Use of long non-coding RNAs for the molecular diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer.

Objective: Improved molecular testing for common somatic mutations and the identification of mRNA and microRNA expression classifiers are promising approaches for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. However, there is a need to improve the diagnostic accuracy of such tests for identifying thyroid cancer. Recent findings have revealed a crucial role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in gene modulation. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of selected lncRNAs from The Atlas of Noncoding RNAs in Cancer (TANRIC) thyroid cancer dataset. Methods: LncRNAs in TANRIC thyroid cancer dataset that have significantly increased or decreased expression in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) tissues were selected as candidates for PTC diagnosis. Surgical specimens from patients who underwent thyroidectomy were used to determine the separation capability of candidate lncRNAs between malignant and benign nodules. Fine needle aspiration samples were obtained and screened for candidate lncRNAs to verify their diagnostic value. Results: LRRC52-AS1, LINC02471, LINC02082, UNC5B-AS1, LINC02408, MPPED2-AS1, LNCNEF, LOC642484, ATP6V0E2-AS1, and LOC100129129 were selected as the candidate lncRNAs. LRRC52-AS1, LINC02082, UNC5B-AS1, MPPED2-AS1, LNCNEF, and LOC100129129 expression levels were significantly increased or decreased in malignant nodules compared to those in benign nodules and paired normal thyroid tissues. The combination of LRRC52-AS1, LINC02082, and UNC5B-AS1 showed favorable results for the diagnosis of PTC from fine needle aspirates, with 88.9% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity. Conclusions: LncRNA expression analysis is a promising approach for advancing the molecular diagnosis of PTC. Further studies are needed to identify lncRNAs of additional diagnostic value.

Time-sequential change in immune-related gene expression after irradiation in glioblastoma: next-generation sequencing analysis.

The time-sequential change in immune-related gene expression of the glioblastoma cell line after irradiation was evaluated to speculate the effect of combined immunotherapy with radiotherapy. The U373 MG glioblastoma cell line was irradiated with 6 Gy single dose. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) transcriptome data was generated before irradiation (control), and at 6, 24, and 48 h post-irradiation. Immune-related pathways were analyzed at each time period. The same analyses were also performed for A549 lung cancer and U87 MG glioblastoma cell lines. Western blotting confirmed the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression levels over time. In the U373 MG cell line, neutrophil-mediated immunity, type I interferon signaling, antigen cross-presentation to T cell, and interferon-γ signals began to increase significantly at 24 h and were upregulated until 48 h after irradiation. The results were similar to those of the A549 and U87 MG cell lines. Without T cell infiltration, PD-L1 did not increase even with upregulated interferon-γ signaling in cancer cells. In conclusions, in the glioblastoma cell line, immune-related signals were significantly upregulated at 24 and 48 h after irradiation. Therefore, the time interval between daily radiotherapy might not be enough to expect full immune responses by combined immune checkpoint inhibitors and newly infiltrating immune cells after irradiation.

Potential of an Enzyme Mixture of Glucose Oxidase, Glucosyl Transferase, and Fructosyl Transferase as an Antidiabetic Medicine.

An enzyme mixture (EM) of glucose oxidase, glucosyl transferase, and fructosyl transferase can regulate glucose absorption into the body by converting carbohydrates in food to indigestible oligosaccharides. We evaluated the antidiabetic effects of repeated oral administration of EM in db/db mice. Seven-week-old db/db mice were divided into control, voglibose, and EM groups. Drugs were administered orally mixed with limited feed for one month. Glucose levels were measured every week. A meal tolerance test was conducted after overnight fasting, before the mice were sacrificed. There were no differences in body weight or food intake between the groups. EM treatment reduced blood glucose levels compared with those in the control group. Blood glucose levels during the meal tolerance test were significantly lower in the EM group than those in the control group. A significant decrease in triglyceride level and a tendency for decreased low-density lipoprotein were observed in the EM group compared with in the control group. The Bacteroidetes-to-Firmicutes ratio was higher in the EM group than that in the control group. EM may be useful for people at risk of hyperglycemia or diabetes who need to safely regulate their blood glucose levels. EM may also improve lipid and gut microbiota profiles.

Relationship between inflammatory markers and visceral obesity in obese and overweight Korean adults: An observational study.

Obesity is now considered a state of chronic low-grade inflammation. We investigated the relationship between several inflammatory markers and body composition for identifying patients with an increased risk of visceral obesity and compared the predictive values of inflammatory indices in visceral obesity.Six hundred individuals who received health checkups for obesity-related risk factors in Severance Hospital between January 2008 and March 2017 were included in our study. Serum inflammatory markers, such as white blood cell (WBC), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) levels were assessed. Intra-abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) areas were measured with computed tomography. We performed analysis of covariance, trend analysis, Steiger's Z tests, and multiple linear regression analysis to investigate associations between abdominal adiposity indices and inflammatory markers.Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a stronger association of VAT with WBC counts (r = 0.157, P < .001) than with levels of NLR (r = 0.108, P = .11; Steiger's Z test, P = .04) and PLR (r = 0.036, P = .39; Steiger's Z test, P = .003). WBC and hsCRP levels linearly increased with VAT area (overall P < .001 and trend P < .001) and VAT/SAT ratio (overall P = .001 and trend P = .002; overall P < .001 and trend P < .001, respectively) but linearly decreased with SAT (overall P = .02 and trend P = .17; overall P = .03 and trend P = .01, respectively). Visceral adipose tissue area was more highly associated with WBC and hsCRP levels than with NLR and PLR. Only VAT area was significantly associated with WBC, hsCRP, and NLR levels after adjusting for confounding variables.We found that VAT, but not SAT area is independently associated with several inflammatory markers. WBC and hsCRP are more strongly correlated with VAT compared with NLR and PLR. Thus, WBC and hsCRP could be useful parameters for identifying individuals at risk for visceral obesity and cardiometabolic diseases.