Admission blood cell counts are predictive of stroke-associated infection in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with endovascular therapy.

Stroke-associated infection (SAI) is a major medical complication in acute ischemic stroke patients (AIS) treated with endovascular therapy (EVT). Three hundred thirty-three consecutive patients with AIS caused by a large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation who received EVT (142 (42.6%) of them were given IV tPA as bridging therapy) and 337 AIS patients who received IV tPA only (non-EVT) were enrolled in the study and evaluated to determine the association of inflammatory factors on admission with SAI. Among the 333 AIS patients undergoing EVT, SAI occurred in 219 (65.8%) patients. Patients with SAI had higher baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) total scores, white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil counts, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) than those without SAI (P < 0.05). The multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that older age in addition to higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP), NIHSS score, fasting blood glucose, WBC and neutrophil counts, NLR, and PLR were significantly associated with SAI (P < 0.05). However, these associations were not revealed in 337 non-EVT AIS patients. Furthermore, based on the inflammatory markers, we developed a nomogram that provided the opportunity for more accurate predictions (compared with conventional factors) and appeared a better prognostic tool for SAI according to the decision curve analysis. In summary, if proven externally valid, our nomogram that included WBC count, NLR, and PLR may be a useful tool for SAI prediction in clinical practice.

MiR-142-3p functions as a tumor suppressor by targeting RAC1/PAK1 pathway in breast cancer.

MicroRNA-142-3p (miR-142-3p) was previously investigated in various cancers, whereas, it's role in breast cancer (BC) remains far from understood. In this study, we found that miR-142-3p was markedly decreased both in cell lines and BC tumor tissues. Elevated miR-142-3p expression suppressed growth and metastasis of BC cell lines via gain-of-function assay in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, miR-142-3p could regulate the ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (RAC1) expression in protein level, which simultaneously suppressed the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition related protein levels and the activity of PAK1 phosphorylation, respectively. In addition, rescue experiments revealed RAC1 overexpression could reverse tumor-suppressive role of miR-142-3p. Our results showed miR-142-3p could function as a tumor suppressor via targeting RAC1/PAK1 pathway in BC, suggesting a potent therapeutic target for BC treatment.

Low triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio predicts hemorrhagic transformation in large atherosclerotic infarction of acute ischemic stroke.

The ratio of triglyceride (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is an objective approach to predicting poor outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The impact of TG/HDL-C on hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after AIS remains unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the accurate effect of TG/HDL-C on HT after AIS. We enrolled a total of 1423 patients with AIS in the training cohort from a prospective, consecutive hospital-based stroke registry. Of the 1423 patients, HT occurred in 155 (10.89%) patients. The incidence of HT after AIS was significantly increased when there were low levels of TG (P=0.016) and TG/HDL-C (P=0.006) in patients with AIS attributable to large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), but not in those who suffered from cardioembolic stroke. After adjustment for covariates, a lower TG/HDL-C (OR=0.53, 95%CI=0.20-0.93) that was more than TG alone (OR=0.61, 95%CI=0.27-0.98) independently increased the risk of HT in LAA. Furthermore, our established nomogram indicated that lower TG/HDL-C was an indicator of HT. These findings were further validated in the test cohort of 558 patients with AIS attributable to LAA. In summary, a low level of TG/HDL-C is correlated with greater risk of HT after AIS attributable to LAA.

microRNA-485-5p Functions as a Tumor Suppressor in Colorectal Cancer Cells by Targeting CD147.

Colorectal cancer(CRC) is a prevalent malignancy in the world. There is growing evidence that microRNAs (miRNAs) as crucial modulator are in connection with many tumor-related diseases including CRC. Though miR-485-5p has been reported as an anti-oncogene in certain cancers, it remains unclear in CRC. In this research, we found that miR-485-5p was at lower level expression in CRC tissues and cell lines compared to the paired paracancerous tissues and the normal colon epithelial cell line FHC, correspondingly. Furthermore, Experimental up-regulation miR-485-5p in DLD-1 and SW480 cells with mimic could inhibit the ability of proliferation, migration, invasion of CRC cell lines and facilitate cells apoptosis. Also, we confirmed that CD147 existed typically negative regulation by miR-485-5p through binding a conserved sequence specifically within the CD147 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) and reintroduction of CD147 could rescue the phenotypic changes caused by miR-485-5p. The findings provide evidence to demonstrate the role of miR-485-5p/CD147 interaction in CRC and indicate that miR-485-5p might be exploited therapeutically in CRC.

