Accurate assembly of multiple RNA-seq samples with Aletsch.

MOTIVATION: High-throughput RNA sequencing has become indispensable for decoding gene activities, yet the challenge of reconstructing full-length transcripts persists. Traditional single-sample assemblers frequently produce fragmented transcripts, especially in single-cell RNA-seq data. While algorithms designed for assembling multiple samples exist, they encounter various limitations. RESULTS: We present Aletsch, a new assembler for multiple bulk or single-cell RNA-seq samples. Aletsch incorporates several algorithmic innovations, including a "bridging" system that can effectively integrate multiple samples to restore missed junctions in individual samples, and a new graph-decomposition algorithm that leverages "supporting" information across multiple samples to guide the decomposition of complex vertices. A standout feature of Aletsch is its application of a random forest model with 50 well-designed features for scoring transcripts. We demonstrate its robust adaptability across different chromosomes, datasets, and species. Our experiments, conducted on RNA-seq data from several protocols, firmly demonstrate Aletsch's significant outperformance over existing meta-assemblers. As an example, when measured with the partial area under the precision-recall curve (pAUC, constrained by precision), Aletsch surpasses the leading assemblers TransMeta by 22.9%-62.1% and PsiCLASS by 23.0%-175.5% on human datasets. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: Aletsch is freely available at https://github.com/Shao-Group/aletsch. Scripts that reproduce the experimental results of this manuscript is available at https://github.com/Shao-Group/aletsch-test.

Transcript assembly and annotations: Bias and adjustment.

Transcript annotations play a critical role in gene expression analysis as they serve as a reference for quantifying isoform-level expression. The two main sources of annotations are RefSeq and Ensembl/GENCODE, but discrepancies between their methodologies and information resources can lead to significant differences. It has been demonstrated that the choice of annotation can have a significant impact on gene expression analysis. Furthermore, transcript assembly is closely linked to annotations, as assembling large-scale available RNA-seq data is an effective data-driven way to construct annotations, and annotations are often served as benchmarks to evaluate the accuracy of assembly methods. However, the influence of different annotations on transcript assembly is not yet fully understood. We investigate the impact of annotations on transcript assembly. Surprisingly, we observe that opposite conclusions can arise when evaluating assemblers with different annotations. To understand this striking phenomenon, we compare the structural similarity of annotations at various levels and find that the primary structural difference across annotations occurs at the intron-chain level. Next, we examine the biotypes of annotated and assembled transcripts and uncover a significant bias towards annotating and assembling transcripts with intron retentions, which explains above the contradictory conclusions. We develop a standalone tool, available at https://github.com/Shao-Group/irtool, that can be combined with an assembler to generate an assembly without intron retentions. We evaluate the performance of such a pipeline and offer guidance to select appropriate assembling tools for different application scenarios.

Stability of a stochastic brucellosis model with semi-Markovian switching and diffusion.

To explore the influence of state changes on brucellosis, a stochastic brucellosis model with semi-Markovian switchings and diffusion is proposed in this paper. When there is no switching, we introduce a critical value R s and obtain the exponential stability in mean square when R s < 1 by using the stochastic Lyapunov function method. Sudden climate changes can drive changes in transmission rate of brucellosis, which can be modelled by a semi-Markov process. We study the influence of stationary distribution of semi-Markov process on extinction of brucellosis in switching environment including both stable states, during which brucellosis dies out, and unstable states, during which brucellosis persists. The results show that increasing the frequencies and average dwell times in stable states to certain extent can ensure the extinction of brucellosis. Finally, numerical simulations are given to illustrate the analytical results. We also suggest that herdsmen should reduce the densities of animal habitation to decrease the contact rate, increase slaughter rate of animals and apply disinfection measures to kill brucella.

Martingale solutions and asymptotic behaviors for a stochastic cross-diffusion three-species food chain model with prey-taxis.

The stochastic food chain model is an important model within the field of ecological research. Since existing models are difficult to describe the influence of cross-diffusion and random factors on the evolution of species populations, this work is concerned with a stochastic cross-diffusion three-species food chain model with prey-taxis, in which the direction of predators' movement is opposite to the gradient of prey, i.e., a higher density of prey. The existence and uniqueness of martingale solutions are established in a Hilbert space by using the stochastic Galerkin approximation method, the tightness criterion, Jakubowski's generalization of the Skorokhod theorem, and the Vitali convergence theorem. Furthermore, asymptotic behaviors around the steady states of the stochastic cross-diffusion three-species food chain model in the time mean sense are investigated. Finally, numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the results of our analysis.

