Relationship between Body Mass Index and Bone Turnover Markers in Girls with Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty.

Background: This study aimed to determine the effect of body mass index (BMI) on bone turnover markers in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) according to weight status at diagnosis. Methods: Two hundred and eleven girls with ICPP were divided according to their weight status at diagnosis into three groups: normal weight, overweight, and obese. The serum levels of total procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP), N-terminal midfragment of osteocalcin, ß-C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen, and some biochemical indicators were measured. Associations between variables were evaluated by multiple regression analysis. Results: Serum P1NP concentrations were significantly different among groups (p < 0.001). No other significant differences were noted in N-terminal midfragment of osteocalcin and ß-C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen. BMI was associated with estradiol (r = 0.155, p < 0.05) and inversely associated with P1NP (r = -0.251, p < 0.01), luteinizing hormone peak (r = -0.334, p < 0.01), follicle-stimulating hormone peak (r = -0.215, p < 0.01), and luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone peak (r = -0.284, p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis of factors associated with BMI showed that it was correlated with P1NP, follicle-stimulating hormone base, and luteinizing hormone peak in the overweight group and the obese group. Conclusions: Our findings showed that BMI was associated with P1NP, revealing the reduction of bone formation in overweight and obese girls with ICPP. During the diagnosis and treatment of girls with ICPP, attention should be paid to body weight and bone metabolism.

Analysis of Ureaplasma urealyticum, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections among obstetrics and gynecological outpatients in southwest China: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze the present situation of Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infections among obstetrics and gynecological outpatients in southwest China. METHODS: A total of 3225 urogenital swabs were included in this study. All swabs were tested by RNA-based simultaneous amplification and testing (SAT) methods. Routine analysis of leucorrhea smear and drug susceptibility were performed in UU positive patients. RESULTS: Of these 3225 outpatients, the positive rate was 27.07% for UU, 4.99% for CT, 3.10% for MG, and 0.09% for NG. UU, CT, and MG infections were more common in women of reproductive age (aged 25-34 years), while NG infection was more prominent in women aged 30-34 years and over 40 years. Overall, the infection rate of UU was significantly higher than that of the other three infections, and UU also played a major role even in the mixed infections. 65.07% of the UU positive patients had negative results on routine leucorrhea smear analysis, and the remaining patients may have bacterial vaginitis (15.79%), fungal vaginitis (11.48%), trichomonas vaginitis (0.96%) or other vaginal inflammation (6.70%). We have observed that maternal UU infection can lead to low birth weight, neonatal pneumonia, and premature delivery. The results of the drug susceptibility test of UU showed a higher sensitivity to pristinamycin, doxycycline, tetracycline, clarithromycin, and josamycin (100%, 97.0%, 96.4%, 95.9%, and 95.3%, respectively), and lower sensitivity to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin (2.4% and 4.7% respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study could contribute to a better understanding of the current epidemiological features of UU, CT, MG, and NG among obstetrics and gynecological outpatients in southwest China, and thus facilitate to development of the more effective intervention, prevention, and treatment of reproductive tract infection.

Remission of collagen-induced arthritis by adoptive transfer of peritoneal cells.

OBJECTIVES: The collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model shares both immunological and pathological features with human rheumatoid arthritis (RA), thus it has been used extensively as a model to study the pathogenesis of RA and for testing therapeutics. It is well-known that the T helper cell 17 (Th17) responses are involved in the pathogenesis of RA, while the regulatory T cells (Tregs) are considered to limit the progress of disease. Previously, we found that peritoneal cells (PCs) possess immunosuppressive characteristics and it is conceivable that PCs potentially have the therapeutic benefits for RA. In this study, we investigated whether PCs are capable of Treg induction and therefore suppress Th17-mediated CIA. METHODS: Naïve PCs were intravenously transferred into CIA mice at the early clinical signs of arthritis. The treatment commenced on day 0 and then every other day until day 14. Clinical symptoms of arthritis, histological changes, cytokine expressions and cell population profiles were investigated. RESULTS: Intravenously administrating PCs ameliorated the severity of CIA. Further investigations unveiled that the reduction of Th17 cells and the induction of Tregs is ascribed to the remission of the disease. Specifically, when splenic PBMC were cultured with PCs, the expression of FOXP3 and IFN-γ was markedly induced. It is suggested that IFN-γ secreted by PCs plays an important role in the conversion of CD4+T cells to Tregs. CONCLUSIONS: The adoptive transfer of PCs is effective in the treatment of CIA by regulating the T cell differentiations. Our findings might provide a new strategy for RA therapy.

