Objective To exclude false positivities in detection of IgM antibodies against hepatitis E vires of genotype 4 (HEV-4) using a truncated immunodominant polypeptide of HEV open reading frames (ORF2). Methods The recombinant ORF2 immunodominant polypeptide corresponding to amino acids (AA) 459-607 and a truncated polypeptide corresponding to AA 472-607 were separately applied to coat ELISA plates. Anti-HEV IgM from 35 serum samples with HEV RNA positive, 69 serum samples from healthy individuals and 117 clinically suspicious HEV RNA positive serum samples was detected by an indirect ELISA and was confirmed by western blot in protein level and RT-PCR detecting in RNA level. Results Western blot analysis showed that the sera from HEV patients reacted with the dimmer of peptide 459-607, but they didn't react with the monomer and peptide 472-607. The ELISA showed that all 35 serum HEV RNA positive samples reacted with peptide 459-607 but not with peptide 472-607 and none of the 69 serum samples from healthy individuals reacted with either polypeptide. Among 117 chnically suspicious HEV RNA serum samples, 5 samples reacted simultaneously with both polypeptides. But the difference between 450 nm absorbance (A450) value was less than 0. 5. Western blot analysis demonstrated that all the 5 serum samples were anti-HEV IgM- negative. The 5 serum samples was detected negative by RT-PCR, indicating that the false pesitivities were caused by non-specific absorption. Conclusions ORF2 peptide 459-607 may be used to detect anti-HEV lgM efficiently. The false positivities caused by non-specific absorption can be largely excluded according to the difference between 45Ohm absorbance (A450) value when serum reacts with both polypeptides.

Currently,three predominant subtypes of influenza virus are prevalent in pig populations worldwide:H1N1,H3N2,and H1N2.European avian-like H1N1 viruses,which were initially detected in European pig populations in 1979,have been circulating in pigs in eastern China since 2007.In this study,six influenza A viruses were isolated from 60 swine lung samples collected from January to April 2011 in eastern China.Based on whole genome sequencing,molecular characteristics of two isolates were determined.Phylogenetic analysis showed the eight genes of the two isolates were closely related to those of the avian-like H1N1 viruses circulating in pig populations,especially similar to those found in China.Four potential glycosylation sites were observed at positions 13,26,198,277 in the HA1 proteins of the two isolates.Due to the presence of a stop codon at codon 12,the isolates contained truncated PB1-F2 proteins.In this study,the isolates contained 591Q,627E and 701N in the polymerase subunit PB2,which had been shown to be determinants of virulence and host adaptation.The isolates also had a D rather than E at position 92 of the NS1,a marker of mammalian adaptation.Both isolates contained the GPKV motif at the PDZ ligand domain of the 3' end of the NS1,a characteristic marker of the European avian-like swine viruses since about 1999,which is distinct from those of avian,human and classical swine viruses.The M2 proteins of the isolates have the mutation (S31N),a characteristic marker of the European avian-like swine viruses since about 1987,which may confer resistance to amantadine and rimantadine antivirals.Our findings further emphasize the importance of surveillance on the genetic diversity of influenza A viruses in pigs,and raise more concerns about the occurrence of cross-species transmission events.

Objective:To analyze the status of anemia at the beginning of dialysis in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) adult patients, and to explore the relationship between early dialysis anemia and early survival and long-term survival.Methods:It was a retrospective cohort study. The baseline demographic and clinical data of newly admitted MHD patients from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the hemoglobin (Hb) level at the beginning of dialysis, the patients were divided into high Hb group (Hb≥110 g/L), middle Hb group (80 g/L≤Hb<110 g/L) and low Hb group (Hb<80 g/L). The baseline data among the three groups were compared, and the changing trend of Hb level in MHD patients during the 8 years was analyzed. The follow-up ended at peritoneal dialysis, kidney transplantation, death or on December 31, 2021. All-cause death event within 6 months after the initiation of dialysis was defined as early death, while all-cause death event more than 6 months after the initiation of dialysis was defined as long-term death. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the survival rate, and log-rank test was used to compare the survival rates among the three groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis model was used to analyze the association between anemia (Hb<110 g/L) at the beginning of dialysis and both early and long-term mortality.Results:A total of 36 216 MHD patients were included in this study, with age of (61.3±15.5) years old and 22 163 males (61.20%). The Hb at the beginning of dialysis was (89.33±20.89) g/L. The compliance rate of Hb (≥110 g/L) was 16.43% (5 952/36 216). There were 12 232 patients (33.78%), 18 032 patients (49.79%), and 5 952 patients (16.43%) in low Hb group, middle Hb group, and high Hb group, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in gender distribution, age, serum creatinine, blood phosphorus, blood calcium, C-reactive protein, intact parathyroid hormone, blood leukocytes, platelets, serum albumin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and proportions of chronic glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, tumors, emporary catheter, long-term catheter and autologous arteriovenous fistula among the three groups (all P<0.05). During the 8-year period, the Hb level had an increased trend steadily each year, and Hb was (88.48±22.07) g/L, (88.52±21.43) g/L, (87.86±21.29) g/L, (88.93±20.69) g/L, (88.87±20.69) g/L, (90.03±20.47) g/L, (90.74±20.31) g/L and (90.31±20.54) g/L year by year. There were 2 176 early deaths (6.01%), and 6 557 long-term deaths (18.10%) by the end of follow-up. Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that early survival rate of low Hb group was significantly lower than those of high Hb group (log-rank test, χ2=57.115, P<0.001) and middle Hb group (log-rank test, χ2=49.918, P<0.001), and long-term survival rates of low Hb group (log-rank test, χ2=107.097, P<0.001) and middle Hb group (log-rank test, χ2=47.430, P<0.001) were significantly lower than that of high Hb group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that Hb<80 g/L at the beginning of dialysis was an independent influencing factor of early death (Hb ≥110 g/L as a reference, HR=1.307, 95% CI 1.096-1.559), and 80 g/L≤Hb<110 g/L and Hb<80 g/L at the beginning of dialysis were the independent influencing factors of long-term death (Hb≥110 g/L as a reference, HR=1.108, 95% CI 1.021-1.203; HR=1.228, 95% CI 1.127-1.339, respectively) in MHD patients. Conclusions:The compliance rate of Hb at the beginning of dialysis in MHD patients is low. Hb <80 g/L at the beginning of dialysis is an independent risk factor of early death, and Hb <110 g/L at the beginning of dialysis is an independent risk factor of long-term death in MHD patients.

