Climate warming impacts chewing Spodoptera litura negatively but sucking Corythucha marmorata positively on native Solidago canadensis.

Insect-plant interactions are among importantly ecological processes, and rapid environmental changes such as temperature and resource fluctuations can disrupt long-standing insect-plant interactions. While individual impacts of climate warming, atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, and plant provenance on insect-plant interactions are well studied, their joint effects on insect-plant interactions are less explored in ecologically realistic settings. To this end, we performed five experiments with native and invasive Solidago canadensis populations from home and introduced ranges and two insect herbivores (leaf-chewing Spodoptera litura and sap-sucking Corythucha marmorata) in the context of climate warming and N deposition. We determined leaf defensive traits, feeding preference, and insect growth and development, and quantified the possible associations among climate change, host-plant traits, and insect performance with structural equation modeling. First, native S. canadensis populations experienced higher damage by S. litura but lower damage by C. marmorata than invasive S. canadensis populations in the ambient environment. Second, warming decreased the leaf consumption, growth, and survival of S. litura on native S. canadensis populations, but did not affect these traits on invasive S. canadensis populations; warming increased the number of C. marmorata on native S. canadensis populations via direct facilitation, but decreased that on invasive S. canadensis populations via indirect suppression. Third, N addition enhanced the survival of S. litura on native S. canadensis populations, and its feeding preference and leaf consumption on invasive S. canadensis populations. Finally, warming plus N addition exhibited non-additive effects on insect-plant interactions. Based on these results, we tentatively conclude that climate warming could have contrasting effects on insect-plant interactions depending on host-plant provenance and that the effects of atmospheric N deposition on insects might be relatively weak compared to climate warming. Future studies should focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying these different patterns.

Observed and relative survival trends of lung cancer: A systematic review of population-based cancer registration data.

BACKGROUND: Using the published survival statistics from cancer registration or population-based studies, we aimed to describe the global pattern and trend of lung cancer survival. METHODS: By searching SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and SEER, all survival analyses from cancer registration or population-based studies of lung cancer were collected by the end of November 2022. The survival rates were extracted by sex, period, and country. The observed, relative, and net survival rates of lung cancer were applied to describe the pattern and time changes from the late 1990s to the early 21st century. RESULTS: Age-standardized 5-year relative/net survival rate of lung cancer was typically low, with 10%-20% for most regions. The highest age-standardized relative/net survival rate was observed in Japan (32.9%, 2010-2014), and the lowest was in India (3.7%, 2010-2014). In most countries, the five-year age-standardized relative/net survival rates of lung cancer were higher in females and younger people. The patients with adenocarcinoma had a better prognosis than other groups. In China, the highest 5-year overall relative/net survival rates were 27.90% and 31.62% in men and women in Jiangyin (2012-2013). CONCLUSION: Over the past decades, the prognosis of lung cancer has gradually improved, but significant variations were also observed globally. Worldwide, a better prognosis of lung cancer can be observed in females and younger patients. It is essential to compare and evaluate the histological or stage-specific survival rates of lung cancer between different regions in the future.

Relative survival analysis of gynecological cancers in an urban district of Shanghai during 2002-2013.

OBJECTIVE: Appraisal of cancer survival is essential for cancer control, but studies related to gynecological cancer are scarce. Using cancer registration data, we conducted an in-depth survival analysis of cervical, uterine corpus, and ovarian cancers in an urban district of Shanghai during 2002-2013. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The follow-up data of gynecological cancer from the Changning District of Shanghai, China, were used to estimate the 1-5-year observed survival rate (OSR) and relative survival rate (RSR) by time periods and age groups during 2002-2013. Age-standardized relative survival rates estimated by the international cancer survival standards were calculated during 2002-2013 to describe the prognosis of cervical, uterine corpus, and ovarian cancers among women in the district. RESULTS: In total, 1307 gynecological cancer cases were included in the survival analysis in the district during 2002-2013. Among gynecological cancers, the 5-year OSRs and RSRs of uterine corpus cancer were highest (5-year OSR 84.40%, 5-year RSR 87.67%), followed by those of cervical cancer (5-year OSR 73.58%, 5-year RSR 75.91%), and those of ovarian cancer (5-year OSR 53.89%, 5-year RSR 55.90%). After age adjustment, the 5-year relative survival rates of three gynecological cancers were 71.23%, 80.11%, and 43.27%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The 5-year relative survival rate did not show a systematic temporal trend in cervical cancer, uterine cancer, or ovarian cancer. The prognosis in elderly patients was not optimistic, and this needs a more advanced strategy for early diagnosis and treatment. The age structure of gynecological cancer patients in the district tended to be younger than the standardized age, which implies that more attention to the guidance and health education for the younger generation is needed.

