shortcomings. Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) provides an opportunity for TB diagnosis, and urine LAM detection seems to have a promising and widely applicable prospect. DESIGN OR METHODS: Four databases were systematically searched for eligible studies, and the quality of the studies was evaluated using the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies-2 (QUADAS-2). Graphs and tables were created to show sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), the area under the curve (AUC), and so on. RESULTS: Based on the included 67 studies, the pooled sensitivity of urine LAM was 48% and specificity was 89%. In the subgroup analyses, the FujiLAM test had higher sensitivity (69%) and specificity (92%). Furthermore, among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 50% of TB patients were diagnosed using a urine LAM test. Besides, the CD4+ cell count was inversely proportional to the sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Urine LAM is a promising diagnostic test for TB, particularly using the FujiLAM in HIV-infected adults whose CD4+ cell count is ≤100 per µl. Besides, the urine LAM test shows various sensitivities and specificities in different subgroups in terms of age, HIV infection status, CD4+ cell count, and testing method.

Meta-Analysis of the Diagnostic Efficacy of the Luminex xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel FAST v2 Assay for Respiratory Viral Infections.

PURPOSE: Acute respiratory viral infections pose significant morbidity and mortality, making it essential to diagnose respiratory viral infections rapidly. In this study, the diagnostic efficacy of the Luminex xTAG Respiratory Virus Panel (RVP) FAST v2 test was evaluated on respiratory viral infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information was retrieved from electronic databases, including Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library, for systematic review. Studies that fulfilled predefined inclusion criteria were included. After the extraction of information, statistical software was utilized for quality evaluation, data analysis, and assessment of publication bias. RESULTS: Eighty groups in fourfold tables from nine articles were included to perform statistical analyses. Therein, the mean specificity and mean sensitivity of Luminex xTAG RVP FAST v2 test for the detection of respiratory viral infections were 0.99 (0.98-0.99) and 0.88 (0.87-0.90), respectively. Additionally, the negative and positive likelihood ratios were 0.14 (0.11-0.19) and 87.42 (61.88-123.50), respectively. Moreover, the diagnostic odds ratio and area under the curve of summary receiver operating characteristic were 714.80 and 0.9886, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Luminex xTAG RVP FAST v2 test could be a reliable and rapid diagnostic method for multiple respiratory viral infections.

Identification of potential biomarkers in dengue via integrated bioinformatic analysis.

Dengue fever virus (DENV) is a global health threat that is becoming increasingly critical. However, the pathogenesis of dengue has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we employed bioinformatics analysis to identify potential biomarkers related to dengue fever and clarify their underlying mechanisms. The results showed that there were 668, 1901, and 8283 differentially expressed genes between the dengue-infected samples and normal samples in the GSE28405, GSE38246, and GSE51808 datasets, respectively. Through overlapping, a total of 69 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 51 were upregulated and 18 were downregulated. We identified twelve hub genes, including MX1, IFI44L, IFI44, IFI27, ISG15, STAT1, IFI35, OAS3, OAS2, OAS1, IFI6, and USP18. Except for IFI44 and STAT1, the others were statistically significant after validation. We predicted the related microRNAs (miRNAs) of these 12 target genes through the database miRTarBase, and finally obtained one important miRNA: has-mir-146a-5p. In addition, gene ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were carried out, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to gain insight into the actions of DEGs. In conclusion, our study displayed the effectiveness of bioinformatics analysis methods in screening potential pathogenic genes in dengue fever and their underlying mechanisms. Further, we successfully predicted IFI44L and IFI6, as potential biomarkers with DENV infection, providing promising targets for the treatment of dengue fever to a certain extent.