New drug discovery is under growing pressure to satisfy the demand from a wide range of domains, especially from the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare services. Assessment of drug efficacy and safety prior to human clinical trials is a crucial part of drug development, which deserves greater emphasis to reduce the cost and time in drug discovery. Recent advances in microfabrication and tissue engineering have given rise to organ-on-a-chip, an in vitro model capable of recapitulating human organ functions in vivo and providing insight into disease pathophysiology, which offers a potential alternative to animal models for more efficient pre-clinical screening of drug candidates. In this review, we first give a snapshot of general considerations for organ-on-a-chip device design. Then, we comprehensively review the recent advances in organ-on-a-chip for drug screening. Finally, we summarize some key challenges of the progress in this field and discuss future prospects of organ-on-a-chip development. Overall, this review highlights the new avenue that organ-on-a-chip opens for drug development, therapeutic innovation, and precision medicine.

Recent innovations in nanomaterials inspire abundant novel tumor-targeting CRISPR-based gene therapies. However, the therapeutic efficiency of traditional targeted nanotherapeutic strategies is limited by that the biomarkers vary in a spatiotemporal-dependent manner with tumor progression. Here, we propose a self-amplifying logic-gated gene editing strategy for gene/H₂O₂-mediated/starvation multimodal cancer therapy. In this approach, a hypoxia-degradable covalent-organic framework (COF) is synthesized to coat a-ZIF-8 in which glucose oxidase (GOx) and CRISPR system are packaged. To intensify intracellular redox dyshomeostasis, DNAzymes which can cleave catalase mRNA are loaded as well. When the nanosystem gets into the tumor, the weakly acidic and hypoxic microenvironment degrades the ZIF-8@COF to activate GOx, which amplifies intracellular H⁺ and hypoxia, accelerating the nanocarrier degradation to guarantee available CRISPR plasmid and GOx release in target cells. These tandem reactions deplete glucose and oxygen, leading to logic-gated-triggered gene editing as well as synergistic gene/H₂O₂-mediated/starvation therapy. Overall, this approach highlights the biocomputing-based CRISPR delivery and underscores the great potential of precise cancer therapy.

Near-infrared (NIR)-light-triggered nanomedicine, including photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), is growing an attractive approach for cancer therapy due to its high spatiotemporal controllability and minimal invasion, but the tumor eradication is limited by the intrinsic anti-stress response of tumor cells. Herein, we fabricate a tumor-microenvironment responsive CRISPR nanoplatform based on oxygen-deficient titania (TiO_2-x ) for mild NIR-phototherapy. In tumor microenvironment, the overexpressed hyaluronidase (HAase) and glutathione (GSH) can readily destroy hyaluronic acid (HA) and disulfide bond and releases the Cas9/sgRNA from TiO_2-x to target the stress alleviating regulators, i.e., nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and heat shock protein 90α (HSP90α), thereby reducing the stress tolerance of tumor cells. Under subsequent NIR light illumination, the TiO_2-x demonstrates a higher anticancer effect both in vitro and in vivo. This strategy not only provides a promising modality to kills cancer cells in a minimal side-effects manner by interrupting anti-stress pathways but also proposes a general approach to achieve controllable gene editing in tumor region without unwanted genetic mutation in normal environments.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.06.016.].