Exposure to ambient gaseous pollutant and daily hospitalizations for Sjögren's syndrome in Hefei: A time-series study.

Objective: Increasing evidence suggested that gaseous pollutants were associated with the development of autoimmune diseases, while there were few studies on the association between gaseous pollutants and Sjögren's syndrome (SS). This study sought to assess the relationship between exposure to several gaseous pollutants and the hospitalizations for SS. Methods: The data regarding SS hospitalizations, gaseous pollutants, and meteorological factors in Hefei from 2016 to 2021 were collected. A distributed lag non-linear model combined with a generalized linear model were adopted to analyze the association between gaseous pollutants and SS hospitalizations, and stratified analyses were also conducted. Results: We detected significant associations between gaseous pollutants (NO2, SO2, O3, CO) and SS hospitalizations. Exposure to NO2 was linked with the elevated risk of hospitalizations for SS (RR=1.026, lag1 day). A positive correlation between CO exposure and hospitalizations for SS was found (RR=1.144, lag2 day). In contrast, exposure to SO2, O3 was respectively related to the decreased risk of hospitalizations for SS (SO2: RR=0.897, lag14 day; O3: RR=0.992, lag9 day). Stratified analyses found that female patients were more vulnerable to these gaseous pollutants. SS patients ≥ 65 years were more susceptible to NO2, CO exposure, and younger patients were more vulnerable to O3 exposure. In addition, exposure to O3, CO in cold season were more likely to affect hospitalizations for SS. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated a significant association between exposure to NO2, CO and elevated risk of hospitalizations for SS, and SO2, O3 exposure might be linked to reduced risk of SS hospitalizations.

Development of a humanized HLA-A30 transgenic mouse model.

BACKGROUND: There are remarkable genetic differences between animal major histocompatibility complex (MHC) systems and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system. HLA transgenic humanized mouse model systems offer a much better method to study the HLA-A-related principal mechanisms for vaccine development and HLA-A-restricted responses against infection in human. METHODS: A recombinant gene encoding the chimeric HLA-A30 monochain was constructed. This HHD molecule contains the following: α1-α2 domains of HLA-A30, α3 and cytoplasmic domains of H-2Db , linked at its N-terminus to the C-terminus of human ß2m by a 15-amino-acid peptide linker. The recombinant gene encoding the chimeric HLA-A30 monochain cassette was introduced into bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) CH502-67J3 containing the HLA-A01 gene locus by Red-mediated homologous recombination. Modified BAC CH502-67J3 was microinjected into the pronuclei of wild-type mouse oocytes. This humanized mouse model was further used to assess the immune responses against influenza A virus (H1N1) pdm09 clinically isolated from human patients. Immune cell population, cytokine production, and histopathology in the lung were analyzed. RESULTS: We describe a novel human ß2m-HLA-A30 (α1α2)-H-2Db (α3 transmembrane cytoplasmic) (HHD) monochain transgenic mouse strain, which contains the intact HLA-A01 gene locus including 49 kb 5'-UTR and 74 kb 3'-UTR of HLA-A01*01. Five transgenic lines integrated into the large genomic region of HLA-A gene locus were obtained, and the robust expression of exogenous transgene was detected in various tissues from A30-18# and A30-19# lines encompassing the intact flanking sequences. Flow cytometry revealed that the introduction of a large genomic region in HLA-A gene locus can influence the immune cell constitution in humanized mice. Pdm09 infection caused a similar immune response among HLA-A30 Tg humanized mice and wild-type mice, and induced the rapid increase of cytokines, including IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-6, in both HLA-A30 humanized Tg mice and wild-type mice. The expression of HLA-A30 transgene was dramatically promoted in tissues from A30-9# line at 3 days post-infection (dpi). CONCLUSIONS: We established a promising preclinical research animal model of HLA-A30 Tg humanized mouse, which could accelerate the identification of novel HLA-A30-restricted epitopes and vaccine development, and support the study of HLA-A-restricted responses against infection in humans.