Detection of varicella-zoster virus from cerebrospinal fluid using advanced fragment analysis in a child with encephalitis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Varicella zoster virus (VZV) encephalitis is an infectious inflammatory disease of brain that can cause irreversible mental damage without timely treatment. In fact, many viruses can cause encephalitis, and the viral loads in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the early stage of the disease are usually too low to be detected. Here we report a case of VZV encephalitis diagnosed by advanced fragment analysis (AFA), which could potentially to contribute to early diagnosis of VZV central nervous system (CNS) infections with a small volume of CSF samples. CASE PRESENTATION: A 10-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital with obvious neurological symptoms of headache, dizziness and vomiting for one day. Physical examination showed left facial paralysis. Complete blood count (CBC) test only showed an unspecific inflammation, and the culture of cerebrospinal fluid and microscopic staining examination were all negative. AFA was performed to screen the common 18 encephalitis related pathogens in CSF. Obvious VZV DNA fragments were observed by capillary electrophoresis at 160 nt, suggesting the existence of VZV CNS infection in children. The results were consistence with real-time quantitative PCR and concomitant symptoms in the acute stage of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: We report a case of acute VZV encephalitis in a child without obvious skin manifestations, which was rapidly diagnosed by AFA. Overall, we would recommend the use of AFA analysis as the rapid screening system for the identification and differentiation of encephalitis pathogens in children.

[Immunoprotective effect of combined pneumococcal endopeptidase O and pneumococcal surface adhesin A vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prokaryotic expression of proteins pneumococcal endopeptidase O (PepO) and pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA) in Streptococcus pneumoniae and their immunoprotective effect as vaccine candidate proteins. METHODS: Specific primers of target gene fragments were designed, and then PCR amplification was performed to establish recombinant plasmids pET28a(+)-pepO and pET28a(+)-psaA, which were transformed into host cells, Escherichia coli BL21 and DE3, respectively, to induce expression. Highly purified target proteins PepO and PsaA were obtained after purification. Mucosal immunization was performed for BALB/c mice and specific antiserum was prepared. ELISA was used to measure the antibody titer, and Western blot was used to analyze the specificity of the antiserum of target proteins. The mice were randomly divided into negative control group, PepO group, PsaA group, and PepO+PsaA combined immunization group, with 18 mice in each group. The models of different serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection were established to evaluate the immunoprotective effect of target proteins used alone or in combination. RESULTS: The target proteins PepO and PsaA were successfully obtained and Western blot demonstrated that the antiserum of these proteins had good specificity. There was no significant difference in the titers of IgA in saliva and IgG in serum between the PepO group and the combined immunization group (P>0.05); however, these two groups had significantly higher antibody titers than the PsaA group (P<0.05). The PepO, PsaA, and combined immunization groups had significantly higher protection rates for mice infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae D39 and CMCC31436 in the nasal cavity than the negative control group (P<0.05). The PepO and combined immunization groups had a significantly higher protection rate for mice infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae D39 than the PsaA group (P<0.05). The results of colonization experiment showed that compared with the control group, the PepO, PsaA, and combined immunization groups showed a significant reduction in the colonization of Streptococcus pneumoniae (CMCC31693 and CMCC31207) in the nasopharynx and lung (P<0.05). The combined immunization group showed a better effect on reducing the colonization of CMCC31207 in the lung than the PepO and PsaA alone groups. CONCLUSIONS: Combined PepO/PsaA vaccines may produce a better protective effect by mucosal immunization compared with the vaccine used alone in mice. The combined vaccines can effectively reduce the colonization of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the nasopharynx and lung. Therefore, such protein vaccines may have a great potential for research and development.