Dynamics and calculation of the basic reproduction number for a nonlocal dispersal epidemic model with air pollution.

In order to reflect the dispersal of pollutants in non-adjacent areas and the large-scale movement of individuals, this paper proposes an epidemic model of nonlocal dispersal with air pollution, where the transmission rate is related to the concentration of pollutants. This paper checks the uniqueness and existence of the global positive solution and defines the basic reproduction number, R0. We simultaneously explore the global dynamics: when R0<1, the disease-free stable point is global asymptotic stability; when R0>1, the disease is uniformly persistent. Additionally, in order to approximate R0, a numerical method has been introduced. Illustrative examples are used to verify the theoretical outcomes and show the effect of the dispersal rate on the basic reproduction number R0.

Urban spatial risk prediction and optimization analysis of POI based on deep learning from the perspective of an epidemic.

From an epidemiological perspective, previous research on COVID-19 has generally been based on classical statistical analyses. As a result, spatial information is often not used effectively. This paper uses image-based neural networks to explore the relationship between urban spatial risk and the distribution of infected populations, and the design of urban facilities. To achieve this objective, we use spatio-temporal data of people infected with new coronary pneumonia prior to 28 February 2020 in Wuhan. We then use kriging, which is a method of spatial interpolation, as well as core density estimation technology to establish the epidemic heat distribution on fine grid units. We further evaluate the influence of nine major spatial risk factors, including the distribution of agencies, hospitals, park squares, sports fields, banks and hotels, by testing them for significant positive correlation with the distribution of the epidemic. The weights of these spatial risk factors are used for training Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) models, which predict the distribution of cases in a given area. The input image for the machine learning model is a city plan converted by public infrastructures, and the output image is a map of urban spatial risk factors in the given area. The results of the trained model demonstrate that optimising the relevant point of interests (POI) in urban areas to effectively control potential risk factors can aid in managing the epidemic and preventing it from dispersing further.

Effect of cinnamon essential oil on gut microbiota in the mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis.

Increasing evidence has confirmed that the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects of cinnamon essential oil (CEO) contribute to protection against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model was established to investigate the correlation between the protective effects of CEO and the regulation of intestinal microflora. The symptoms of IBD were assessed by measuring the hemoglobin content, myeloperoxidase activity, histopathological observation, cytokines, and toll-like receptor (TLR4) expression. The alteration of the fecal microbiome composition was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results indicated that the oral administration of CEO enriched with cinnamaldehyde effectively alleviated the development of DSS-induced colitis. In contrast to the inability of antibiotics to regulate flora imbalance, the mice fed with CEO had an improved diversity and richness of intestinal microbiota, and a modified community composition with a decrease in Helicobacter and Bacteroides and an increase in Bacteroidales_S24-7 family and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA)-producing bacteria (Alloprevotella and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group). Moreover, the correlation analysis showed that TLR4 and tumor necrosis factor-α was positively correlated with Helicobacter, but inversely correlated with SCFA-producing bacteria. These findings indicated from a new perspective that the inhibitory effect of CEO on IBD was closely related to improving the intestinal flora imbalance.

Alternative Splicing Transcripts of Zebrafish LGP2 Gene Differentially Contribute to IFN Antiviral Response.

In mammals, RIG-I like receptors (RLRs) RIG-I and melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) sense cytosolic viral RNA, leading to IFN antiviral response; however, LGP2 exhibits controversial functions. The same happens to fish LGP2. In this study we report that three zebrafish LGP2 splicing transcripts, a full-length LGP2, and two truncating variants, LGP2v1 and LGP2v2, play distinct roles during IFN antiviral response. Overexpression of the full-length LGP2 not only potentiates IFN response through the RLR pathway, in the absence or presence of poly(I:C) at limited concentrations, but also inhibits IFN response by relative high concentrations of poly(I:C) through functional attenuation of signaling factors involved in the RLR pathway; however, LGP2v1 and LGP2v2 only retain the inhibitory role. Consistently, LGP2 but not LGP2v1 and LGP2v2 confers protection on fish cells against spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) infection and at limited expression levels, LGP2 exerts more significant protection than either RIG-I or MDA5. Further data suggest that in the early phase of SVCV infection, LGP2 functions as a positive regulator but along with SVCV replicating in cells up to a certain titer, which leads to a far more robust expression of IFN, LGP2 switches to a negative role. These in vitro results suggest an ingenious mechanism where the three zebrafish LGP2 splicing transcripts work cooperatively to shape IFN antiviral responses.