Identification of Serum miRNAs as Effective Diagnostic Biomarkers for Distinguishing Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma from Glioma.

Invasive surgical cerebrum biopsy results in delayed treatment for the definitive diagnosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). The existent research was aimed at confirming the underlying diagnostic miRNAs of distinguishing PCNSL from glioma. A publicly available miRNA expression profiles (GSE139031) from adult PCNSL as well as glioma specimens were provided by GEO datasets. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were filtered between 42 PCNSL patients and 170 glioma patients. Candidate miRNAs were identified through SVM-RFE analysis and LASSO model. ROC assays were operated to determine the diagnostic value of serum miRNAs in distinguishing PCNSL from glioma. StarBase v2.0 was applied to screen the targeting genes of miRNAs, and KEGG analysis was applied using the targeting genes of miRNAs. In this study, we identified 12 dysregulated miRNAs between PCNSL and glioma samples. The ten critical miRNAs (miR-6820-3p, miR-6803-3p, miR-30a-3p, miR-4751, miR-3918, miR-146a-3p, miR-548am-3p, miR-371a-3p, miR-487a-3p, and miR-4756-5p) between these two algorithms were ultimately identified. The results of KEGG revealed that the targeting genes of hsa-miR-3918 were primarily related to MAPK signal pathway, PI3K-Akt signal pathway, and human papillomavirus infection. Overall, bioinformatics analysis revealed that ten miRNAs are potential biomarker for distinguishing PCNSL from glioma.

Exposure to particulate pollutant increases the risk of hospitalizations for Sjögren's syndrome.

Objective: Numerous researches have reported the role of air pollution in the development of autoimmune diseases. However, few have evaluated the relationship between inhalable particulate matter (PM) exposure and Sjögren's syndrome (SS). This study aimed to analyze the association between exposure to two particulate pollutants (PM2.5, PM10) and SS-related hospitalizations. Methods: Daily data were obtained on PM2.5 and PM10, meteorological factors, and hospital hospitalizations for SS between 2016 and 2021. The daily data on PM2.5 and PM10, meteorological factors, and the number of SS hospitalizations were collected between 2016 and 2021. A distributed lag non-linear model and a generalized linear model were established to explore the association between PM2.5 and PM10 exposure and hospitalizations for SS. Stratified analyses were performed to explore possible gender-, age-, and season-related differences in PM2.5 and PM10 effects. Results: Exposure to PM2.5 was related to the evaluated risk of hospitalizations for SS (RR=1.015, 95% CI: 1.001-1.029, lag 3 day), similarly, PM10 exposure had a statistically significant positive association with SS hospitalizations (RR =1.013, 95% CI: 1.001-1.026, lag 3 day). Stratified analyses found that exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 exhibited higher impact on SS-related hospitalizations in female patients and exposure to PM2.5 was also associated with the higher risk of SS-related hospitalizations in patients aged ≥ 65 years. In addition, exposure to PM2.5, PM10 in colder season were more likely to increase SS-related hospitalizations. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 were significantly linked to an elevated risk of hospitalizations for SS.

[Effects of two Streptomyces strains on growth and physiological properties of Gerbera jamesonii]. / ä¸¤æ ªé“¾éœ‰èŒå¯¹éžæ´²èŠç”Ÿé•¿å’Œç”Ÿç†ç”ŸåŒ–æŒ‡æ ‡çš„å½±å“.

