Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a type of cellular stress, always occurs when unfolded or misfolded proteins accumulating in the ER exceed the protein folding capacity. Because of the demand for rapid viral protein synthesis after viral infection, viral infections become a risk factor for ER stress. The hepatocyte is a cell with large and well-developed ER, and hepatitis virus infection is widespread in the population, indicating the interaction between hepatitis viruses and ER stress may have significance for managing liver diseases. In this paper, we review the process that is initiated by the hepatocyte through ER stress against HBV and HCV infection and explain how this information can be helpful in the treatment of HBV/HCV-related diseases.

The Impact of Low-Carbon City (LCC) on Elderly People's Health: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in China.

Rapid urbanization has increased haze pollution, affecting the health of elderly people. This study uses low-carbon city (LCC) data and examines the effects of LCCs on improving the health of elderly residents. Our main purpose is to explore the following question: Can the new urbanization model presented by the LCC alleviate haze pollution and enhance the health of middle-aged and elderly people? This study uses data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and the 2012 LCC pilot to explore whether the LCC can alleviate haze pollution and improve elderly people's health. The study found that the building of LCCs can reduce blood pressure, improve vital capacity, decrease obesity, and improve memory levels, including short-term and long-term memory. The building of LCCs also reduces the probability of being exposed to haze pollution by increasing the city's green total factor productivity and the use of green technologies. The study concludes that elderly people received health dividends as a result of the enhancement of living conditions, transportation, and medical support in the LCCs.

Acute Silica Exposure Triggers Pulmonary Inflammation Through Macrophage Pyroptosis: An Experimental Simulation.

Silica is an essential substrate of various materials, and inhaling silica induces pulmonary diseases potentially associated with macrophage pyroptosis. Utilizing silica of micro- and nano- sizes, we explored the role of macrophage pyroptosis in silica-induced pulmonary inflammation. Under the transmission electron microscopy, we found that the internalization of silica nanoparticle induced membrane rupture and increased the number of intracellular vacuoles, and both sizes of silica could suppress cell viability and proliferation. Also, silica-exposed macrophages generated higher levels of ROS, together with the upregulated expression of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1ß, and IL-6. However, the expression of these proteins was suppressed after removing ROS or NLRP3. In addition, we found increased expression of TLR4 and NF-κB responsible for silica recognition and pyroptosis priming after silica exposure. For in vivo studies, we established animal model by intratracheally instilling 5 mg of silica into mice with/without NLRP3 inhibition. Four weeks later, we found diffused infiltration of inflammatory cells and enhanced collagen hyperplasia partially reversed by additional treatment with MCC950, so as the expression of pyroptotic molecules and proinflammatory cytokines. In particular, the dual immunofluorescent staining showed co-expression of macrophage-specific biomarker F4/80 and NLRP3 within the cells, and silica of nano-size showed more potent toxicity and pathogenicity than that of the micro-sized particles both in vitro and in vivo. To sum up, macrophage pyroptosis is an upstream event of silica-induced pulmonary inflammation promoted by ROS through the TLR4/NLRP3/NF-κB signaling axis.

Collagen type XVIII alpha 1 chain (COL18A1) variants affect the risk of anti-tuberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND: The role of collagen type XVIII alpha 1 chain (COL18A1) in anti-tuberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity (ATDH) has not been reported. This study aimed to explore the association between of COL18A1 variants and ATDH susceptibility. METHODS: A total of 746 patients were enrolled in our study from December 2016 to April 2018, and all subjects in the study signed an informed consent form. The custom-by-design 2x48-Plex SNPscanTM kit was used to genotype all selected 11 SNPs. Categorical variables were compared by chi-square (χ2 ) or Fisher's exact test, while continuous variables were compared by Mann-Whitney's U test. Plink was utilized to analyze allelic and genotypic frequencies, and genetic models. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to adjust potential factors. The odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were also calculated. RESULTS: Among patients with successfully genotyping, there were 114 cases and 612 controls. The mutant A allele of rs12483377 conferred the decreased risk of ATDH (OR = 0.13, 95%CI: 0.02-0.98, P = 0.020), and this significance still existed after adjusting age and gender (P = 0.024). The mutant homozygote AA genotype of rs12483377 was associated with decreased total protein levels (P = 0.018). CONCLUSION: Our study first revealed that the A allele of COL18A1 rs12483377 was associated with the decreased risk of ATDH in the Western Chinese Han population, providing new perspective for the molecular prediction, precise diagnosis, and individual treatment of ATDH.

Lifestyle and overall health in high school children: Results from the Toyama birth cohort study, Japan.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between lifestyle and overall health in high school children. METHODS: Subjects were from the Toyama Birth Cohort Study, a prospective, longitudinal study of children born between 1989 and 1990, and who lived in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, at the time of the survey. This investigation used data from phase 5 of the Birth Cohort Study, which was conducted in 2005, when the children were in high school. Participants included 4,966 children (2,449 boys and 2,517 girls) aged 15-16 years old. A questionnaire was designed to measure lifestyle factors such as eating habits, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleeping pattern. A question from a validated Japanese version of the Dartmouth Primary Care Cooperative Information Project was used to evaluate overall health in children. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine if lifestyle factors are associated with overall health in high school children. RESULTS: Boys who skipped breakfast and had short night-time sleep duration (≤6 h per night) were more likely to have poor health status. Girls who skipped breakfast, and had night-time eating patterns, personal computer use >4 h per day, and short night-time sleep duration (≤6 h/night) were more likely to have poor health status. CONCLUSIONS: Undesirable lifestyle was associated with poor health status in high school boys and girls. Further understanding of these relationships is needed to facilitate the development of interventions that will help children with poor health status.