Serum Levels of Cardiac Troponin I in Asphyxiated Neonates Predict Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a well-established marker for detecting myocardial ischemic damage in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. However, the predictive value of cTnI in assessing mortality in neonatal asphyxia remains obscure. This retrospective study aims to analyze the relationship between cTnI levels in blood serum with gestational age, birth weight, gender, delivery type, electrocardiography, echocardiography, Apgar scores, length of hospital stay, and mortality in asphyxiated neonates. METHODS: This study included 164 full-term neonates with evidence of asphyxia. Myocardial markers, electrocardiography, and echocardiography were assessed in the first 24 hours after birth in neonates with asphyxia. The length of hospital stay and short-term outcome were assessed. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant correlations found between cTnI concentrations and traditional markers of asphyxia, length of hospitalization or mode of delivery. However, high cTnI levels were significant predictors of mortality in neonates with birth asphyxia. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the significance of monitoring cardiac injury in asphyxiated neonates. Serum cTnI levels measured at 24 hours after birth are likely to have significant predictive value for assessing mortality in neonates with birth asphyxia.

[Prognostic value of bone marrow hematogones in childhood B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the prognostic value of hematogones (HGs) for childhood B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) during consolidation chemotherapy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted for 196 children with newly-diagnosed B-ALL. They were divided into high-risk group (n=55), intermediate-risk group (n=69), and low-risk group (n=72) by risk stratification, and into complete remission group (n=165) and relapse group (n=31) by clinical outcome. The European BIOMED-1 standard flow cytometry for minimal residual disease (MRD) was used to determine the number of HGs during consolidation chemotherapy. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to assess event-free survival (EFS). RESULTS: The high-risk group had a significantly lower number of HGs than the intermediate-risk and low-risk groups (P<0.05). The number of HGs in the complete remission group was significantly higher than in the relapse group (P<0.05). The children with HGs ≤1.0% had a significantly lower EFS than those with HGs <1.0% (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HGs can be used to assess the treatment outcome and prognosis in children with B-ALL, and proliferation of HGs reflects the good effect of chemotherapy in such children.

[Epidemiology and Resistance Mechanisms of Group B Streptococci in Late-pregnant Maternal Birth Canal].

OBJECTIVE: To study the antibiotic-resistant rate of group B streptococci (GBS) in obstetric canal of late-pregnant women, evaluate the antibiotic-resistant status and finally to support the GBS prevention and curing by proper antibiotics. METHODS: 31 pregnant women between 35 to 37 gestational weeks were included, for whom the antibiotic sensitivity as well as the drug (erythromycin and clindamycin) resistance genes of GBS in obstetric canal was analyzed. RESULTS: 12 (38. 7%) strains of GBS were resistant to clindamycin, while 21 (67. 7%) to erythromycin, within which 12 strains were intrinsic phenotype - cMLS type-clindamycin resistance, other 9 were active efflux phenotype - MS type-clindamycin sensitive and all of which were confirmed by Double disk diffusion method. Eleven strains were mef (A) positive, and 12 strains were erm (B) positive, in which 3 with erm (C). CONCLUSIONS: In our research the GBS strains show a high erythromycin and clindamycin resistance rate. The resistance of our GBS strains are mainly caused by the ribosomal target changes induced by erm (B) and the increased efflux of clindamycin induced by mef (A).

[Clinical value of minimal residual disease detection by flow cytometry in childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To elevate the prognostic value of minimal residual disease (MRD) detection by four-color flow cytometry with the antibody panel in childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). METHODS: The clinical data of 183 children with newly-diagnosed acute B-ALL and who accepted MRD detection between October 2010 and March 2012 was retrospectively reviewed. According to the detection time and result of MRD, the 183 children were classified into four groups: MRD negative (n=37) and positive (n=18) in the induction chemotherapy and MRD negative (n=113) and positive (n=15) in the maintenance chemotherapy. RESULTS: During both induction and maintenance chemotherapy, the percentage of patients at high and median risk in the MRD positive group was higher than in the MRD positive group (P<0.05). In the maintenance chemotherapy group, the 3- year cumulative incidence of relapse in MRD positive patients was higher than negative patients (P=0.04). The Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis showed that insensitive reaction for prednisone (RR=1.005, 95%CI: 0.864-1.170, P=0.032), bone marrow morphology that did not meet M1 on the 15th day (RR=6.454, 95%CI: 2.191-19.01, P=0.002) and MRD≥0.01% (RR=1.923, 95%CI: 0.750-4.933, P=0.043) were risk factors for relapse in children with B-ALL. CONCLUSIONS: The four-color flow cytometry with the antibody panel can distinguish from MRD positive patients from negative patients with B-ALL. The result of MRD detection, as prednisone sensitivity and bone marrow morphology on the 15th day, is also a independent prognostic factor in children with B-ALL.

