Evaluation of carotid plaque vulnerability with different echoes by shear wave elastography and CEUS.

OBJECTIVE: Using shear wave elastography (SWE) and contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)to examine carotid plaques with different echoes, and explore a reliable method to quantify characteristics associated with vulnerable carotid plaques. METHODS: 2D ultrasound, SWE and CEUS were performed on 244 carotid plaques, and the echoes were evaluated according to the Gray-Weale classification scale and gray-scale median (GSM), and the mean Young's modulus (YM) of the plaque was measured and the intraplaque neovascularization was observed to investigate the relationship between carotid plaque types with different echo characteristics, GSM and the values of each parameter of YM and CEUS. The relationship between GSM and YM and CEUS values was investigated. RESULTS: The differences between GSM values (F = 49.742, P < 0.001), with the maximum, mean, and minimum YM values of ultrasound elastography (P < 0.001), and with the number (P < 0.001) and density (P = 0.047) of neovascularization on CEUS were statistically significant for the different echogenic types of plaques, and the lower the echogenicity of the plaque, the lower the GSM values (r = 0.632, P < 0.001), the smaller the YM values (all r > 0, P < 0.001), and the higher the neovascularization number and density values (r < 0, P < 0.001); and there were also statistically significant differences between the above indicators in the vulnerable and stable plaque groups (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: GSM, SWE, and CEUS techniques can quantitatively evaluate the vulnerability of different echo carotid plaques in a more comprehensive and objective manner, which may help clinical identification of vulnerable plaques, and provide important reference values for early diagnosis and treatment in clinical practice.

Carotid Plaque Vulnerability Assessed by Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Clinical Risk Factors.

AIM: To evaluate the vulnerability of carotid plaque by contrast-enhanced ultrasound, to study the clinical risk factors of the plaque, and to analyze the relationship between plaque vulnerability and clinical indicators. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 244 patients with carotid plaque were selected for contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination, biochemical and other indicators were detected, and the stability of plaque was evaluated by semi-quantitative visual grading of intraplaque neovascularization (IPN), and correlation between plaque and each indicator was analyzed. RESULTS: Different grades of neovascularization in plaque had statistical differences with BMI, arm circumference, WHR, WBC, CRP, tHcy, TBIL, DBIL, SUA, LP (a) and DD (P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that TBIL, DBIL were negatively correlated with the grading, while others were positively correlated. CONCLUSION: The expression levels of SUA, tHcy, TC, TG, LDL-C, LP (a), DD, WBC and CRP are closely related to contrast-enhanced ultrasound grading, which further indicated the vulnerability of plaque and provides theoretical basis for clinical treatment.

Glutathione S-Transferase Gene Polymorphisms are Associated with an Improved Treatment Response to Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown an association with glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene polymorphisms in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and treatment response. This study aimed to undertake a literature review and meta-analysis of GST gene polymorphisms, including GSTT1, GSTM1, and GSTP1 IIe105Val, and the treatment response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC. MATERIAL AND METHODS A literature search was undertaken of the main medical publication databases for publications, up to March 2017, on the association between GSTT1, GSTM1, and GSTP1 IIe105Val polymorphisms and the clinical outcome in patients with NSCLC treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. A random fixed-effects model was used to calculate the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to evaluate the associations, considering multiple genetic models. A subgroup analysis according to ethnicity was performed. RESULTS Twenty-three published studies were identified that showed that both the null GSTM1 and the GG genotype of GSTP1 IIe105Val were associated with improved treatment response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy (GSTT1 present/null: OR=1.328; 95% CI, 1.074-1.643) (GSTP1 GG + AG vs. AA: OR=0.596; 95% CI, 0.468-0.759). In subgroup analysis, the GSTP1 polymorphism was significantly associated with treatment response in East-Asian patients, but not in Caucasian patients. CONCLUSIONS Meta-analysis showed that the GG genotype of GSTP1 IIe105Val and the null GSTM1 genotype were associated with an improved treatment response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC, especially in East-Asian patients.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound evaluation of plaque vulnerability and the relationship between peripheral blood leukocytes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate plaque vulnerability by carotid contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and to analyze the correlation between plaque vulnerability and peripheral blood leukocyte classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 135 patients with carotid plaque were examined by contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Plaque vulnerability was assessed by semiquantitative visual classification. Baseline clinical data and peripheral leukocyte classification were collected. Ordered logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between plaque neovascularization grade and peripheral leukocyte classification count. RESULTS: There were significant differences in leukocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, mean platelet volume, lymphocyte, and neutrophil counts between different neovascular plaque grades and peripheral blood (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that leukocyte, monocyte, and neutrophil counts were significantly positively correlated. CONCLUSION: The increase in plaque neovascularization is associated with an increase in circulating leukocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils. Therefore, CEUS combined with peripheral blood leukocytes may serve as an early warning of plaque vulnerability and provide a theoretical basis for clinical treatment.