Similarity and Difference in Drug Addiction Process Between Heroin- and Methamphetamine-Dependent Users.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the drug addiction process between Chinese heroin- and methamphetamine (MA)-dependent users via a modified 4-stage addiction model (experimentation, occasional use, regular use, and compulsive use). METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted among 683 eligible participants. In the statistical analysis, we selected 340 heroin- and 295 MA-dependent users without illicit drug use prior to onset of heroin or MA use. RESULTS: The addiction process of heroin-dependent users was shorter than that of MA-dependent users, with shorter transitions from the onset of drug-use to the first drug craving (19.5 vs. 50.0 days), regular use (30.0 vs. 60.0 days), and compulsive use (50.0 vs. 85.0 days). However, no significant differences in the addiction process were observed in frequency of drug administration, except that heroin users reported more administrations of the drug (20.0 vs. 15.0) before progressing to the stage of compulsive drug use. A larger proportion of regular heroin users progressed to use illicit drugs recklessly than did MA users. Most heroin and MA users reported psychological dependence as their primary motivation for compulsive drug use, but more heroin users selected uncomfortable symptoms upon ceasing drug use as further reason to continue. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that typical heroin and MA users may experience a similar four-stage addiction process, but MA users might undergo a longer addiction process (in days). More research is necessary to further explore factors influencing the drug addiction process.

Factors associated with illicit opioid use in methadone maintenance treatment clients in 5 Provinces, China.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate factors associated with illicit opioid use among methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) population. METHODS: Participants were recruited from Beijing (2 clinics), Shanghai (2 clinics), Guangdong (2 clinics), Chongqing (2 clinics) and Gansu (1 clinic) provinces. Information about heroin use and MMT was obtained from a self-reported questionnaire, illicit opioid use was obtained from monthly medical records. Binary logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with illicit opioid use. RESULTS: Five hundred ninety-eight eligible MMT participants were used for data analysis. Variables such as age, gender, route of heroin use and daily MMT dosages were associated with illicit opioid use. Compared with MMT participants aged <40 years, participants aged 40-44 years (P = 0.027, OR = 0.57, 95 % CI 0.35-0.94), 45-49 years (P < 0.001, OR = 0.41, 95 % CI 0.24-0.67) and ≥50 years (P = 0.008, OR = 0.52, 95 % CI 0.33-0.85) were more likely not to have illicit opioid use. Compared with male participants, females were more likely to have illicit opioid use (P = 0.044, OR = 1.53, 95 % CI 1.01-2.32). Compared with inhalation heroin abusers, abusers with route of inhalation + injection heroin use were more likely to have illicit opioid use (P = 0.009, OR = 2.00, 95 % CI 1.19-3.36). Compared with daily MMT dosages <60 mg participants, participants with daily MMT dosages >80 mg were more likely to have illicit opioid use (P = 0.003, OR = 2.37, 95 % CI 1.35-4.15). CONCLUSIONS: Age, gender, route of heroin use and daily MMT dosages were associated with illicit opioid use. A tailored intervention is needed for a promotion of MMT.

Rubella epidemics and genotypic distribution of the rubella virus in Shandong Province, China, in 1999-2010.

BACKGROUND: The rubella vaccine was introduced into the immunization program in 1995 in the Shandong province, China. A series of different rubella vaccination strategies were implemented at different stages of measles control in Shandong province. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The average reported incidence rate of rubella cases remained at a low level in Shandong province after 1999. However, rubella epidemics occurred repeatedly in 2001/2002, 2006, and 2008/2009. The age of the onset of rubella cases gradually increased during 1999-2010, which showed that most cases were found among the 10 years old in 1999 and among the 17 years old in 2010. Phylogenetic analysis was performed and a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the World Health Organization standard sequence window for rubella virus isolates. All rubella viruses isolated in Shandong province were divided into 4 genotypes: 1E, 1F, 2A, and 2B. Genotype 1E viruses accounted for the majority (79%) of all these viruses. The similarity of nucleotide and amino acid sequences among genotype 1E viruses was 98.2-100% and 99.1-100%, respectively. All Shandong genotype 1E strains, differed from international genotype 1E strains, belonged to cluster 1 and interdigitated with the viruses from other provinces in mainland China. The effective number of infections indicated by a bayesian skyline plot remained constant from 2001 to 2009. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The gradual shift of disease burden to an older age group occurred after a rubella-containing vaccine was introduced into the childhood immunization schedule in 1995 in Shandong province. Four genotypes, including 1E, 1F, 2A, and 2B, were found in Shandong province during 2000-2009. Genotype 1E, rather than genotype 1F, became the predominant genotype circulating in Shandong province from 2001. All Shandong genotype 1E viruses belong to the genotype 1E/cluster 1; they have constantly circulated, and co-evolved and co-circulated, with those from other provinces.

[Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study on normal and malignant tissues of cervix].

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to investigate 35 cervical tissues , including 17 squamous cell carcinoma of cervical samples, and 5 adenocarcinoma of cervical samples, 13 normal cervical samples. The results show that there are 18 spectral bands with highly appearance percentage(>80%) in these three types of tissues, and these spectral bands may be the characteristic infrared spectra bands for cervical tissues; Some of relative absorbance ratios are statistically significant (p < 0.05) among these three types of tissues. These differences of relative absorbance ratios are mainly centered at 1080, 1238, 1314, 1339, 1397, 1454, 1541, 1647, 2854, 2873, 2926, and 2958 cm(-1). The present results indicate that FTIR can be used to distinguish these three types of tissues. The utilization of FTIR spectra in cervical tissues is expected to be a hopeful method in cervical cancer screening and clinical diagnosis in the future.