[Clinical study on new risk assessment and prediction system for early osteonecrosis of the femoral head].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a risk assessment and prediction system for early osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) in order to predict the collapse risk. METHODS: The risk assessment system for early necrosis and collapse of femoral head was established based on the combination of Steinberg stage, ABC typing and the proportion of the proximal sclerotic rim. Firstly, Steinberg stage system was applied. ABC typing was applied to predict risk in stage I, type C was risk free, type B was low risk, type A and type BC were medium risk, type A-C and type AB were high risk. The classification of proximal sclerotic rim was first applied when the Steinberg stage was Ⅱ-Ⅲ, and type 2 was expected to be low risk. If the classification of proximal sclerotic rimwas type 1, then the ABC typing was applied, type C was risk-free, type B was low risk, type A and type BC were medium risk, type A-C and type AB were high risk. According to this prediction system, the collapse risk of femoral head in 188 cases(301 hips) were predicted by retrospective analysis. All the hips were enrolled at the out-patient department of orthopedic in Guang'anmen Hospital attached to China Academy of Chinese Medical Science. The consistency of the prediction results of three doctors and one doctor at different times were evaluated. RESULTS: Among them, 136 cases were male, 52 were female. 75 cases were single hip, 113 were double hip. The age of the patients wa 19 to 64(42.61±12.07) years. The natural course of disease was 0.33 to 5.00(3.62±1.93) years. 206 hips in 301 hips had collapsed, with a collapse rate of 68.44%. In the risk-free group, none hip had collapsed, with a collapse rate of 0%. In the low-risk group, 9 hip in 91 hips had collapsed, with a collapse rate of 9.89%. In the medium-risk group, 12 hip in 19 hips had collapsed, with a collapse rate of 63.16%. And in the high risk group, 185 hips in 190 hips had collapsed, with a collapse rate of 97.37%. They were significantly differences in their collapse rate (P=0.00) in the following order:high-risk group> medium-risk > low-risk group > risk-free group. The prediction value of the system was high (AUC=0.95, P=0.00). The results predicted by different doctors were consistent (ICC=0.94, P=0.00), and the results predicted by the same doctor at two different times were consistent (Kappa coefficient =0.90, P=0.00). CONCLUSION: The risk assessment and prediction system for early ONFH selects different methods to predict the risk of collapse according to the imaging characteristics of different stages, which is combines with the comprehensive assessment of multiple risk factors. The system is applicable to a wide range, simple operation and convenient for clinical application.

Identification of hub genes and signaling pathways related to gastric cells infected by Helicobacter pylori.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is a pathogen involved in several gastroduodenal diseases, whose infection mechanisms have not been completely confirmed. To study the specific mechanism of gastropathy caused by H. pylori, we analyzed the gene microarray of gastric mucosa and gastric cells infected by H. pylori through bioinformatics analysis. METHODS: We downloaded GSE60427 and GSE74492 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and identified the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) through R software. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) was applied to establish a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Cytoscape was used to identify the top seven hub genes. Besides, we also constructed the gene-microRNA(gene-miRNA) interaction through the miRTarBase v8.0 database by using the NetworkAnalyst tool. RESULTS: One hundred and fifteen DEGs were screened out, with 54 genes up-regulated and 61 genes down-regulated, among which seven hub genes, including "IGF1R," "APOE," "IRS1," "ATF3," "LCN2," "IL2RG," and "PI3," were considered as the main regulatory proteins in gastric cells when infected by H. pylori. CONCLUSION: In this study, hub genes and related signal enrichment pathways of gastropathy infected by H. pylori were analyzed through bioinformatics analysis based on the GSE60427 and GSE74492 datasets.

Evaluation of Xpert Carba-R Assay for the Detection of Carbapenemase Genes in Gram-Negative Bacteria.

INTRODUCTION: High mortality associated with carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria (CP-GNB) has evolved into a global health threat. Rapid and accurate detection as well as prompt treatment are of great significance in this case. Xpert Carba-R, a multiple qualitative analysis designed to detect five clinically relevant carbapenem-resistant gene families within one hour, is regarded as reliable, accurate, and easy-to-operate. This study is to present a systematic evaluation of the performance of Xpert Carba-R in detecting carbapenemase genes in GNB suspected for carbapenemase production. METHODS: We searched and screened the literature on "Xpert Carba-R" in the database of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library, employing two independent evaluators to collect data, respectively. Then, statistical analysis of the data obtained was performed by the Stata 12.0 software to measure the accuracy of Xpert Carba-R assay in detecting the carbapenemase genes in GNB. RESULTS: We screened a total of 1767 Gram-negative bacillus isolates documented in 9 articles. The precision of the detection of OXA-48 carbapenemase genes was 100%; that of NDM = 100%; that of VIM = 100%. When it came to KPC, the precision rate was 100%; that of IMP = 99%. The overall accuracy of the detection of carbapenemase genes was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Xpert Carba-R assay demonstrates a 100% precision in identifying carbapenemase genes in GNB. It can be seen that Xpert Carba-R method is an effective tool for early clinical detection, which is suitable for the detection of carbapenase gene in GNB.