Downregulation of lnRNA-NEF is involved in the postoperative cancer distant recurrence in prostate carcinoma patients.

LnRNA-NEF has characterized functionality only in liver cancer. In the present study, we observed that plasma lnRNA-NEF was downregulated, while plasma transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) was upregulated in patients with early-stage prostate carcinoma (PC) than in healthy controls. The levels of plasma lnRNA-NEF and plasma TGF-ß1 were inversely correlated in patients with PC but not in healthy controls. After surgical resection, the follow-up was performed for 5 years. It was observed that lnRNA-NEF was further decreased in patients with distant recurrence (DR), but not in patients with local recurrence and nonrecurrence. lnRNA-NEF overexpression caused inhibited TGF-ß1 expression in cells of PC cell lines, while TGF-ß1 overexpression failed to affect lnRNA-NEF expression. LnRNA-NEF overexpression inhibited, while the TGF-ß1 overexpression promoted the migration and invasion of cells of PC cell lines. TGF-ß1 overexpression partially rescued the inhibited migration and invasion of cells of PC cell lines caused by the lnRNA-NEF overexpression. Therefore, the downregulation of lnRNA-NEF may contribute to the postoperative DR in patients with PC through the interactions with TGF-ß1.

Long noncoding RNA POU3F3 promotes cancer cell proliferation in prostate carcinoma by upregulating rho-associated protein kinase 1.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) POU3F3 is overexpressed in esophageal squamous-cell carcinomas, while its role in other human cancers is unclear. In this study we found that POU3F3 and rho-associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) were both increased in tumor tissues than in adjacent healthy tissues of patients with prostate carcinoma. Expression levels of POU3F3 increased with increase in the diameter of tumor but were not significantly affected by lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis. Expression levels of POU3F3 and ROCK1 were positive correlated in tumor tissues but not in adjacent healthy tissues. POU3F3 and ROCK1 overexpression promoted, while ROCK1 knockdown inhibited the proliferation of prostate carcinoma cells. ROCK1 knockdown reduced the enhancing effect of POU3F3 overexpression on cancer cell proliferation. POU3F3 overexpression led to ROCK1 overexpression in prostate carcinoma cells, while ROCK1 overexpression did not significantly affect POU3F3 expression. Therefore, lncRNA POU3F3 may promote cancer cell proliferation in prostate carcinoma by upregulating ROCK1.

SVCV infection triggers fish IFN response through RLR signaling pathway.

In mammals, virus infection of host cells triggers innate immune response, characterized by induction of interferon (IFN) and downstream IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). The initiation of IFN antiviral response is dependent on host recognition of virus infection. In fish, similar IFN antiviral response is induced in response to RNA or DNA virus infection; however, the detailed mechanisms underlying recognition of a given virus and activation of downstream signaling remain largely unexplored. Using an infection model with Epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cells and spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV), a negative sense single-stranded RNA virus, we reported that fish RLR signaling pathway was involved in SVCV-triggered fish IFN response. IFN response was significantly initiated in EPC cells when infected with SVCV, as evidenced by activation of fish IFN promoters, upregulation of IFN and ISGs at mRNA and protein levels. However, function blockade of RIG-I and MDA5, two cytosolic receptors of fish RLR family, significantly attenuated the activation of fish IFN promoters and also the induction of fish IFN and ISGs by SVCV infection. Consistently, SVCV infection-triggered IFN response were blocked in EPC cells when transfected with the dominant negative mutants of pivotal RLR signaling factors, including MAVS, MITA, TBK1, IRF3 and IRF7. These results together shed light on the conservation of RLR-mediated IFN signaling that contributes to fish cells responding to RNA virus infection.