Differential long noncoding RNA expressions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells for detection of acute ischemic stroke.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been highlighted to be involved in the pathological process of ischemic stroke (IS). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the expression profile of lncRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of acute IS patients and to explore their utility as biomarkers of IS. Distinctive expression patterns of PBMC lncRNAs were identified by an lncRNA microarray and individual quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in four independent sets for 206 IS, 179 healthy controls (HCs), and 55 patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA). A biomarker panel (lncRNA-based combination index) was established using logistic regression. LncRNA microarray analysis showed 70 up-regulated and 128 down-regulated lncRNAs in IS patients. Individual qRT-PCR validation demonstrated that three lncRNAs (linc-DHFRL1-4, SNHG15, and linc-FAM98A-3) were significantly up-regulated in IS patients compared with HCs and TIA patients. Longitudinal analysis of lncRNA expression up to 90 days after IS showed that linc-FAM98A-3 normalized to control levels by day 7, while SNHG15 remained increased, indicating the ability of lncRNAs to monitor IS dynamics. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the lncRNA-based combination index outperformed serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurone-specific enolase (NSE) in distinguishing IS patients from TIA patients and HCs with areas under ROC curve of more than 0.84. Furthermore, the combination index increased significantly after treatment and was correlated with neurological deficit severity of IS. The panel of these altered lncRNAs was associated with acute IS and could serve as a novel diagnostic method.

Prognostic significance of long noncoding RNA Z38 as a candidate biomarker in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) Z38 has been shown to promote cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in breast cancer. However, expression pattern and prognostic value of lncRNA Z38 in breast cancer patients remain elusive. METHODS: The expression levels of SPRY4-IT1 in 110 self-paired specimens of breast cancer and adjacent normal breast tissues were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and its correlation with overall survival of patients with breast cancer was further statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with normal breast tissues, Z38 was upregulated in breast cancer tissues. Furthermore, of 110 breast cancer patients, high Z38 expression was significantly associated with tumor-node-metastasis stage and lymph node metastasis. Further analysis using the Cox regression model revealed that Z38 expression was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival in patients with breast cancer (hazard ratio=4.74, 95% confidence interval 2.41-9.32). The nomogram presents a good prediction of the probability of overall survival of breast cancer patients (c-index: 0.792), and its predictive efficiency was further confirmed by the calibration curve. CONCLUSION: Our data highlighted the potential of lncRNA Z38 as novel candidate biomarker to identify patients with breast cancer at high risk of tumor death.

The Predictive and Prognostic Role of Stromal Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes in HER2-positive Breast Cancer with Trastuzumab-based Treatment: a Meta-analysis and Systematic Review.

Background Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are white blood cells that have left the bloodstream and migrated into a tumor, involving in the prognosis of breast cancer (BC) patients. Published studies reported the value of TILs in patients with HER2-positive receiving trastuzumab-based treatment. However, the results obtained remain controversial. Here, we conducted this study to explore the predictive and prognostic role of TILs for HER2-positive BC patients receiving trastuzumab therapies. Method To identify the related published studies, a comprehensive literature search dating up to July 2017 was performed in the databases of PubMed, PMC, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) according to predefined selection criteria. The pathologic complete response (pCR) and survival outcome of patients were measured by odds ratio (OR) and hazard ratio (HR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI), respectively. The association between TILs and trastuzumab benefit was analyzed by using STATA version 11.0. Result Eleven eligible studies comprising 3228 patients were identified in the present study. The pooled results showed that high level of TILs was associated with a significantly improved pCR rate (OR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.10-1.60) and longer survival (HR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.96-0.99), particularly in the subgroups of retrospective study design and 10% INC cut-off value. Moreover, stratified analysis revealed that elevated TILs was a predictor of higher pCR rate in the Asian population and improved survival in the subgroups of Caucasian population and multivariate analysis. Conclusion This meta-analysis indicated that the level of stromal TILs was an independent predictive and prognostic marker for better outcome in HER2-positive BC patients receiving trastuzumab-based treatment. High level of TILs was significantly associated with trastuzumab benefit.