Identification of differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways in human conjunctiva and reproductive tract infected with Chlamydia trachomatis.

BACKGROUND: Currently, Chlamydia trachomatis-specific host defense mechanisms in humans remain poorly defined. To study the characteristics of host cells infected early with Chlamydia trachomatis, we used bioinformatics methods to analyze the RNA transcription profiles of the conjunctiva, fallopian tubes, and endometrium in humans infected with Chlamydia trachomatis. METHOD: The gene expression profiles of GSE20430, GSE20436, GSE26692, and GSE41075 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Synthesis (GEO) database. Then, we obtained the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) through the R 4.0.1 software. STRING was used to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks; then, the Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to visualize the PPI and screen hub genes. GraphPad Prism 8.0 software was used to verify the expression of the hub gene. In addition, the gene-miRNA interaction was constructed on the NetworkAnalyst 3.0 platform using the miRTarBase v8.0 database. RESULTS: A total of 600 and 135 DEGs were screened out in the conjunctival infection group and the reproductive tract infection group, respectively. After constructing a PPI network and verifying the hub genes, CSF2, CD40, and CSF3 in the reproductive tract infection group proved to have considerable statistical significance. CONCLUSION: In our research, the key genes in the biological process of reproductive tract infection with Chlamydia trachomatis were clarified through bioinformatics analysis. These hub genes may be further used in clinical treatment and clinical diagnosis.

Pooled analysis of Xpert Bladder Cancer based on the 5 mRNAs for rapid diagnosis of bladder carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Xpert Bladder Cancer is a detection method developed in recent years, designed with the functions of integrating sample automatically, nucleic acid amplification, and target sequence detection. It is a urine assay targeting five mRNAs (CRH, IGF2, UPK1B, ANXA10, and ABL1). The purpose of this article is to review the accuracy of Xpert Bladder Cancer in the follow-up diagnosis of bladder cancer and evaluate the role of Xpert Bladder Cancer in detecting the recurrence of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the round. METHODS: In the database of Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, the articles published up to October 13, 2020, were searched and screened based on the exclusion and inclusion criteria, and data were extracted from the included studies. The sensitivity, specificity, negative likelihood ratio, positive likelihood ratio summary of receiver operating characteristic curves, and diagnostic odds ratio were combined by the Meta-DiSc 1.4 software. The Stata 12.0 software was used to obtain the assessment of publication bias. RESULTS: A total of 8 articles involving eight fourfold tables were finally identified. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of Xpert Bladder Cancer in the diagnosis of bladder cancer were 0.71 and 0.81, respectively. The positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 3.74 and 0.34, respectively. The area under the curve was 0.8407. The diagnostic odds ratio was 11.99. Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test manifested no publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, Xpert Bladder Cancer presents high accuracy and specificity in monitoring bladder cancer compared with cystoscopy. More researches are still required to further confirm this conclusion.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Galactomannan for Invasive Aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) is still unknown, but its progression is rapid and mortality rate remains high. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) galactomannan (GM) analysis has been used to diagnose IA. This study is aimed at making an accurate estimate of the whole accuracy of BALF-GM in diagnosing IA. METHODS: After a systematic review of the study, a bivariate meta-analysis was used to summarize the specificity (SPE), the sensitivity (SEN), the positive likelihood ratios (PLR), and the negative likelihood ratios (NLR) of BALF-GM in diagnosing IA. The overall test performance was summarized using a layered summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve. Subgroup analysis was performed to explore the heterogeneity between studies. RESULTS: A total of 65 studies that are in line with the inclusion criteria were included. The summary estimates of BALF-GM analysis are divided into four categories. The first is the proven+probable vs. possible+no IA, with an SPE, 0.87 (95% CI, 0.85-0.98); SEN, 0.81 (95% CI, 0.76-0.84); PLR, 9.78 (5.78-16.56); and NLR, 0.20 (0.14-0.29). The AUC was 0.94. The BALF-GM test for proven+probable vs. no IA showed SPE, 0.88 (95% CI, 0.87-0.90); SEN, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.78-0.85); PLR, 6.56 (4.93-8.75); and NLR, 0.24 (0.17-0.33). The AUC was 0.93. The BALF-GM test for proven+probable+possible vs. no IA showed SPE, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.79-0.95); SEN, 0.59 (95% CI, 0.55-0.63); PLR, 3.60 (2.07-6.25); and NLR, 0.31 (0.15-0.61). The AUC was 0.86. The analyses for others showed SPE, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.83-0.87); SEN, 0.89 (95% CI, 0.86-0.91); PLR, 6.91 (4.67-10.22); and NLR, 0.18 (0.13-0.26). The AUC was 0.94. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this BALF-GM test resulted in some impact on the diagnosis of IA. The BALF-GM assay is considered a method for diagnosing IA with high SEN and SPE. However, the patients' underlying diseases may affect the accuracy of diagnosis. When the cutoff is greater than 1, the sensitivity will be higher.