We applied different concentrations of spore suspension of Streptomyces exfoliatus FT05W and S. cyaneus ZEA17I to inoculate Gerbera jamesonii to screen for the most effective application concentration. We aimed to explore the effects of two Streptomyces strains on growth and physiological properties of G. jamesonii, and to provide scientific evidence for the application of Streptomyces in G. jamesonii production. The results showed that different concentrations of S. exfoliatus FT05W and S. cyaneus ZEA17I spore suspension could effectively promote the growth of G. jamesonii. In general, S. exfoliatus FT05W performed better than S. cyaneus ZEA17I. S. exfoliatus FT05W (1×109 CFU·mL-1) could significantly increase the height and crown width of G. jamesonii respectively by 30.2% and 41.5%. Meanwhile, it increased the length and width of the stem. When treated by S. exfoliatus FT05W (1×109 CFU·mL-1), the content of chlorophyll in G. jamesonii was significantly increased by 65.2%, root activity was significantly increased by 103.3%, and the superoxide dismutase activity was increased by 84.4%. The malondialdehyde content in G. jamesonii was maintained at a low level when treated with the two Streptomyces strains. In summary, S. exfoliatus FT05W and S. cyaneus ZEA17I could effectively promote the growth and physiological properties of G. jamesonii, which could further contribute to its resistance to stress. Therefore, S. exfoliatus FT05W had the potential as a bio-fertilizer for G. jamesonii to solve cultivation obstacles.

Inverse molecular docking reveals a novel function of thymol: Inhibition of fat deposition induced by high-dose glucose in Caenorhabditis elegans.

As a natural product isolated from thyme oil in thyme, thymol (2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol) harbors antiviral, antioxidant, and other properties, and thus could be potentially used for the treatment of various diseases. However, the function of thymol has not been comprehensively studied. Here, we applied an inverse molecular docking approach to identify unappreciated functions of thymol. Potential targets of thymol in humans were identified by the server of DRAR-CPI, and targets of interest were then assessed by GO and KEGG pathway analysis. Subsequently, homologous proteins of these targets in Caenorhabditis elegans were identified by Blast tool, and their three-dimensional structures were achieved using Swiss-Model workspace. Interaction between thymol and the targeted proteins in worms was verified using AutoDock 4.0. Analyses of the targets revealed that thymol could be potentially involved in the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and fatty acid degradation pathways. To verify the activity of thymol on lipid deposition in vivo, the C. elegans model was established. The lipid content of nematodes induced by high-dose glucose was determined by Oil Red O and Nile Red staining, and gene expression was assessed by qRT-PCR. The results showed that thymol might lead to the acceleration of ß-oxidation by upregulating cpt-1, aco, fabp, and tph-1, causing the descent of lipid content in nematodes. Our findings indicated that thymol could be potentially used for the treatment of chronic metabolic diseases associated with increased fatty acid deposition.

Senescent mesenchymal stem/stromal cells and restoring their cellular functions.

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have various properties that make them promising candidates for stem cell-based therapies in clinical settings. These include self-renewal, multilineage differentiation, and immunoregulation. However, recent studies have confirmed that aging is a vital factor that limits their function and therapeutic properties as standardized clinical products. Understanding the features of senescence and exploration of cell rejuvenation methods are necessary to develop effective strategies that can overcome the shortage and instability of MSCs. This review will summarize the current knowledge on characteristics and functional changes of aged MSCs. Additionally, it will highlight cell rejuvenation strategies such as molecular regulation, non-coding RNA modifications, and microenvironment controls that may enhance the therapeutic potential of MSCs in clinical settings.

High viral loads of circulating Epstein-Barr virus DNA copy number in peripheral blood is associated with inferior prognosis in patients with mantle cell lymphoma.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a distinct subtype of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. No research has yet documented to investigate the prognostic implications of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in MCL. The objective of this study was to determine whether EBV DNA load may influence the heterogeneity in the course of the disease in MCL patients. Eighty-eight MCL patients were retrospectively enrolled in the study. EBV DNA load was detected by real-time quantitative PCR for quantification. The univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were established for the estimation of prognostic factors. Twenty-seven patients were detected positive for EBV DNA and the median virus titer was 1.72×104 copies/mL (range, 8.20×102 to 4.14×105 copies/mL). With a median follow-up of 39 months (range, 9 to 120 months), patients in EBV DNA-positive group displayed unfavorable progression-free survival (PFS) (P=0.012) and overall survival (OS) (P=0.004) than patients in EBV DNA-negative group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that EBV DNA-positivity was an independent risk factor for both PFS (HR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.07 to 3.92; P=0.031) and OS (HR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.20 to 6.00; P=0.016). Reduction in EBV copies was significantly associated with therapy-response. Circulating EBV DNA load in whole blood proved to be a significant predictor of prognosis in patients with MCL, which needs further validation in large-scale clinical studies.