Multiple techniques to evaluate the relationship between carotid artery plaque and acute stroke.

AIM: To evaluate the important characteristics of the plaque vulnerability using multimodal ultrasound imaging methods (2D, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and elastography), and to explore the relationship between plaque and acute stroke. METHODS: A total of 244 patients with carotid plaque were enrolled, including 104 patients with acute stroke ipsilateral to the plaque as the case group and 140 patients as the control group. All patients underwent conventional carotid ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and elastography (SWE). The results of each examination were compared and analyzed, and the relationship between the results and the occurrence of stroke was discussed. RESULTS: In the acute stroke group, the men, with a history of alcohol consumption the direction of contrast media diffusion was higher than that in the control group, but the plaque gray value (GSM), maximum, average and minimum Young's elastic modulus imaging values (YM) were slightly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that waist to body ratio (WHtR), GSM, YM, neovascularization density and contrast diffusion direction were independent risk factors for predicting acute ischemic stroke. The influence degree of each factor from strong to weak was waist to body ratio, neovascularity density, GSM and YM, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) for the diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke by regression model was 0.746. CONCLUSION: The combination of multiple ultrasound techniques to evaluate the vulnerability of carotid plaque and predict the occurrence of acute stroke provides valuable information for clinical decision making.

Evaluation of Carotid Stiffness in Metabolic Syndrome by Real-Time Shear Wave Elasticity Imaging and Ultrafast Pulse Wave Velocity.

OBJECTIVE: This study utilized real-time shear wave elasticity imaging (SWE) and ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV) to assess carotid arterial stiffness, aiming to predict atherosclerosis risk in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS). METHODS: In this study, 181 patients with metabolic syndrome (MS group) were compared with 73 healthy adults. The MS group was divided into three groups: MS I group: CIMT was normal (CIMT < 1.0 mm, no plaque, n = 61); MS II group: CIMT thickening (1.0 mm ≤ CIMT<1.5 mm, no plaque, n = 39); MS III group: plaque group (CIMT ≥ 1.5 mm, plaque, n = 81). Concurrently, the group of 73 healthy individuals was designated as the control set (NC). Parameters assessed include carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), elastic modulus values of the carotid artery's anterior and posterior walls (Mean, Max, Min), pulse wave velocity at systole's commencement (PWV-BS), and pulse wave velocity at systole's termination (PWV-ES). Differences, distribution characteristics, and correlations across these groups were analyzed. RESULTS: A significant association was found between PWV-BS, PWV-ES, and arteriosclerosis severity, with these factors gaining importance as arteriosclerosis progressed. Notably, PWV-ES differences were significant across the four groups (p < 0.05). Both MS III and MS II groups exhibited higher PWV-ES values compared to the MS I group and controls. Statistically significant differences were observed between MS III, MS II, and MS I groups relative to the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the Mean, Max, and Min values of the anterior and posterior carotid walls in the MS III group surpassed those of the other groups. CONCLUSION: Real-time shear wave elasticity imaging and ultrafast pulse wave velocity are valuable tools for assessing atherosclerosis risk in MS patients. These non-invasive, safe, and reproducible imaging techniques can quantitatively evaluate the stiffness of the common carotid artery's wall, offering important insights into cardiovascular risk assessment.

Watermelon responds to organic fertilizer by enhancing root-associated acid phosphatase activity to improve organic phosphorus utilization.

Organic fertilizer is commonly used to increase crop yields and improve soil quality. However, it is unclear whether crops adapt to organic fertilizer by regulating metabolic pathways that are involved in nutrient utilization. In this study, we focused on the organic phosphorus (Po) in organic fertilizer and, using watermelon, investigated changes in gene expression and metabolic pathways in response to organic fertilizer and the combination of chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizer (chemical fertilizer 70% and organic fertilizer 30%, based on phosphorus supply). Purple acid phosphatase (PAP) gene expression was upregulated in leaves and roots of watermelon grown in organic fertilizer alone and in the combination of chemical/organic fertilizer, resulting in enhanced phosphatase activity in roots. When the ratio of chemical to organic fertilizer was 85/15, root-associated acid phosphatase (APase) activity increased over chemical fertilizer alone. This formulation also resulted in increased inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentration in roots and leaves, and the upregulation of the secretory APase genes ClaPAP10/12/15/26, and ClaPAP18 in roots. In conclusion, watermelon responds to organic fertilizer by upregulating expression of secretory ClaPAP genes, subsequently enhancing root-associated APase activity further improving the hydrolysis of phosphomonoesters, and ultimately facilitating Po utilization by roots. The mechanisms of P utilization by roots comprise the enhancement of APase and phytase activity, absorption of small Po molecules, uptake of Pi, and the increase of lateral root number when organic fertilizer is applied to the plants. These findings help to establish the mechanisms by which plants respond to organic fertilizer by regulating metabolic pathways at the transcriptional level.

Association between rs735482 polymorphism and risk of cancer: A meta-analysis of 10 case-control studies.