Evaluation of lateral flow immunochromatographic assay for diagnostic accuracy of cryptococcosis.

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcus is a conditional pathogenic fungus causing cryptococcosis, which is one of the most serious fungal diseases faced by humans. Lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (LFA) is successfully applied to the rapid detection of cryptococcal antigens. METHODS: Studies were retrieved systematically from the Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library before July 2019. The quality of the studies was assessed by Review Manager 5.0 based on the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Study guidelines. The extracted data from the included studies were analyzed by Meta-DiSc 1.4. Stata 12.0 software was used to detect the publication bias. RESULTS: A total of 15 articles with 31 fourfold tables were adopted by inclusion and exclusion criteria. The merged sensitivity and specificity in serum were 0.98 and 0.98, respectively, and those in the cerebrospinal fluid were 0.99 and 0.99, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the urine and other samples, LFA in serum and cerebrospinal fluid is favorable evidence for the diagnosis of cryptococcosis with high specificity and sensitivity.

LncRNA DSCAM-AS1 interacts with YBX1 to promote cancer progression by forming a positive feedback loop that activates FOXA1 transcription network.

Rationale: The forkhead box A1 (FOXA1) is a crucial transcription factor in initiation and development of breast, lung and prostate cancer. Previous studies about the FOXA1 transcriptional network were mainly focused on protein-coding genes. Its regulatory network of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and their role in FOXA1 oncogenic activity remains unknown. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data were used to analyze FOXA1 regulated lncRNAs. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of DSCAM-AS1, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to determine the expression of FOXA1, estrogen receptor α (ERα) and Y box binding protein 1 (YBX1). RNA pull-down and RIP-qPCR were employed to investigate the interaction between DSCAM-AS1 and YBX1. The effect of DSCAM-AS1 on malignant phenotypes was examined through in vitro and in vivo assays. Results: In this study, we conducted a global analysis of FOXA1 regulated lncRNAs. For detailed analysis, we chose lncRNA DSCAM-AS1, which is specifically expressed in lung adenocarcinoma, breast and prostate cancer. The expression level of DSCAM-AS1 is regulated by two super-enhancers (SEs) driven by FOXA1. High expression levels of DSCAM-AS1 was associated with poor prognosis. Knockout experiments showed DSCAM-AS1 was essential for the growth of xenograft tumors. Moreover, we demonstrated DSCAM-AS1 can regulate the expression of the master transcriptional factor FOXA1. In breast cancer, DSCAM-AS1 was also found to regulate ERα. Mechanistically, DSCAM-AS1 interacts with YBX1 and influences the recruitment of YBX1 in the promoter regions of FOXA1 and ERα. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that lncRNA DSCAM-AS1 was transcriptionally activated by super-enhancers driven by FOXA1 and exhibited lineage-specific expression pattern. DSCAM-AS1 can promote cancer progression by interacting with YBX1 and regulating expression of FOXA1 and ERα.