Association between SNPs in Long Non-coding RNAs and the Risk of Female Breast Cancer in a Chinese Population.

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been reported to be involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the lncRNAs also play a vital role in carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between the four selected tagSNPs (rs944289, rs3787016, rs1456315, rs7463708) in the lncRNAs and the risk of female breast cancer in a Chinese population. A case-control study was carried out involving in a total of 439 breast cancer patients and 439 age-matched healthy controls. The genotyping was performed with Sequenom MassARRAY and the expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) in tumor tissues was measured by the immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay. We found that rs3787016 TT genotype (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09-2.41, P = 0.018) was associated with an increased risk of female breast cancer, especially among the patients with premenopausal status (adjusted OR = 2.55, 95% CI = 1.30-4.97, P = 0.006). Moreover, a statistically significant increased risk of the rs3787016 TT genotype was observed among the patients with advanced tumor stage (Ⅲ and Ⅳ), poor histological grade (G3-G4), positive lymph node involvement, positive expression of ER and PR and negative expression of HER-2; rs7463708 GT and GT/GG genotype were associated with decreased risk of breast cancer in the subgroup of patients with postmenopausal status (GT versus (vs.) TT: adjusted OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.46-0.99, P = 0.043; GT/GG vs. TT: adjusted OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.47-0.98, P = 0.041) and tumor late-stage (GT vs. TT: adjusted OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.43-0.97, P = 0.037; GT/GG vs. TT: adjusted OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.44-0.96, P = 0.029). In short, rs3787016 TT genotype was associated with increased breast cancer risk and clinicopathologic features of the tumor, especially among premenopausal women.

Association of Genetic Polymorphisms in the LncRNAs with Gastric Cancer Risk in a Chinese Population.

Background: Genome-wide association studies have identified that polymorphisms in 8q24 confer susceptibility to gastric cancer. Polymorphisms in the lncRNA PRNCR1, PCAT1, and CCAT2 transcribed from the 8q24 locus have a potential risk for gastric cancer. Methods: To evaluate whether there is such an association in Chinese population, a case-control study enrolled 494 patients and 494 healthy controls was carried out. Sequenom MassARRAY platform was used for genotyping. Results: This study showed that rs16901946 G allele was associated with increased risk of gastric cancer (AG: adjusted OR = 1.33, 95% CI =1.02-1.73, p=0.033; GG: adjusted OR = 2.07; 95% CI = 1.11-3.86, p=0.023, AG/GG: adjusted OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.08-1.1.79, p=0.011; additive model: adjusted OR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.10-1.70, p=0.004). Stratified analysis revealed that the increased risk was more evident in the cohort of younger subjects (adjusted OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.18-2.87, p=0.007), males (adjusted OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.15-2.08, p=0.004), positive Helicobacter pylori infection (adjusted OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.02-2.03, p=0.041), gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (adjusted OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.10-2.35, p=0.014), and tumor stage T1-T2 (adjusted OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.10-2.28, p=0.013). Conclusions: Our study suggested that rs16901946 G allele carriers have an increased risk of gastric cancer, and the risk could be enhanced by the interactions between the polymorphism and age, sex, Helicobacter pylori infection.

Combination of preoperative NLR, PLR and CEA could increase the diagnostic efficacy for I-III stage CRC.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation plays an important role in the development and progression of CRC. The members of inflammatory biomarkers, preoperative NLR and PLR, have been proved by numerous studies to be promising prognostic biomarkers for CRC. However, the diagnostic value of the two biomarkers in CRC remains unknown, and no study reported the combined diagnostic efficacy of NLR, PLR and CEA. METHODS: Five hundred and fifty-nine patients with I-III stage CRC undergoing surgical resection and 559 gender- and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this retrospective study. NLR and PLR were calculated from preoperative peripheral blood cell count detected using white blood cell five classification by Sysmex XT-1800i Automated Hematology System and serum CEA were measured by electrochemiluminescence by ELECSYS 2010. The diagnostic performance of NLR, PLR and CEA for CRC was evaluated by ROC curve. RESULTS: Levels of NLR and PLR in the cases were significantly higher than them in the healthy controls. ROC curves comparison analyses showed that the diagnostic efficacy of NLR (AUC=.755, 95%CI=.728-.780) alone for CRC was significantly higher than PLR (AUC=.723, 95%CI=.696-.749, P=.037) and CEA (AUC=.690, 95%CI=.662-.717, P=.002) alone. In addition, the diagnostic efficacy of the combination of NLR, PLR and CEA(AUC=.831, 95%CI=.807-.852)for CRC was not only significantly higher than NLR alone but also higher than any combinations of the two of these three biomarkers (P<.05). Moreover, the NLR and PLR in the patients with TNM stage I/II was higher than that in the healthy controls, and patients with stage III had a higher NLR and PLR than those with stage I/II, but no significant difference was observed. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated that preoperative NLR could be a CRC diagnostic biomarker, even for early stage CRC, and the combination of NLR, PLR and CEA could significantly improve the diagnostic efficacy.