Modulatory effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus KLDS 1.0738 on intestinal short-chain fatty acids metabolism and GPR41/43 expression in ß-lactoglobulin-sensitized mice.

We investigated the correlation between the beneficial effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus on gut microbiota composition, metabolic activities, and reducing cow's milk protein allergy. Mice sensitized with ß-lactoglobulin (ß-Lg) were treated with different doses of L. acidophilus KLDS 1.0738 for 4 weeks, starting 1 week before allergen induction. The results showed that intake of L. acidophilus significantly suppressed the hypersensitivity responses, together with increased fecal microbiota diversity and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration (including propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate) when compared with the allergic group. Moreover, treatment with L. acidophilus induced the expression of SCFAs receptors, G-protein-coupled receptors 41 (GPR41) and 43 (GPR43), in the spleen and colon of the allergic mice. Further analysis revealed that the GPR41 and GPR43 messenger RNA expression both positively correlated with the serum concentrations of transforming growth factor-ß and IFN-γ (p < .05), but negatively with the serum concentrations of IL-17, IL-4, and IL-6 in the L. acidophilus-treated group compared with the allergic group (p < .05). These results suggested that L. acidophilus protected against the development of allergic inflammation by improving the intestinal flora, as well as upregulating SCFAs and their receptors GPR41/43.

Arthroscopic arthrolysis of posttraumatic and non-traumatic elbow stiffness offers comparable clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Primary purpose of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing arthroscopic arthrolysis in posttraumatic and non-traumatic elbow stiffness. Secondary aims are to compare the level of satisfaction and complications. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the patients undergoing arthroscopic elbow arthrolysis between January 2008 and September 2015 and have completed a minimum 2-year follow-up. Total of 141 patients (male = 90; female = 51) with 143 elbows (posttraumatic, n = 75; non-traumatic, n = 68) with an average age of 33 years were available for final evaluation. The average follow-up period was 44 months. We used the Mayo Elbow Performance Index (MEPI) score, range of motion (ROM), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to measure clinical outcomes. The level of satisfaction was measured by a self-constructed questionnaire. RESULTS: All parameters were significantly improved postoperatively (P < 0.01). However, statistically significant differences were not present in the rate of postoperative improvement of elbow ROM (P = 0.08) and MEPI (P = 0.21) in both groups. According to MEPI, 72(96%) elbows in posttraumatic and 60(88%) elbows in non-traumatic group were rated as good to excellent. No statistically significant differences were observed in the level of satisfaction (P = 0.76) and rate of complications (P = 0.91). CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic arthrolysis is an effective tool and a good option for the treatment of patients with posttraumatic and non-traumatic elbow stiffness. The rate of elbow ROM and MEPI score improvements were significant and comparable postoperatively with a high level of patient's satisfaction. However, postoperative rehabilitation is equally essential to maintain intraoperative elbow ROM, to attain optimal outcome and to prevent complications.

Sumoylation Negatively Regulates CSR1-Dependent Prostate Cancer Cell Death.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: SUMOylation is a dynamic process and reversed by the activity of SUMO-specific proteases (SENPs) family. SENP1, a member of this family, is highly expressed and plays oncogenic roles in diverse cancers including prostate cancer. However, the SENP1-transgenic mice exhibit aberrant transformation of the mouse prostate gland but do not develop cancer. Cellular Stress Response 1 (CSR1) is a tumor suppressor gene and frequently deleted in prostate cancers. Overexpression of CSR1 in prostate cancer cells inhibits colony formation, anchorage-independent growth and induces cell death. METHODS: The relationship between CSR1 and SENP1 were determined by immunoprecipitation-based proteomics screen and verified by GST-pull down assay. In vivo SUMOylation assay was used to detect the direct effect of SENP1 in the regulation of CSR1. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based gene editing was used to generate Senp1-/- and CSR1-/- PC3 cells. FACS assay was used to determine the apoptosis ratio of cells after transfection. RESULTS: CSR1 is SUMOylated at K582 and rapid ubiquitinated and degradated in prostate cancer cells. SENP1 interacts with and deSUMOylates CSR1 to prevent its degradation and enhances CSR1-dependent prostate cancer cell death. CONCLUSION: Thus, our data indicates that CSR1 is a critical SUMOylated substrate of SENP1 that might partially explain the controversial roles of SENP1 in prostate cancer development.