Noninvasive biomarkers for lupus nephritis.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most severe clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Notably, the clinical manifestations of LN are not always consistent with the histopathological findings. Therefore, the diagnosis and activity monitoring of this disease are challenging and largely depend on invasive renal biopsy. Renal biopsy has side effects and is associated with the risk of bleeding and infection. There is a growing interest in the development of novel noninvasive biomarkers for LN. In this review, we summarize most of the LN biomarkers discovered so far by correlating current knowledge with future perspectives. These biomarkers fundamentally reflect the biological processes of kidney damage and repair during disease. Furthermore, this review highlights the role of urinary cell phenotype detection in the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of LN and summarizes the limitations and countermeasures of this test.

[Species and drug resistance of pathogens in blood cultures from the pediatric hematology ward].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the species and percentage changes of pathogens in blood cultures from the pediatric hematology ward, and to analyze the drug resistance of main pathogens and the risk factors for positive blood culture (sepsis). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed to analyze the species and drug sensitivity of the pathogens isolated from 2358 blood cultures from the pediatric hematology ward of the West China Second University Hospital between 2008 and 2011, as well as the related clinical data. RESULTS: A total of 110 strains of pathogens were isolated, with Escherichia coli (16 strains), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12 strains) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (8 strains) being the most common ones. From 2008 to 2011, the percentage of Gram-positive bacteria decreased, while the percentage of Gram-negative bacteria increased. The detection rates of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were 69% and 43% respectively, but both were sensitive to vancomycin. The detection rates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae were 69% and 62% respectively, but both were sensitive to imipenem and meropenem. Malignant tumor was a risk factor for positive blood culture (OR=3.564, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A wide range of pathogens are responsible for bloodstream infection in the pediatric hematology ward and the percentages of bacteria are changing; these pathogens have a high drug resistance rate. Malignant tumor is a risk factor for positive blood culture in the pediatric hematology ward.

[An epidemiological study of food intolerance in 2434 children].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of intolerance to 14 foods in children and the relationship between food intolerance and disease of various systems. METHODS: Serum samples of 2434 children with diseases were collected for food intolerance testing between January 2009 and October 2012. Allergen-specific IgG antibodies to 14 foods were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The children's intolerance to different foods and its relationship with age, sex and disease of various systems were analyzed. RESULTS: Among these children, positive rates of intolerance to milk and eggs were as high as 74.16% and 66.47% respectively, while positive rates of intolerance to chicken and pork were relatively low (0.29% and 0.21% respectively). The overall positive rates of food intolerance were 12.579% and 12.470% in males and females respectively. For infants, the highest intolerance rate was to milk; for preschool and school-age children, the highest intolerance rates were to milk and eggs respectively; for children in adolescence, the highest intolerance rate was to eggs. Among children with food intolerance involving single system, those with developmental abnormality or immune system disease had the highest overall positive rate of food intolerance. Children with double-system diseases had an overall positive rate of food intolerance as high as 13.393%. Among the children involving various systems, the positive rate of intolerance to milk and eggs were higher than other food. CONCLUSIONS: Factors influencing food intolerance in children include food categories and age. There may be a relationship between food intolerance and disease of various systems, and this is significant to the growth and development of children.

[Common pathogens and clinical characteristics of neonatal pneumonia].