MiR-608, pre-miR-124-1 and pre-miR26a-1 polymorphisms modify susceptibility and recurrence-free survival in surgically resected CRC individuals.

Genetic variation within microRNA (miRNA) may result in its abnormal folding or aberrant expression, contributing to colorectal turmorigenesis and metastasis. However, the association of six polymorphisms (miR-608 rs4919510, miR-499a rs3746444, miR-146a rs2910164, pre-miR-143 rs41291957, pre-miR-124-1 rs531564 and pre-miR-26a-1 rs7372209) with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, therapeutic response and survival remains unclear. A retrospective study was carried out to investigate the association in 1358 0-III stage resected CRC patients and 1079 healthy controls using Sequenom's MassARRAY platform. The results showed that rs4919510 was significantly associated with a decreased susceptibility to CRC in co-dominant, allele and recessive genetic models, and the protective role of rs4919510 allele G and genotype GG was more pronounced among stage 0-II cases; significant association between rs531564 and poor RFS was observed in cases undergoing adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy in co-dominant, allele and dominant models; moreover, there was a positive association between rs7372209 and recurrence-free survival in stage II cases in co-dominant and over-dominant models; additionally, a cumulative effect of rs531564 and rs7372209 at-risk genotypes with hazard ratio at 1.30 and 1.95 for one and two at-risk genotypes was examined in stage II cases, respectively. Our findings indicated that rs4919510 allele G and genotype GG were protective factors for 0-II stage CRC, rs7372209 and rs531564 could decrease RFS in II stage individuals and resected CRC patients receiving adjuvant chemo-radiology.

MicroRNA expression profiles predict progression and clinical outcome in lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Accumulating evidence has indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs) can be proposed as promising diagnostic and prognostic markers for various cancers. The current study analyzed the miRNA expression profiles of 418 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cases obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset, with the aim to investigate the relationship of miRNAs with progression and prognosis of LUAD. A total of 185 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed between LUAD tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Among them, 13, 10, 0, and 10 miRNAs were discovered to be associated with pathologic T, N, M, and Stage, respectively. Interestingly, mir-200 family (mir-200a, mir-200b, and mir-429) was shown to play a critical role in the progression of LUAD. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, mir-1468 (P=0.009), mir-212 (P=0.026), mir-3653 (P=0.012), and mir-31 (P=0.002) were significantly correlated with recurrence-free survival. With regard to overall survival, mir-551b (P=0.011), mir-3653 (P=0.016), and mir-31 (P=0.001) were proven as independent prognostic markers. In summary, this study identified the cancer-specific miRNAs that may predict the progression and prognosis of LUAD.

Nucleotide excision repair pathway gene polymorphisms are linked to breast cancer risk in a Chinese population.

Polymorphisms in nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway genes are associated with the risk of breast cancer, but the relevance of these associations appeared to vary according to the ethnicity of the subjects. To systemically evaluate the potential associations between NER polymorphisms and breast cancer risk in a Chinese population, we carried out a case-control study on 450 breast cancer patients and 430 healthy controls. Sequenom MassARRAY was used for genotyping, and immunohistochemistry was performed to detect estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) expression in tumor tissue. Our results showed that ERCC1 rs11615 (additive model: ORadjusted: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.08-1.71, p = 0.009), XPC rs2228000 (additive model: ORadjusted: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.13-1.72, p = 0.002) and ERCC2/XPD rs50872 (additive model: ORadjusted: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.04-1.67, p = 0.021) were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Stratified analysis revealed three polymorphisms (rs11615, rs1800975, and rs50872) to be associated with breast cancer in menopausal females. Three polymorphisms were associated with specific breast cancer grades (rs11615 with grade 3, rs2228000 and rs50872 with grade 1-2). Two polymorphisms (rs2228001 and rs50872) were associated with the risk of breast cancer with negative lymph node involvement. rs1800975 and rs50872 were associated with the risk of ER- and PR- breast cancer, whereas rs11615 was associated with the risk of ER+ and PR+ breast cancer. We found that carriers of the T allele of ERCC1 rs11615, XPC rs2228000 and rs50872, particularly in postmenopausal females, have an increased risk of breast cancer.

