Hypercholesterolemia and coronary heart disease caused by it have become the most important factors threatening human health. The lipid metabolism-related studies are increasingly receiving attention. Recent studies have demonstrated that proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), a family member of precursor protein-converting enzyme, plays an important role in the regulation of lipid metabolism. The expression and mutation of PCSK9 gene are closely correlated with the content of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR). The excessive expression of PCSK9 promotes the degradation of LDLR, thereby increasing the levels of plasma LDL; whereas the inhibition of PCSK9 gene expression causes the decreased levels of plasma LDL. Therefore, it is promising to develop novel medications for treating hypercholesterolemia, controlling hyperlipermia and preventing coronary heart disease by studying the mechanism of PCSK9.

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic impact of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for fungal pathogens in fluid samples,and to evaluate the feasibility of fast PCR diagnostic method for the invasive fungal infection.Methods The sterility body fluid samples from 60 cases hospitalized immunocompromised patients with clinical underlying diseases and suspect of invasive infections with fungi between January 2008 and December 2011 were processed for microscopy and cultures.Applying fungal ITS4 and ITS86 universal primers to amplify pathogenic fungi genes from the sterility body fluid with method of rapid PCR.The results were compared between the standard and PCR methods.Results Humoral direct clinical specimens by PCR amplification of DNA fragments with the scan results were similar.Positive rate of PCR test with clinical body fluid samples and the traditional fungal cultivation was similar.There was no significant statistical difference [38.3％ (23/60) vs 33.3％ (20/60),P ＞ 0.05].Conclusions PCR test is feasibility with clinical fungal diagnosis from directly humoral specimens.To amplify the clinical sterility body fluid samples with ITS fungal universal primers and PCR method might provide an accurate and rapid approach to detect the pathogenic fungi.Its methods on early diagnosis and prognosis of invasive fungal infections are of guiding significance.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the role of p53 gene mutation in colorectal carcinoma and assess the value of peripheral blood p53 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in early diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma.

METHODSNSP in axons 5-8 of p53 gene was detected using ligase detection reaction-polymerase chain reaction (LDR-PCR) in the peripheral blood of 100 patients with colorectal cancer and 100 healthy subjects.

RESULTSThe mutation rate of p53 gene was 24% (24/120) in colorectal carcinoma patients and 0% (0/120) in the healthy subjects (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONp53 plays an important role in the carcinogenesis of colorectal carcinoma, and SNP analysis for p53 gene can be helpful in early diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA, Neoplasm ; genetics ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics

DNA, Catalytic ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Therapy ; Hep G2 Cells ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; Humans ; Ribosomes ; genetics ; Transfection

This study was purposed to detect the expression of autophagy-related gene Beclin1 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (MAPLC3) in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) isolated from acute leukemia (AL) patients, and to explore its significance. Transmission electron microscopy and RT-PCR were used to detect the autophagy activity and the expression level of Beclin1 and MAPLC3 mRNA in BMMNC isolated from 27 AL patients with de novo, refractory or relapse AL and completely remission and 31 normal persons respectively. The results showed that autophagy activity and expression levels of Beclin1 and MAPLC3 mRNA in BMMNC from de novo AL patients were 80%, 0.68 ± 0.18, 0.24 ± 0.06, respectively; those in BMMNC from refractory or relapse AL patients were 100%, 0.79 ± 0.09, 0.30 ± 0.07, respectively; those in BMMNC from CR patients were 40%, 0.52 ± 0.15, 0.16 ± 0.04, respectively, while those in BMMNC from normal persons were 20%, 0.57 ± 0.13, 0.16 ± 0.05, respectively. The autophagic activity and expression levels of Beclin1 and MAPLC3 mRNA in de novo and refractory or relapse AL patients were higher than those in normal persons, with statistical significance (p < 0.05), while the comparison between CR patients and normal control showed no statistical difference (p > 0.05). It is concluded that autophagy activity and Beclin1 and MAPLC3 mRNA expression level of in de novo and refractory or relapse patients are higher than those in normal control, and the up-regulation of autophagy activity and expression of Beclin1 and MAPLC3 mRNA in refractory or relapse patients is especially significant. This may be related to the genesis, development and drug resistance of AL.
Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Beclin-1 ; Bone Marrow Cells ; metabolism ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the change of expression pattern of microRNA in the lung with acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS),and to provide an evidence that microRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of ALI/ARDS.Methods Twenty-four C57BL mice were randomly divided into control group and LPS treated group,12 mice in each group.The rats in LPS treated group were treated with intratracheal injection of LPS at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight into the lung.The rats in control group were treated with the same dose of saline instead.All mice were sacrificed 24 hours after operation,the left lung was excised to measure the wet-to-dry weight (W/D) ratio,and the right upper lobe was stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE).A microRNA microarray chip was used to profile miRNA expressions in the lung of rats in both LPS treated group and control group.Online software packages were used to predict the gene targeted by microRNAs.Results Compared with the control group,the LPS treated mice had obvious respiratory symptoms,the W/D ratio was significantly increased (P ＜ 0.01),and the pathology was characterized with ALI/ARDS.The microarray chip results demonstrated that the expressions of 48 microRNAs were significantly changed in the ALI/ARDS mice.Among these miRNA,27 cases were up-regulated,21 cases were down-regulated.The target genes of these microRNAs might be involved in regulating the signal pathway of inflammation.Conclusions Some miRNAs express differently in the model of ALI/ARDS,and they may play an important role in pathophysiological process of ALI/ARDS.