Bufalin suppresses the migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells through HOTAIR, the sponge of miR-520b.

Bufalin, the major active component of the traditional Chinese medicine ChanSu obtained from the skin and parotid venom glands of toads, has long been known as an anticancer agent. Recent studies show that microRNAs (miRs) are involved in the anticancer activities of bufalin, while long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to interact with miRNAs to regulate various biological functions. In this paper, we investigated the possible network related to the antimetastatic effect of bufalin in prostate cancer (PCa) cells. We demonstrated that bufalin (0.05-10 µM) dose-dependently suppressed the proliferation of prostate cancer DU145 and PC3 cells with IC50 values of 0.89 and 1.28 µM, respectively. Furthermore, bufalin treatment significantly suppressed the cell migration and invasion. To explore the role of lncRNAs in the antimetastatic activity of bufalin, we used an lncRNA microarray and found that HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) was the most markedly downregulated lncRNA in bufalin-treated PCa cells. Overexpression of HOTAIR counteracted the suppressing effects of bufalin on DU145 and PC3 cells. We then predicted and verified that HOTAIR upregulated FGFR1 expression by sponging miR-520b in PCa cells. In 40 patients with PCa bone metastasis, we used in situ hybridization or immunohistochemical assay to assess the HOTAIR and FGFR1 expression, which revealed that both HOTAIR and FGFR1 expression were significantly higher in bone metastasis tissues than in the primary PCa tissues. In addition, the level of serum HOTAIR was positively associated with the levels of serum bone metabolic markers (CTx, OST, B-ALP and PINP) and may serve as a reasonable biomarker for PCa bone metastasis. Taken together, this is the first study revealing that HOTAIR promotes PCa bone metastasis, and bufalin may be a promising candidate for the treatment of this disease.

Low absolute NK cell counts in peripheral blood are associated with inferior survival in patients with mantle cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Although risk stratification of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is most frequently performed using the simplified MCL International Prognostic Index (sMIPI), the identification of host-related factors and tumor microenvironment, including absolute monocyte counts (AMC) and peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets, especially absolute natural killer cell counts (ANKC) has been suggested to be critical in the prediction of prognosis and the guidance of treatment. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at investigating whether peripheral blood ANKC and AMC at diagnosis had an impact on MCL prognosis. METHODS: A total of 92 newly diagnosed MCL patients was enrolled in this retrospective study. Flow cytometric analysis was conducted on fresh peripheral blood samples with a FACSCalibur flow cytometer (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA). RESULTS: The median follow-up was 42 months (range, 2-144 months) and the median overall survival (OS) of all cases was 45 months. High AMC (> 0.6 × 109/L) was the parameter associated with inferior progression free survival (PFS) (P= 0.044) and poor OS (P= 0.028) while low ANKC (⩽ 0.1 × 109/L) was associated with unfavorable OS (P= 0.023) by univariable analysis. Multivariable analysis revealed that only low ANKC (⩽ 0.1 × 109/L) was statistically significant in worse OS (P= 0.009) independent of sMIPI. CONCLUSIONS: Low ANKC (⩽ 0.1 × 109/L) proved to be a significant predictor of inferior OS in patients with MCL.

Association of red blood cell distribution width and outcomes in patients with mantle cell lymphoma.

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW), which measures the range of variation of red blood cell volume, has been explored as a prognostic factor in multiple types of cancer. However, the role of RDW in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with poor outcomes, remains to be determined. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic role of RDW in MCL. We found that 21 of 76 MCL patients (27.6%) had an abnormally elevated RDW (>15.7%). Abnormally elevated RDW was significantly associated with presence of B symptoms (P = 0.0020), elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P = 0.0010), higher leukocyte count (P = 0.0345), higher simplified Mantle Cell International Prognostic Index (sMIPI) (P = 0.0194), and lower level of hemoglobin (Hb) (P < 0.0001). It was marginally associated with increased C-reactive protein (P = 0.0862). RDW was significantly correlated with Hb level (r2  = 0.42) and LDH level (r2  = 0.19). 15.8% was determined as the best cutoff of RDW in predicting the survival outcome by the X-tile software. Survival analysis revealed that high RDW (>15.8%) predicted shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (hazards ratio [HR]: 3.14; P = 0.0005) and shorter overall survival (OS) (HR: 4.04; P < 0.0001). High RDW independently predicted both shorter PFS (P = 0.0493) and OS (P = 0.0118). RDW also improved the prognostic stratification based on sMIPI. In conclusion, our study identified RDW as a novel prognostic factor of clinical feasibility in the prognostication of MCL.

