Extracellular vesicles (EV) miRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that are encapsulated in membrane-containing vesicles from a variety of cells, and which can mediate intercellular communication and transfer of functional molecules. EV miRNAs in circulation can be served as novel molecular markers for cancer diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis, and also the most promising liquid biomarkers for clinical translation and utility currently, while optimal research strategy is crucial for identifying valuable EV miRNAs in clinical study. Moreover, EV miRNAs have recently also been implicated in cancer progression as direct regulators of metabolic reprogramming, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, angiogenesis, anti-cancer immune response and drug resistance in the tumor microenvironment. Study on some key EV miRNAs involving in those processes may highlight their potential utility as liquid biopsies in early diagnosis, companion diagnosis, metastasis, therapeutic control, prognosis analysis as their therapeutic potential for patients with cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs)are a class of small non-coding RNA that regulate gene expression at the posttranscrip-tional level and play important roles in cell proliferation,differentiation,apoptosis and metabolism.Moreover,specific miR-NAs can be secreted or released from tissues and cells in different physiological or pathological statusand enteredinto blood circulation,and secreted miRNAs can be delivered into recipient cells and emerged as powerful regulatorsof a wide range of biological processes.Many recent studieshave shown that miRNAswere involved in the development and progression of type 2 diabetes (T2DM).Due to the widely source,highly stability,and specific expression patternunder different physiological or pathological conditions,circulating miRNAs may serve as a novelbiomarker for T2DM and may also participate in the devel-opment of type 2 diabetes.

Objectives To explore cholesteryl ester transfer protein(CETP)level in male patients with different degrees of coronary artery lesion and its clinical significance.Methods ELISA was used to measure CETP of 42 male patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)and 49 healthy male controls.The patients of CHD groups were subdivided into mono-vessel,ambi-vessel,multi-vessel lesion groups;localized,diffuse lesion groups;and mild,severe stenosis groups according to coronary angiography.Results The CETP level of patients with CHD(1.37?1.07 mg/L)was significantly higher than that of healthy control(0.99?0.53 mg/L)(P

Objective To evaluate the value of energy spectrum CT with multimodal quantitative parameters in diagnosis of the metastatic lymph nodes of gastric adenocarcinoma compared with the conventional CT.Methods 37 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosed by gastroscopy underwent enhanced CT scan with gemstone spectral imaging mode.We positioned and marked the stomach lymph nodes on CT images and compared with postoperative pathologic results one to one.ROC was used to identify the critical quantitative index of energy spectrum CT in distinguishing the metastasis from benign lymph node,and to evaluate the diagnostic effect compared with CT features.Results The 40-80 keV single energy spectrum curve slope (λHU )and normalized iodine concentration (NIC)in metastasis group were lower than those in the benign one in the arterial phase with statistical differences (P <0.05 ),but without statistical differences in venous phase.The combination of arterialλHU and NIC showed significant advantages compared with CT features(P <0.01), with the sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of 84.3% vs 61.4 %,88.4% vs 81.3 % and 86.8% vs 73.6 %.Conclusion The energy spectrum CT can provide quantitative analysis for differential diagnosis of gastric cancer metastasis from benign lymph nodes,and significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy of lymph node metastasis of the cancer.

Lignin degradation products are toxic to microorganisms, which is one of the bottlenecks for fuel ethanol production. We studied the effects of phenolic ketones (4-hydroxyacetophenone, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-acetophenone and 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy-acetophenone) derived from lignin degradation on ethanol fermentation of xylose and cellular lipid composition of Pichia stipitis NLP31. Ethanol and the cellular fatty acid of yeast were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Results indicate that phenolic ketones negatively affected ethanol fermentation of yeast and the lower molecular weight phenolic ketone compound was more toxic. When the concentration of 4-hydroxyacetophenone was 1.5 g/L, at fermentation of 24 h, the xylose utilization ratio, ethanol yield and ethanol concentration decreased by 42.47%, 5.30% and 9.76 g/L, respectively, compared to the control. When phenolic ketones were in the medium, the ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids (UFA/SFA) of yeast cells was improved. When 1.5 g/L of three aforementioned phenolic ketones was added to the fermentation medium, the UFA/SFA ratio of yeast cells increased to 3.03, 3.06 and 3.61, respectively, compared to 2.58 of the control, which increased cell membrane fluidity and instability. Therefore, phenolic ketones can reduce the yeast growth, increase the UFA/SFA ratio of yeast and lower ethanol productivity. Effectively reduce or remove the content of lignin degradation products is the key to improve lignocellulose biorefinery.
Acetophenones ; chemistry ; Ethanol ; chemistry ; Fermentation ; Industrial Microbiology ; Ketones ; chemistry ; Lignin ; chemistry ; Lipids ; chemistry ; Phenols ; chemistry ; Pichia ; chemistry ; Xylose ; chemistry

Objective To measure and compare the expression profdes of plasma miRNA between Tibetan and Han nationality.Methods Plasma samples were taken from 246 healthy Tibetans and 128 Han individuals.The randomly selected 50 Tibetan and Han plasma samples were pooled respectively and the levels of 754 miRNAs were examined using a TaqMan Low Density Array.Two markedly differentially expressed miRNAs,miR-130a-3p and miR-629-5p,were verified in all the plasma samples by individual qRT-PCR.Results The Low Density Array results showed that the correlation coefficient of expression profiles of plasma miRNA for the Tibetan and Han population was 0.592.Compared with Han population,the expression levels of 139 miRNAs were distinctly different,in Tibetan (62 up-regulated and 77 down-regulated).The levels of miR-130a-3p and miR-629-5p were further verified to be significantly higher in the plasma from Tibetans than those in the plasma from Han population [(467 ± 27.30) × 10-5 vs (236 ± 9.69) × 10-5,p ＜ 0.01;(14.67 ±0.94) × 10-5 vs(7.58 ± 0.52) × 10-5,P ＜ 0.01] by qRT-PCR assay.Conclusion There may be marked difference of plasma miRNA expression profile between Tibetan and Han nationality.The influence of the nationality factors on miRNA profiles should be taken into account in the application of miRNAs in clinical detection in the future.