Several studies have inspected the relationship between rs735482 polymorphism and the risk of some human cancers, but the findings remain controversial. We designed this meta-analysis to validate the association between rs735482 polymorphism and cancer risk. All articles were published before September 1, 2018 and searched in Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WangFang, and Chinese BioMedical databases, STATA 12.0 software was used for statistical analysis, which provides reasonable data and technical support for this article. A total of 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis, including 2652 cancer cases and 3536 rs735482 polymorphic controls. Data were directly extracted from these studies and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were computed to estimate the strength of the association. By pooling all eligible studies, the rs735482 polymorphism showed no significant association with susceptibility of several cancers in all the five genetic models (the allelic model: OR = 1.019, 95% CI: 0.916-1.134, P = .731). In addition, another adjusted OR data showed a significant increased risk between the rs735482 and susceptibility of several cancers (the codominant model BB vs AA: OR = 1.353, 95% CI: 1.033-1.774, P = .028) and the stratification analysis by ethnicity indicated the rs735482 is associated with an increased risk of cancer in Chinese group (BB vs AA, OR = 1.391, 95% CI = 1.054-1.837, P = .020; AB+BB vs AA OR = 1.253, 95% CI = 1.011-1.551, P = .039). However, the ERCC1 rs735482 is associated with a decreased risk of cancer in Italian group (AB vs AA, OR = 0.600, 95% CI = 0.402-0.859, P = .012; AB + BB vs AA, OR = 0.620, 95% CI = 0.424-0.908, P = .014). The results of this meta-analysis do not support the association between rs735482 polymorphism and cancer risk. But stratified analysis showed that rs735482 significantly increased the risk of cancer in Chinese while decreased the risk of cancer in Italian. Because of the limited number of samples, larger and well-designed researches are needed to estimate this association in detail.

Impact of XPF rs2276466 polymorphism on cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis.

Association between the xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group F (XPF)rs2276466 located in the excision repair cross complementation group 4 (ERCC4) gene and cancer susceptibility has been widely investigated. However, results thus far have remained controversial. A meta-analysis was performed to identify the impact of this polymorphism on cancer susceptibility. PubMed, Embase and Science-Web databases were searched systematically up to May 20, 2018, to obtain all the records evaluating the association between the rs2276466 polymorphism and the risk of all types of cancers. We used the odds ratio (OR) as a measure of effect, and pooled the data in a Mantel-Haenszel weighed random-effects meta-analysis to provide a summary estimate of the impact of this polymorphism on gastrointestinal cancer, neurogenic cancer and other cancers (breast cancer and SCCHN). All the analyses were carried out in STATA 14.1.11 case-control studies that consisted of 5730 cases and 6756 controls, were eventually included in our meta-analysis. The significant association was observed between the XPFrs2276466 polymorphism and neurogenic cancer susceptibility (recessive model: OR = 1.648, 95% CI = 1.294-2.098, P<0.001). Furthermore, no significant impact of this polymorphism was detected on decreased gastrointestinal cancer risk (dominant model: OR = 1.064, 95%CI = 0.961-1.177, P = 0.233). The rs2276466 polymorphism might play different roles in carcinogenesis of various cancer types. Current evidence did not suggest that this polymorphism was directly associated with gastrointestinal susceptibility. However, this polymorphism might contribute to increased neurogenic cancer risk. More preclinical and epidemiological studies are still imperative for further evaluation.

Cancer risks and long-term community-level exposure to pentachlorophenol in contaminated areas, China.

Widespread use of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in schistosomiasis endemic areas had led to ubiquitous exposure to PCP and its residues. Numerous studies had revealed that occupational PCP exposure probably increased risk of cancers, but whether long-term community-level exposure to PCP generates the similarly carcinogenic effect, seldom studies focused on it. This study was to explore the cancer risks of long-term community-level PCP exposure from drinking water in a Chinese general population. Incident (2009-2012) cancer records were identified by local government national registry. And PCP concentration of raw drinking water samples in each district was measured by GC-MS/MS analysis for further division of three PCP exposure categories by interquartile range (high vs. medium vs. low). Internal comparisons were performed, and standard rate ratio was calculated to describe the relationship between PCP exposure and cancer risks by using low-exposure group as the reference group. PCP was detected in all 27 raw drinking water samples ranging from 11.21 to 684.00 ng/L. A total of 6,750 cases (4,409 male and 2,341 female cases) were identified, and age-standardized rate (world) was 154.95 per 100,000 person-years. The cancer incidence for the high-exposure group was remarkably high. Internal comparisons indicated that high PCP exposure might be positively associated with high cancer risks in the community population, particularly for leukemia (SRR = 5.93, 95 % CI = 5.24-6.71), maligant lymphoma (SRR = 2.27, 95 % CI = 2.10-2.54), and esophageal cancer (SRR = 2.42, 95 % CI = 2.35-2.50). Long-term community-level exposure to PCP was probably associated with hemolymph neoplasm, neurologic tumors, and digestive system neoplasm.