OBJECTIVE: To study common pathogens and their antibiotic susceptibility as well as clinical characteristics of neonatal pneumonia. METHODS: A retrospective study on neonatal pneumonia was performed. The study investigated antibiotic susceptibility of four common pathogens (339 strains) that caused neonatal pneumonia. Clinical characteristics of the newborns with pneumonia were analyzed. Of the 339 strains, 185 were isolated from bronchial secretions, 72 from blood samples, and 82 with positive results of both samples. RESULTS: Four hundred and seventy-four neonates with pneumonia presented positive results of bacterial culture. the most common pathogens Staphylococcus aureus (21.9%), Escherichia coli (19.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (19.0%) and Enterobacter cloacae (11.4%). The birth weight of newborns infected with Staphylococcus aureus was generally normal, and the time of hospital admission was later (after 24 hours of life). In contrast, the newborns with gram-negative bacterial infection, especially Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, had lower birth weights and early time of hospital admission (within 24 hours of life). Nearly more than 50% gram-negative bacteria were resistant to second, third and forth generation cephaloporins. CONCLUSIONS: Gram-negative bacteria are predominant pathogens of neonatal pneumonia. Neonatal pneumonia caused by gram-negative bacteria is common in newborns with low birth weight and its onset time is relatively earlier. Gram-negative bacteria that cause neonatal pneumonia are highly resistant to cephaloporins.

[Clinical characteristics and pathogens of invasive fungal infections in children].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical characteristics and pathogens of invasive fungal infection in children. METHODS: The clinical data of 104 children who suffered from invasive fungal infections between 2008 and 2012 was retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 104 cases, 20 occurred in neonates, 48 in infants and 36 in preschool and school-aged children (old-aged children). Prematurity (70%), hyaline membrane disease (45%) and pneumonia (30%) were commonly comorbid in the neonate group. In addition, the percentage of cases receiving total parenteral nutrition was higher in the neonate group than in the other two age groups (P<0.01). Mechanical ventilation was more frequent in neonate and infant groups than in the old-aged children (P<0.01). Hematological malignancy was the most common underlying disease, and the percentage of children who had neutropenia and accepted chemotherapy was higher in the old-aged children than in the other two age groups (P<0.05). Lung infection was the most common (61.5%), followed by sepsis (14.4%) and intestinal tract infection (12.5%), while nervous system infections were found only in old-aged children. A total of 105 strains of fungi were isolated from the 104 patients, including Candida (n=90, 85.7%), Cryptococcus (n=6) and others (n=9). The most commonly isolated species was Candida albicans (n=52, 49.5%). Non-Candida albicans Candida accounted for 36.2% (n=38). The rate of susceptibility of Candida species to 5-fluorocytosine and amphotericin B was higher than fluconazole. CONCLUSIONS: Invasive fungal infections can occur in children at various ages. There are differences in the risk factors for invasive fungal infections between age groups. Candida species are the main pathogens of childhood invasive fungal infections, and both Candida albicans and non-Candida albicans Candida are common. Fluorocytosine and amphotericin B are sensitive antifungal agents for infections caused by Candida species.

CXCL13 is elevated in inflammatory bowel disease in mice and humans and is implicated in disease pathogenesis.

CXCL13 is a chemokine that is widely involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, tumors and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we investigate the role of CXCL13 in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease using both clinical specimens and animal models. We found that the serum CXCL13 concentration in IBD patients was significantly higher than that in healthy controls, and correlated with that of CRP, neutrophils counts and hemoglobin. The increase of CXCL13 in IBD patients might be related to the significant decrease of circulating CD4+CXCR5+ T cells, the increase of CD19+CD5+ B cells and the enhancement of humoral immunity. In mice colitis model, we also found elevated levels of CXCL13 in colon tissue. Cxcl13-/-  knockout mice exhibited a mild, self-limiting form of disease. Additionally, CXCL13 deficiency restricted CD4+CXCR5+ T cells migration in mesenteric lymph nodes, resulting locally regulatory B cells increased in colon. In conclusion, our findings raise the possibility that CXCL13 plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of IBD. We believe that our findings will contribute to the understanding of the etiology, and that antagonizing or inhibiting CXCL13 may work as a potential adjunctive therapy strategy for patients with IBD.

Precautions against COVID-19 reduce respiratory virus infections among children in Southwest China.

Acute respiratory tract infections pose a serious threat to the health of children worldwide, with viral infections representing a major etiology of this type of disease. Protective measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, and hand hygiene can be effective in curbing the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. These precautions may also have an impact on the spread of other respiratory viruses. In this study, we retrospectively compared the respiratory virus infections of children in Southwest China before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 1578 patients under 14 years old with acute respiratory tract infection symptoms before and after COVID-19 pandemic. Nine common respiratory viruses including human bocavirus, human rhinoviruses, human coronaviruses, human adenoviruses, human metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A virus, influenza B virus, and parainfluenza virus were measured by advanced fragment analysis. The respiratory virus infection rates among children of all ages and genders in Southwest China under the precautions against COVID-19 pandemic were significantly lower than that of the same period before the pandemic. Our findings indicate that public health measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, including strict mask-wearing, social distancing, and hand hygiene, may be effective in preventing the transmission of other respiratory viruses in children, thereby controlling the spread of infections.