Alterations of Sphingolipid Metabolism in Different Types of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

The roles of sphingolipids in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the sphingolipid characteristics for different types of PCOS using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). A total of 107 women with PCOS and 37 healthy women as normal controls were studied. PCOS patients were further classified into non-obesity with insulin resistance (IR) (NOIR), obesity with IR (OIR), and non-obesity and non-IR (NIR) subgroups. A total of 87 serum sphingolipids, including 9 sphingosines, 3 sphinganines, 1 sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), 19 ceramides (Cers), 1 ceramide-1-phosphate, 44 sphingomyelins (SMs), 4 hexosylceramides, and 6 lactosylceramides (LacCers) were analyzed using an improved sphingolipidomic approach based on LC-MS. Notable elevations in the levels of S1P, Cer, and SM were observed in PCOS patients when compared with healthy women, and SM species with long saturated acyl chains showed potential as novel biomarkers of PCOS. In addition, the level of LacCer was only elevated in NIR, and there was almost no change in NOIR and OIR. This study is the first to report the comprehensive sphingolipidomic profiling of different subgroups of PCOS with or without IR or obesity and suggests that serum sphingolipids might be useful as diagnostic biomarkers for different types of PCOS.

[Analysis of alcohol extract and water extract of Polygonum capitatum by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS].

In this study, we used Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry(UPLC-TOF-MS)to identify the chemical constituents in both ethanol and water extract of Polygonum capitatum. A Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.7 µm) was used for separation. The mobile phase was consisted of(A) 0.10% formic acid in water and(B)0.10% formic acid in acetonitrile, and the flow rate was 0.35 mL•min⁻¹. ESI source in negative ion mode was used for MS detection. Structural identification was carried out according to the accurate mass and matching with database. The results showed that flavonoids, polyphenols and lignans were the main components in both extracts. However, the chemical compositions of both extracts were different, e.g. there are less hydrolyzable tannins, loss of ellagic acid and more anthocyanins in ethanol extract. In a conclusion, this study provides an important scientific basis for identifying the active ingredients in P. capitatum, which also help to reveal the pharmacological effect of P. capitatum.

[Study on the Distribution of Constitutions of Chinese Medicine in Patients with Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the distribution of constitution types of Chinese medicine (CM) in patients with osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH). METHODS: Totally 130 ONFH patients were recruited. Constitution types of CM were identified in all patients. Distribution features of constitution types of CM in ONFH patients were observed. The differences of distribution in gender, age, single or bilateral hips, course of disease, staging, cause, and region were also analyzed. RESULTS: Seventy patients were of complicated constitutions, while 60 patients were of single constitution. Among the 60 single constitution cases, yang-deficiency constitution [18 (13.9%)], damp-heat constitution [10 (7.7%)], blood-stasis constitution [7 (5.4%)], and qi-deficiency constitution [7 (5.4%)] were mainly distributed. Of the complicated constitutions, yang-deficiency dominated constitution occupied the top ratio [30 (23.1%)], followed by blood-stasis dominated constitution [15 (11.5%)], damp-heat dominated constitution [9 (6.9%)]. By putting them together, yang-deficiency constitution occupied the top constitution of CM [48 (36.9%)], followed by blood-stasis constitution [ 22 (16.9%)] and damp-heat constitution [19 (14.6%)]. The aforesaid three constitutions accounted for 68.5% of the total. There were no statistical distribution differences in gender, age, single or bilateral hips, course of disease, staging, or cause. CONCLUSION: Yang-deficiency constitution, damp-heat constitution, and blood-stasis constitution were liable constitutions of CM in ONFH patients.