Prognostic performance of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: an updated meta-analysis of eleven reports.

PURPOSE: The findings on the prognostic value of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are inconsistent. This meta-analysis was conducted to more precisely evaluate the prognostic significance of LMR in DLBCL. METHODS: This analysis combined eleven studies with 4,578 patients aiming to assess the association of LMR with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in DLBCL. Data from studies directly reporting a hazard ratio (HR) with 95% corresponding confidence interval (CI) in multivariate analysis were pooled to estimate the effect. RESULTS: Our results suggested that patients with decreased LMR had shorter OS (HR =1.79, 95% CI =1.54-2.08, P<0.001) and PFS (HR =2.21, 95% CI =1.80-2.72, P<0.001) in DLBCL. Stratified analyses indicated that each confounder showed consistent prognostic value in DLBCL. There was no significant heterogeneity for PFS (P H=0.192) and OS (P H=0.212) among the enrolled studies. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicated that decreased LMR might be a marker in the prediction of poor prognosis for patients with DLBCL.

Association of the DISC1 and NRG1 genetic polymorphisms with schizophrenia in a Chinese population.

Polymorphisms in Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) and Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) might be associated with schizophrenia; however, the conclusions of relevant studies were inconsistent across different ethnic populations. This population-based case-control study was carried out to determine whether polymorphisms in these two genes could be associated with schizophrenia in the Chinese population. A case-control study of 248 schizophrenia patients and 236 controls was performed with the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. The results revealed that the DISC1 rs821616 heterozygous (AT vs. AA: adjusted OR, 1.98, 95%CI: 1.30-3.02) and co-dominant (AT/TT vs. AA: adjusted OR=1.94; 95%CI: 1.29-2.92) patterns were associated with increased risk for developing schizophrenia in all participants and subgroups (stratified by sex and age at onset), respectively. Moreover, in the male subgroup, the DISC1 rs821597 genotype GA or GA/AA exhibited increased risk of schizophrenia. For NRG1 polymorphisms, in the early onset subgroup (≤25years), the rs3924999 G/G genotype was susceptible to schizophrenia. The interaction of DISC1 rs821616 T allele with the NRG1 rs3924999 A allele or that of DISC1 rs821597 A allele with NRG1 rs3924999 A allele had synergic effects on the development of schizophrenia. This study concluded that carriers of the DISC1 rs821616 T allele have increased risk for developing schizophrenia, and that the DISC1 rs821597 A allele was susceptible to schizophrenia for the male, and that there are marked interactions between the DISC1 rs821616 T and/or rs821597 A alleles and the NRG1 rs3924999 A allele for the development of schizophrenia.

Analysis of Diagnostic Value of YKL-40 in Ovarian Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer is crucial in clinical practice but is difficult. Accumulating studies have investigated the utility of YKL-40 in early detection of ovarian cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the overall accuracy of YKL-40 in diagnosis of ovarian cancer through a meta-analysis of published studies. METHODS: A comprehensive search of related literature was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. Meta-DiSc 1.4 and STATA 11.0 were selected for data analysis, and Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool version 2 was used to assess the quality of included studies. Data from selected studies were pooled to yield summary sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio, and summary receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: A total of 13 studies dating up to May 2015 with 1623 individuals were enrolled in the present study. The pooled characteristics of these studies were as follows: sensitivity 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-0.75), specificity 0.90 (95% CI, 0.88-0.92), positive likelihood ratio 7.24 (95% CI, 4.22-12.43), negative likelihood ratio 0.34 (95% CI, 0.27-0.42), and diagnostic odds ratio 24.93 (95% CI, 12.61-49.27), respectively. The area under the curve was 0.8471. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that YKL-40 could be regarded as an effective biomarker for diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

High Human Cytomegalovirus IgG Level is Associated with Increased Incidence of Diabetic Atherosclerosis in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients.