Warming delays the phenological sequences of an autumn-flowering invader.

Phenology can play an important role in driving plant invasions; however, little is known about how climate warming, nitrogen (N) deposition, and invasion stages influence the phenological sequences of autumn-flowering invaders in a subtropical climate. Accordingly, we conducted an experiment to address the effects of experimental warming, N-addition, and community types on the first inflorescence buds, flowering, seed-setting, and dieback of invasive Solidago canadensis. Warming delayed the onset of first inflorescence buds, flowering, seed-setting, and dieback; N-addition did not influence these four phenophases; community types influenced the onset of first seed-setting but not the other phenological phases. Seed-setting was more sensitive to experimental manipulations than the other phenophases. The onset of first inflorescence buds, flowering, and seed-setting was marginally or significantly correlated with ramet height but not ramet numbers. Our results suggest that future climate warming might delay the phenological sequences of autumn-flowering invaders and some phenophases can shift with invasion stages.

Overview of the reporter genes and reporter mouse models.

Reporter genes are widely applied in biotechnology and biomedical research owning to their easy observation and lack of toxicity. Taking advantage of the reporter genes in conjunction with imaging technologies, a large number of reporter mouse models have been generated. Reporter mouse models provide systems that enable the studies of live cell imaging, cell lineage tracing, immunological research and cancers etc. in vivo. In this review, we describe the types of different reporter genes and reporter mouse models including, random reporter strains, Cre reporter strains and ROSA26 reporter strains. Collectively, these reporter mouse models have broadened scientific inquires and provided potential strategies for generation of novel reporter animal models with enhanced capabilities.

Correlation between KLOTHO gene and mild cognitive impairment in the Uygur and Han populations of Xinjiang.

The secretive Klotho protein is an anti-aging regulatory hormone that plays a physiological role in many target organs. The present study aims to investigate the correlation between Klotho gene and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Uygur and Han populations in Xinjiang. From July 2008 to April 2014, stratified random multistage cluster sampling was used in combination with the methods of on-site questionnaire and household survey to conduct a cross-sectional MCI investigation on selected Uygur and Han subjects aged over 60 years old in Xinjiang region. 323 Uygur and Han MCI patients were randomly selected and matched with 343 subjects in the normal control group. SNaPshot technique was used to detect the polymorphisms of Klotho gene. A case-control associated analysis was conducted to analyze the genotype and allele frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MCI group and the normal control group. The polymorphisms of rs1207568 and rs9536314/rs9527025 loci in Klotho gene were different among MCI populations in Xinjiang, and after group assignments based on ethnic background, the polymorphisms of rs1207568 and rs9536314/rs9527025 loci were associated with the Uygur MCI population and were not relevant to the Han MIC population. The frequencies of mutational alleles of rs9536314/rs9527025 locus in the Uygur population were significantly higher than those in the Han population. The genotype and allele frequencies of rs1207568 locus in the Uygur and Han populations were similar. The polymorphisms of rs1207568 and rs9536314/rs9527025 loci in Klotho gene may be associated with the Uygur MCI population in Xinjiang.

Isolation of Probiotic Piliated Lactobacillus rhamnosus Strains from Human Fecal Microbiota Using SpaA Antiserum-Based Colony Immunoblotting.

