Objectiveto investigate the differential expression of intestinal flora and serum metabolites and potential biomarkers in patients with pre-diabetic sputum syndrome. MethodA total of 34 patients with pre-diabetic sputum syndrome were included as the phlegm syndrome group，and 37 healthy people were selected as the normal group. Serum and fecal samples of the two groups were collected，and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry （LC-MS） non-targeted metabolomics and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology were used to detect serum metabolites and different intestinal flora of the two groups and explore the relationship among pre-diabetic sputum syndrome，serum metabolites，and intestinal flora. ResultIn the distribution of disease syndrome elements in the phlegm syndrome group，the first five disease syndrome elements in terms of frequency and proportion were dampness （73.53%），Qi stagnation （58.82%），Yin deficiency （50.00%），blood stasis （41.18%），and heat （35.29%）. According to the frequency and proportion of disease location syndrome elements，the first three main disease location syndrome elements were spleen （100.00%），liver （41.18%），and kidney （23.53%）. The results of 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing showed that there were 44 different intestinal flora between the two groups. In order genus，there were significant differences in Bifidobacterium，Veillonococcus，and Roseococcus between the two groups （P<0.05）. The diversity，abundance，and evenness of intestinal flora in the phlegm syndrome group were lower than those in the normal group，with the difference not statistically significant. There was no significant difference in the community structure between two groups. The results of serum metabolomics showed that there were 13 differential metabolites in the two groups，which were mainly concentrated in amino acid metabolism，bile secretion，bile acid biosynthesis，and lipid metabolism （P<0.05）. The correlation among differential metabolites，intestinal flora，and syndrome elements was analyzed，and the results showed that ① lysine was positively correlated with spleen，Yin deficiency，and blood stasis，while taurocholic acid was positively correlated with liver，kidney，blood stasis，and dampness，and there was a positive correlation between taurocholic acid and yin deficiency and heat. The taurochenodeoxycholic acid was positively correlated with liver and dampness，and there was a negative correlation between arachidonic acid and dampness，as well as a positive correlation between glucose and spleen and blood stasis. ② Clostridium was positively correlated with spleen，kidney，Yin deficiency，and Qi stagnation. Rosepiella was negatively correlated with spleen，and Sutterella was negatively correlated with dampness. Bacteroides was negatively correlated with the spleen and kidney，and Bifidobacterium was negatively correlated with the spleen and dampness. ③ Bifidobacterium was positively correlated with glycine，threonine，lysine，and deoxycholic acid significantly，negatively correlated with cholic acid significantly，and positively correlated with taurochenodeoxycholic acid and pyruvic acid. Clostridium was positively correlated with glycine significantly and positively correlated with threonine and lysine. Lachnospira was negatively correlated with glycine，threonine，and pyruvic acid. Lysine was also negatively correlated with Faecalibacterium and Eubacterium ventriosum and positively correlated with Megamonas. There was a positive correlation between taurocholic acid and glycine bile acid and Campylobacter，between taurochenodeoxycholic acid and Veillonococcus，and between glucose and Rosepiella and Eubacterium ventriosum. There was a negative correlation between pyruvic acid and Escheria-Shigella and between taurochenodeoxycholic acid and Prevotella. Conclusionthere are differences in intestinal flora and serum metabolites between patients with pre-diabetic sputum syndrome and healthy people. The intestinal flora and metabolites have been disturbed in the stage of pre-diabetes，Bifidobacterium，Clostridium，Lachnospira，glycine，threonine，and lysine may be the breakthrough to explore the development of pre-diabetic sputum syndrome.

Objective To compare the short-term clinical effects of unilateral dual-channel endoscopic discectomy(UBED)and percutaneous endoscopic intervertebral discectomy(PEID)in the treatment of L5S,Lumbar disc herniation,LDH.Methods From January 2019 to January 2021,a total of 57 cases of L5S,LDH treated by UBED or PEID were analyzed retrospectively,including 30 cases in UBED group and 27 cases in PEID group.The operation time,intraoperative fluoroscopy times,postoperative hospitalization days and surgical complications were compared between the two groups.The visual analogue scale(VAS)and oswestry disability index(ODI)were used to compare the postoperative quality of life of the two groups,and the modified MacNab criteria was used to evaluate the clinical efficacy in the last follow-up.Results The operation time of UBED group and PEID group was(75.30±8.44)minutes and(68.37±4.63)minutes,respectively,and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P＜0.05).VAS and ODI of 1 week,3 months,1 year and 1.5 years after surgery in 2 groups were significantly decreased compared with those before surgery,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).The VAS score of low back pain in UBED group was higher than that in PEID group[(3.87±1.14)points vs(2.70±0.67)points]at 1 week after surgery(P＜0.05),and there was no significant difference in VAS and ODI at the other time points(P＞0.05).There was no statistical difference in the results of modified MacNab criteria in the last follow-up(P＞0.05).There were 2 cases of dural tear in PEID group,1 case of dural tear in UBED group and 1 case of temporary nerve root injury in PEID group after operation,all of which were cured after symptomatic treatment.Conclusion Compared with PEID,UBED has a longer operation time,more trauma and more obvious low back pain in the short term after operation.The short-term curative effect of the two operations on L5S1 LDH is similar,the incidence of complications is low,and the times of fluoroscopy are few.Both operations are safe and effective.