BACKGROUND At present, whether human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is debatable. The effect of active HCMV infection on glucose regulation has been poorly studied. Although HCMV infection is correlated with atherosclerosis in cardiovascular disease, the role of HCMV infection in the development of diabetic atherosclerosis in T2DM is unclear and is usually neglected by endocrinologists. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of HCMV infection on glucose regulation and the development of diabetic atherosclerosis in T2DM patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 222 hospitalized T2DM patients were enrolled. Nested polymerase chain reactions were used to detect HCMV DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine viral load. HCMV IgG antibody concentrations were analyzed by chemiluminescence immunoassay. RESULTS HCMV active infection, viral load, and HCMV IgG titers were not correlated with glucose regulation. Binary logistic regression demonstrated that the highest quartile of HCMV IgG concentration (>500 U/ml) was correlated with the incidence of diabetic atherosclerosis (OR: 8.0, 95%CI: 2.3-27.2), and that titer >127 U/ml of HCMV IgG is an independent predictor for the development of diabetic atherosclerosis in T2DM patients (OR: 4.6, 95%CI: 1.9-11.3) after adjustment for all potential confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS Active HCMV infection is unlikely to influence glucose regulation in T2DM. However, HCMV IgG titers are associated with the incidence of diabetic atherosclerosis, and titer >127 U/ml of HCMV IgG might be an independent risk factor for the development of diabetic atherosclerosis in T2DM patients.

Evaluation the susceptibility of five polymorphisms in microRNA-binding sites to female breast cancer risk in Chinese population.

Polymorphisms in microRNA (miRNA) binding site have been widely discussed to be associated with cancer risk; however, the associations were unclear in Chinese population. To investigate the associations of five polymorphisms (rs11097457, rs1434536, rs1970801, rs1044129, rs11169571) in miRNA binding sites with breast cancer risk, a total of 435 female patients with breast cancer and 439 age- and gender-matched tumor-free individuals were enrolled in this case-control study. Sequenom MassARRAY was applied to detect the polymorphisms, and the immunohistochemistry assay was used to measure the expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) and CerbB-2. The data showed that these polymorphisms were not associated with breast cancer risk or clinical characters of breast cancer in all participants and sub-group with the exception that, in the sub-group of women with their first menstruation after 14 years old, those who carried rs1970801 T allele (genotype TT/GT) were associated with decreased breast cancer risk. In short, this case-control study provided the evidence that women with their first menstruation after 14 years old and carried rs1970801 T allele (genotype TT/GT) were associated with decreased breast cancer risk.

The effect of BIM deletion polymorphism on intrinsic resistance and clinical outcome of cancer patient with kinase inhibitor therapy.

A common deletion polymorphism within B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia-lymphoma like 11 gene (BIM) was deemed to be a genetic cause leading to compromised kinase inhibitor therapeutic efficacy in cancer individuals. However, the results reported were not consistent. Thus, a comprehensive meta-analysis containing 12 eligible studies including 1,532 Asian patients was conducted to investigate a steady and reliable conclusion. The results showed that BIM deletion polymorphism was significantly associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) clinical efficacy in term of response rate (Ph = 0.349, HR = 0.438, 95%CI = 0.274-0.699) and disease control rate (Ph = 0.941, HR = 0.370, 95%CI = 0.202-0.678) in EGFR-mutated NSCLC population, not in CML and HCC subgroups. Additionally, EGFR-mutated NSCLC patient harbored BIM deletion polymorphism was associated with a shorter progression-free survival (PFS) than those with BIM wild polymorphism (Ph = 0.580, adjusted HR = 2.194, 95%CI = 1.710-2.814). However, no significant association was examined between BIM deletion polymorphism and overall survival (OS) and toxic adverse events in EGFR-mutated NSCLC population and it was not associated with PFS and OS in HCC subgroup. These findings revealed that BIM deletion polymorphism might be a genetic cause of intrinsic resistance to TKI therapy and it could be emerged as an independent predictor to identify patients who would benefit from TKI targeted therapy in EGFR-mutated NSCLC.