Systematic analysis of expression profiles and prognostic significance for MMDS-related iron-sulfur proteins in renal clear cell carcinoma.

Mitochondrial metabolism disorders play an important role in the occurrence and development of tumors, and iron-sulfur protein is an important molecule for maintaining the normal function of mitochondria. However, the relationship between the expression, prognostic value, and immune infiltration of MMDS-related iron-sulfur protein genes in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) remains unclear. Based on online databases bioinformatics analysis was performed to evaluate the expression differences, survival impacts, immune infiltration, and prognostic significance of multiple mitochondrial dysfunction syndrome (MMDS)-related iron-sulfur protein genes in KIRC patients. For example, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using STRING and GEPIA database; Survival impacts were constructed by TCGA database; Immune infiltration was analyzed using TIMER database. There were significant differences in the mRNA expression levels of ISCA1, ISCA2, C1ORF69 and NFU1 in KIRC among different tumor grades and individual cancer stages. Furthermore, KIRC with high transcription levels of ISCA1, ISCA2, C1ORF69 and NFU1 (p < 0.01) was significantly associated with long overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). In addition, overexpression of four genes, NFU1, ISCA1, ISCA2, and C1ORF69 in KIRC indicated a better prognosis. Further studies showed that immune cells had a significantly positive correlation with iron-sulfur protein family genes, including CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells and B cells. More importantly, the results of immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of NFU1, ISCA1, ISCA2 and C1ORF69 in normal tissues was higher than that in renal clear cell carcinoma tissues. In this study, we systematically analyzed the expression and prognostic value of iron-sulfur protein family genes in KIRC. More importantly, NFU1, ISCA1, ISCA2, and C1ORF69 are expected to become potential therapeutic targets for KIRC, as well as potential prognostic markers for improving the survival rate and prognostic accuracy of KIRC.

Systematic analysis of expression profiles and prognostic significance of the FGF gene family in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a malignant tumor with one of the highest associated mortality rates worldwide, and a 5-year survival rate of <5%. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) serve important roles in numerous cellular functions, and dysregulation of FGFs contributes to various cancer types. However, there are few reports on the function of FGFs in PAAD. The Assistant for Clinical Bioinformatics database, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, Kaplan-Meier plotter and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource were utilized to perform the protein-protein interaction network, functional enrichment, univariate Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox, differential expression, prognostic value and immune cell infiltration analyses of FGFs in patients with PAAD. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to verify the predictive value of the model. A total of 22 FGF genes were identified. Based on the results of LASSO Cox regression analysis, a total of six genes, including FGF2, FGF8, FGF9, FGF13, FGF17 and FGF22, were selected for the establishment of the prognostic gene signature. High transcriptional levels of FGF17 and FGF22 were significantly associated with long overall survival. The expression of FGFs was associated with the infiltration of various immune cells. According to univariate and multivariate analyses, FGF2 and FGF8 may be useful independent prognostic biomarkers for the prognosis of patients with PAAD. IHC demonstrated that FGF2 and FGF8 were more highly expressed in PAAD tissues compared with that in normal tissues. The present findings offer a novel understanding for the selection of FGF prognostic biomarkers in PAAD.

Multisite Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections Detected by Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in a Child with Aplastic Anemia: A Case Report.

Microbial cultivation is the current gold standard for the clinical diagnosis of bacterial infections. However, this method sometimes produces false negative results. We present a case study of multisite Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections detected by metagenomic next-generation sequencing in a child with aplastic anemia, highlighting the rapid and accurate advantages of this technique.

Adult isolated congenital anterior urethrocutaneous fistula.

Isolated congenital anterior urethrocutaneous fistula (CAUF) is an extremely rare deformity and few cases have been reported in the English language literature. Moreover, adult CAUF has not been reported up to now. We present a rare adult patient with this unusual isolated CAUF deformity. The possible etiology and treatment strategy are discussed.