Background and purpose:Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel was gaining more attention in the treatment for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The prediction of the sensitivity to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel could enable clinicians to individualize treatment protocols for NPC. Recently we found that 99mTc-MIBI imaging in NPC could predict tumor response to chemotherapy with cisplatin plus 5-FU. However, there was no study to support similar findings in NPC patients receiving chemotherapy containing docetaxel. This study was to evaluate the value of double-phase 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT in predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel-based regimen for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods:Thirty-one nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients participated in this prospective study. Before treatment, early and delayed single-photon emission computed tomography/compute tomography (SPECT/CT) images were obtained instantly and 2 hours after an intravenous injection of 25-30 mCi 99mTc-MIBI. All patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of docetaxel, cisplatin plus 5-FU for two cycles. The relationships between efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the early uptake ratio, late uptake ratio and washout rate of 99mTc-MIBI were evaluated.Results:According to the MRI, the early uptake of 99mTc-MIBI (2.67±0.83) in the lesions which were sensitive to chemotherapy was significantly higher compared with that (1.69±0.46) in the insensitive lesions(P=0.003). The difference of the late uptake between the sensitive(1.46±0.39) and the insensitive (1.06±0.62) was also statistically significant (P=0.026). However, the washout rate of 99mTc-MIBI was not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.23). Through ROC curve analysis, the AUC for early uptake of 99mTc-MIBI and late uptake were 0.84. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 74.2%, 87.5%, 95.8%and 46.7%for early uptake when the cut off value of 1.97 was used. Conclusion:The uptake of 99mTc-MIBI in both early phase and late phase could predict the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel-based regimen.

Objective To investigate the effects of low dosage of β-elemene on the radiosensitivity of rabbit VX2 renal transplant carcinoma model. Methods We took the rabbit VX2 renal transplant carcinoma as the model. Experimental rabbits were divided into three groups: the control group, the radiation group, and the radiation +β-elemene (radiosensitivity) group. The change of tumor was observed by Spiral CT and B ultrasound to compare its regrowth period. The tumor was measured by light microscopy and electron microscopy. Results The tumor in radiosensitivity group was restrained obviously and the sensitization enhancement ratio (SER) of β-elemene was 1.89. Different apoptosis was observed under transmission electron microscopy. Conclusion Low dosage β-elemene can enhance the radiosensitivity of rabbit VX2 renal transplant carcinoma model and induce the apoptosis of tumor cells, but the mechanism needs further study. It promotes apoptosis in mechanisms in vitro.

Objective To determine the serum levels of miR-16,miR-126 and miR-221 in type 2 diabetes (T2DM)patients with or without microvascular complications,and further evaluate their clinical significance.Methods The serum levels of miR-16,miR-126 and miR-221were examined in 55 T2DM patients,55 T2DM patients with microvascular complications and 5 5 healthy controls using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).The levels of fasting blood glucose,triglycerides,choles-terol,high density lipoprotein,low density lipoprotein and others biochemical parameters were determined by biochemical an-alyzer,and the diagnostic usefulness of the three miRNAs for T2DM patients and patients with microvascular complications were assessed by ROC curve analysis and logistic regression analysis.Results Compared with healthy controls [miR-1 6 (14.35±1.00)×10-5 ,miR-126(11.75±1.47)×10-5 and miR-221(32.26±3.98)×10-5 ],the miR-16,miR-126 and miR-221 expression were significantly increased in T2DM patients [miR-16(23.74±2.70)×10-5,miR-126(25.01±4.13)× 10-5 and miR-221(84.76±11.79)×10-5 ]and T2DM patients with microvascular complications [miR-16(43.74±9.61)× 10-5 ,miR-126(17.66±2.20)×10-5 and miR-221(82.52±12.48)×10-5 ].The area under ROC curve (AUCROC)of miR-16,miR-126 and miR-221 for T2DM patients were 0.63 (95%CI 0.53~0.74),0.64 (95%CI 0.54~0.74)and 0.74 (95%CI 0.65~0.83),respectively.For T2DM patients with microvascular complications,the area under ROC curve were 0.75 (95%CI 0.66~0.84),0.62 (95%CI 0.52~0.73)and 0.73 (95%CI 0.64~0.83),respectively.Furthermore,logistic re-gression revealed that the three miRNAs were novel independent risk factors for T2DM and T2DMC.Conclusion The levels of miR-16,miR-126 and miR-221 were significantly increased in the serum of T2DM patients with or without microvascular complications,and can be used as potential non-invasive biomarkers and risk factors for T2DM patients and T2DM patients with microvascular complications.

Objective To investigate severe complications of inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) applying for preventing pulmonary embo-lism after spinal cord injury. Methods From December 2014 to July 2015, 95 patients with acute spinal cord injury (SCI) in our hospital were retrospected. Results Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) appeared in 23 cases, in which 15 cases placed IVCF. All patients accepted anti-coagulant therapy, except 10 cases with contraindication. 3 cases had severe complication, in which 2 cases had comprehensive DVT distal to IVCF, with both lower limbs severe swelling, acute renal inadequacy and hypertension;1 case had continuous hyperpyrexia. Conclusion Although the IVCF placement was widely used in acute SCI for preventing pulmonary embolism in patients with DVT, however, the selec-tion of IVCF and complication prevention should be taken into account.