Piliated Lactobacillus rhamnosus (pLR) strains possess higher adherent capacity than non-piliated strains. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize probiotic pLR strains in human fecal samples. To this end, mouse polyclonal antiserum (anti-SpaA) against the recombinant pilus protein (SpaA) of L. rhamnosus strain GG (LGG) was prepared and tested for its reactivity and specificity. With the anti-SpaA, a method combining the de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) agar plating separation and colony immunoblotting (CIB) was developed to isolate pLR from 124 human fecal samples. The genetic and phenotypic characteristics of the resultant pLR isolates were compared by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting, and examination of adhesion to Caco-2 cells, hydrophobicity, autoaggregation, and in vitro gastrointestinal tolerance. Anti-SpaA specifically reacted with three pLR strains of 25 test strains, as assessed by western blotting, immunofluorescence flow cytometry, and immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) assays. The optimized MRS agar separation plus anti-SpaA-based CIB procedure could quantitatively detect 2.5 × 103 CFU/ml of pLR colonies spiked in 106 CFU/ml of background bacteria. Eight pLR strains were identified in 124 human fecal samples, and were confirmed by 16S RNA gene sequencing and IEM identification. RAPD fingerprinting of the pLR strains revealed seven different patterns, of which only two isolates from infants showed the same RAPD profiles with LGG. Strain PLR06 was obtained with high adhesion and autoaggregation activities, hydrophobicity, and gastrointestinal tolerance. Anti-SpaA-based CIB is a rapid and inexpensive method for the preliminary screening of novel adherent L. rhamnosus strains for commercial purposes.

Human liver chimeric mouse model based on diphtheria toxin-induced liver injury.

AIM: To establish an inducible liver injury mouse model and transplant human hepatocytes to obtain liver-humanized mice. METHODS: We crossed three mouse strains, including albumin (Alb)-cre transgenic mice, inducible diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) transgenic mice and severe combined immune deficient (SCID)-beige mice, to create Alb-cre/DTR/SCID-beige (ADSB) mice, which coincidentally harbor Alb-cre and DTR transgenes and are immunodeficient. As the Cre expression is driven by the liver-specific promoter Alb (encoding ALB), the DTR stop signal flanked by two loxP sites can be deleted in the ADSB mice, resulting in DTR expression in the liver. ADSB mice aged 8-10 wk were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with diphtheria toxin (DT) and liver damage was assessed by serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. Two days later, mouse livers were sampled for histological analysis, and human hepatocytes were transplanted into the livers on the same day. A human ALB enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed 7, 14, 21 and 28 d after transplantation. Human CD68 immunohistochemistry was performed 30 and 90 d after transplantation. RESULTS: We crossed Alb-cre with DTR and SCID-beige mice to obtain ADSB mice. These mice were found to have liver damage 4 d after i.p. injection of 2.5 ng/g bodyweight DT. Bodyweight began to decrease on day 2, increased on day 7, and was lowest on day 4 (range, 10.5%-13.4%). Serum ALT activity began to increase on day 2 and reached a peak value of 289.7 ± 16.2 IU/mL on day 4, then returned to background values on day 7. After transplantation of human liver cells, peripheral blood human ALB level was 1580 ± 454.8 ng/mL (range, 750.2-3064.9 ng/mL) after 28 d and Kupffer cells were present in the liver at 30 d in ADSB mice. CONCLUSION: Human hepatocytes were successfully repopulated in the livers of ADSB mice. The inducible mouse model of humanized liver in ADSB mice may have functional applications, such as hepatocyte transplantation, hepatic regeneration and drug metabolism.

Distribution Characteristics of Human Papillomavirus Infection: A Study Based on Data from Physical Examination

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and type distribution of HPV DNA positive in women undergoing routine physical examination. Methods: 2,452 women were enrolled between March and November 2013. Participants were tested for 23 HPV types using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse dot blot hybridization. HPV DNA detection prevalence was estimated in different age groups. Results: Mean age (SD) of study participants was 47.7 (9.8) years. Overall HPV-positive prevalence was 18.9% (463/2452), and 22 out of 23 known subtypes were detected. Single HPV subtype prevalence of infection was 14.4%, and multiple prevalence of infection was 4.5%. The prevalence of HPV DNA in different age groups (20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, ≥70) were 9.3%, 15.6%, 17.1%, 22.1%, 23.0% and 20.0%, respectively. HPV 52 was the most prevalent HPV type, followed by HPV 58, 53, 16 and 68, in descending order of prevalence. The top five low-risk types of HPV were (in descending order): HPV81, 43, 6, 42 and 11. Conclusions: Overall HPV DNA detection prevalence increased significantly with increasing age. Concerning high-risk HPV types, HPV 52, 58, 53, 16 and 51 were the most common in the study.