Zebrafish IRF1, IRF3, and IRF7 Differentially Regulate IFNΦ1 and IFNΦ3 Expression through Assembly of Homo- or Heteroprotein Complexes.

In mammals, IFN regulatory factor (IRF)1, IRF3, and IRF7 are three critical transcription factors that are pivotal for cooperative regulation of the type I IFN response. In this study, we explored the relative contribution of zebrafish (Danio rerio) IRF1 (DrIRF1), IRF3 (DrIRF3), and IRF7 (DrIRF7) (DrIRF1/3/7) to zebrafish IFNΦ1 (DrIFNΦ1) and IFNΦ3 (DrIFNΦ3) (DrIFNΦ1/3) activation. Following spring viremia of carp virus infection, DrIFNΦ1/3 and DrIRF1/3/7 transcripts are significantly induced in zebrafish tissues, which correlates with the replication of spring viremia of carp virus. DrIRF1/3/7 selectively bind to the IRF-binding element/IFN-stimulated regulatory element sites of DrIFNΦ1/3 promoters, with the exception that DrIRF3 has no preference for two IRF-binding element/IFN-stimulated regulatory element motifs within the DrIFNΦ3 promoter. Consistently, DrIRF3 alone activates DrIFNΦ1, but not DrIFNΦ3; DrIRF7 predominantly stimulates DrIFNΦ3; and DrIRF1 has similar potential to DrIFNΦ1 and DrIFNΦ3. Strikingly, DrIRF3 facilitates the binding of DrIRF1 and DrIRF7 to both zebrafish IFN promoters, and so does DrIRF7 for the binding of DrIRF1, particularly to the DrIFNΦ3 promoter. These binding properties correlate with differential responses of DrIFNΦ1 and DrIFNΦ3 to the combinatory stimulation of DrIRF1/3/7, depending on their relative amounts. Similar to the dual roles of human IRF3 in regulating IRF7-activated IFNα genes, DrIRF3 exerts dual effects on DrIRF1-mediated DrIFNΦ3 gene expression: an inhibitory effect at lower concentrations and a synergistic effect at higher concentrations. These data provide evidence that fish and mammals have evolved a similar IRF-dependent regulatory mechanism fine-tuning IFN gene activation.

Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus KLDS 1.0738 on miRNA expression in in vitro and in vivo models of ß-lactoglobulin allergy.

This study aims to investigate the correlation between the ability of L. acidophilus to modulate miRNA expression and prevent Th17-dominated ß-lactoglobulin (ß-Lg) allergy. In vitro immunomodulation was evaluated by measuring splenocyte proliferation, Th17-related immune response and miRNA expression in ß-Lg-sensitized splenocytes cultured with live L. acidophilus. Next, the allergic mouse model was used to evaluate anti-allergy capability of lactobacilli. The ß-Lg challenge led to induction of up-regulation of miR-146a, miR-155, miR-21 and miR-9 expression in both in vivo and in vitro, along with increased Th17-related cytokine levels and mRNA expression of RORγt and IL-17. However, treatment of live L. acidophilus significantly suppressed hypersensitivity responses and Th17 cell differentiation. Moreover, administration of live L. acidophilus reduced expression of four miRNAs, especially miR-146a and miR-155. In addition, the decreased expression of the miRNAs in the spleen of the L. acidophilus-treated group was closely associated with decrease of IL-17 and RORγt mRNA expression.

Stochastic persistence and stationary distribution in an SIS epidemic model with media coverage.

This paper aims to study an SIS epidemic model with media coverage from a general deterministic model to a stochastic differential equation with environment fluctuation. Mathematically, we use the Markov semigroup theory to prove that the basic reproduction number R 0 s can be used to control the dynamics of stochastic system. Epidemiologically, we show that environment fluctuation can inhibit the occurrence of the disease, namely, in the case of disease persistence for the deterministic model, the disease still dies out with probability one for the stochastic model. So to a great extent the stochastic perturbation under media coverage affects the outbreak of the disease.

Zebrafish IRF1 regulates IFN antiviral response through binding to IFNϕ1 and IFNϕ3 promoters downstream of MyD88 signaling.

In mammals, type I IFNs (mainly IFN-α/ß) are primarily regulated by transcription factors of the IFN regulatory factor (IRF) family. Fish IFNs do not show a one-to-one orthologous relationship with mammalian type I IFN homologues. Using a bacterial one-hybrid reporter screening system and an overexpression approach to explore the molecular mechanism underlying fish IFN induction, we identified zebrafish Danio rerio IRF (DrIRF)1 as a positive regulator of the fish IFN antiviral response. Among 12 zebrafish IRF family genes, DrIRF1 is most abundant in zebrafish immune tissues, including head kidney and spleen; upon virus infection, it is one of most significantly induced genes. Overexpression of DrIRF1 induces the expression of IFN and IFN-stimulated genes, hence protecting epithelioma papulosum cyprini cells against spring viremia of carp virus infection. As a transcription factor with constitutively nuclear retention, DrIRF1 directly binds to the IFN-stimulated regulatory element/IRF-binding element sites of zebrafish IFN promoters, which are dependent on four conserved amino acids of the N-terminal DNA-binding domain helix α3 motif. Mutation of either residue reveals a differential requirement for DrIRF1-mediated activation of zebrafish IFNϕ1 and IFNϕ3 promoters. Notably, C-terminal phosphorylation of DrIRF1 is observed and is not required for in vitro binding of DrIRF1 to fish IFN promoters. Unlike DrIRF3 and DrIRF7, which are responsible for differential expression of zebrafish IFNϕ1 and IFNϕ3 through the retinoic acid-inducible gene I-like receptor pathway, DrIRF1 works in concert with MyD88 to activate zebrafish IFNϕ3 but not IFNϕ1. These results provide insights into the evolving function of IRF1 as a positive IFN regulator.

Variant allele of HSD3B1 increases progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (3ßHSD1), which is a rate-limiting enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of adrenal-derived steroid dehydroepiandrosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), may be a promising target for treating castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). METHODS: From 2004 to 2011, a total of 103 consecutive patients presenting with advanced prostate cancer were included in this study. All patients were treated with surgical castration as androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). Germline DNA was extracted from archived tissue from each patient and sequenced. PSA half-time (representing rate to PSA nadir after ADT), the incidence of, and time to CRPC occurrence, and cause-specific mortality rates were determined during the 3-10 years follow-up. The perioperative data and postoperative outcomes are compared. The patients were retrospectively analyzed for survival time. RESULTS: Of the 103 patient samples analyzed, 18 harbored a heterozygous variant (1245C) HSD3B1 gene, while 85 patients were homozygous wild-type (1245A) for HSD3B1. The two groups were homogenous for age, PSA, Gleason and metastases rate preoperatively. The incidence of CRPC observed in the variant group was significantly higher than that of wild-type group (100% vs. 64.7%, respectively; P = 0.003). Despite this higher incidence of CRPC, there were no significant differences in time to develop CRPC, or in cause-specific mortality. Further, neither PSA half-time, nor time to biochemical recurrence were different between the variant and wild-type groups. CONCLUSION: Prostate cancer patients who harbored the heterozygous variant HSD3B1 (1245C) are more likely to develop to CRPC, but do not have shorter time to biochemical recurrence, shorter survival time or higher mortality risk.

[Meatoplasty with pedicle flap for meatal stenosis secondary to chronic balanitis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of meatoplasty with the pedicle flap in the treatment of meatal stenosis secondary to chronic balanitis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 32 cases of meatal stenosis secondary to chronic balanitis treated by meato- plasty with the pedicle flap. All the patients had a history of chronic balanitis and had received meatal dilatation or simple ventral mea- totomy without significant effect. Their mean maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) was (4.3 ± 2.4) ml/s. During the operation, A "/\"-shaped incision was made in the healthy epidermis and a flap was harvested from the frenulum. After complete removal of the scar, the flap was placed into the urethral wall, followed by reconstruction of the external urethral orifice. RESULTS: The patients were fol- lowed up for 6 to 30 months, which revealed smooth urination in all the patients with Qmax of (26.7 ± 4.5) ml/s and normal erectile function and uresiesthesis. CONCLUSION: With little invasiveness and few complications, meatoplasty with the pedicle flap is an ideal surgical method for the treatment of meatal stenosis secondary to chronic balanitis. However, there might be some change in the normal appearance of the balanus postoperatively, and its long-term effect needs further observation.