The Ly-6 and uPAR (LU) domain-containing proteins represent a large family of cell-surface markers. In particular, mouse Ly-6A/Sca-1 is a widely used marker for various stem cells; however, its human ortholog is missing. In this study, based on a systematic survey and comparative genomic study of mouse and human LU domain-containing proteins, we identified a previously unannotated human gene encoding the candidate ortholog of mouse Ly-6A/Sca-1. This gene, hereby named LY6A, reversely overlaps with a lncRNA gene in the majority of exonic sequences. We found that LY6A is aberrantly expressed in pituitary tumors, but not in normal pituitary tissues, and may contribute to tumorigenesis. Similar to mouse Ly-6A/Sca-1, human LY6A is also upregulated by interferon, suggesting a conserved transcriptional regulatory mechanism between humans and mice. We cloned the full-length LY6A cDNA, whose encoded protein sequence, domain architecture, and exon-intron structures are all well conserved with mouse Ly-6A/Sca-1. Ectopic expression of the LY6A protein in cells demonstrates that it acts the same as mouse Ly-6A/Sca-1 in their processing and glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchoring to the cell membrane. Collectively, these studies unveil a novel human gene encoding a candidate biomarker and provide an interesting model gene for studying gene regulatory and evolutionary mechanisms.
Humans ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Pituitary Neoplasms/genetics* ; Biomarkers

Abstract: Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of viral hepatitis E in Fujian Province from 2012-2021, and to provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control of hepatitis E in the future. Methods Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze hepatitis E cases in Fujian Province from 2012 to 2021. Results From 2012 to 2021, a total of 8 877 cases of hepatitis E were reported in Fujian Province from 2012-2021. The overall incidence rate showed a decreasing trend (χ2trend =458.14, P<0.001), with the lowest incidence rate of 1.32/100 000 in 2020 and an annual average incidence rate of 2.29/100 000 per year. The incidence was higher in winter and spring, with the months of March and April having the highest number of reported cases (2 146, 24.17%) and the fewest cases were reported in September (571, 6.43%). The difference in reported incidence rates between cities was statistically significant (χ2=1 877.75, P<0.01). The comprehensive experimental zone of Pingtan had the highest average reported incidence rate of 6.03/100 000, while Zhangzhou had the lowest at 0.94/100 000. The number of male cases was higher than the number of female cases, with a male to female ratio of 2.04∶1. The disease was most prevalent among middle-aged and elderly individuals, with the age group of 40-<65 years having the highest number of reported cases, accounting for 57.44% (5 099/8 877) of all cases. The age group of 50-<55 years had the highest reported incidence, with the number of reported cases increasing with age below 50 years, but decreasing with age over 50 years. As for occupational distribution, peasants had the highest proportion of the disease, accounting for 34.49% (3 062 cases) of the total cases. Conclusions The reported incidence rate of hepatitis E in Fujian showed a downward from 2012 to 2021. Due to the impact of COVID-19, incidence of the lowest was 2020, but it did not reflect the true situation of the disease, which may have affected trend of hepatitis E. In order to control and reduce the incidence of hepatitis E, efforts should be made to increase publicity and education on health knowledge and vaccination among key areas and populations, strengthen monitoring and diagnostic capability, and implement comprehensive prevention and control measures.

Interleukin-27 (IL-27), a heterodimeric cytokine, plays a protective role in diabetes. Ghrelin, a gastric hormone, provides a hunger signal to the central nervous system to stimulate food intake. The relationship between IL-27 and ghrelin is still unexplored. Here we investigated that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling mediates the suppression of ghrelin induced by IL-27. Co-localization of interleukin 27 receptor subunit alpha (WSX-1) and ghrelin was observed in mouse and human gastric mucosa. Intracerebroventricular injection of IL-27 markedly suppressed ghrelin synthesis and secretion while stimulating STAT3-mTOR signaling in both C57BL/6J mice and high-fat diet-induced-obese mice. IL-27 inhibited the production of ghrelin in mHypoE-N42 cells. Inhibition of mTOR activity induced by siRNA or rapamycin blocked the suppression of ghrelin production induced by IL-27 in mHypoE-N42 cells. siRNA also abolished the inhibitory effect of IL-27 on ghrelin. IL-27 increased the interaction between STAT3 and mTOR in mHypoE-N42 cells. In conclusion, IL-27 suppresses ghrelin production through the STAT3-mTOR dependent mechanism.

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological and etiological characteristics of aggregation epidemics of infectious diarrhea induced by norovirus, and to provide the scientific basis for the prevention and control. Methods: A descriptive epidemiological analysis of aggregation epidemics events occurred during 2016-2018 in Longhua District of Shenzhen was carried out, with subtypes identified by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, Region B and Region C fragment sequence determination. Results: There were 34 aggregation epidemic events,including 448 cases, the mean attack rate was 18.26%(448/2 454). The median duration of aggregation epidemic was 3 days. The peak season appeared in autumn and winter, and the peak of epidemic emerged from December 2016 to April 2017. About 91.18% (31/34) of the epidemics occurred in schools and child care centers, and among children aged 3-6 years (78.79%, 353/448). The clinical symptoms were mainly nausea and vomiting (95.77%, 408/426) in children and adolescents but diarrhea in adult group (95.45%, 21/22). The differences between vomiting and diarrhea were both statistically significant in the two age groups (χ2=98.89，99.61，P<0.01). 29 cases were transmitted through interpersonal network, of which 21 cases were found to have unregulated treatment of vomit on campus. The detection rate of biological samples was 49.15% (203/413), all of which were G Ⅱ norovirus. The genotype was mainly GⅡ.P16-G Ⅱ.2(n=49)from November 2016 to April 2017. Conclusion Norovirus can cause large-scale outbreaks in child care centers and schools easily. Early standardized patient isolation and proper management of vomit and diarrhea are the key steps in prevention and control measures.

Objective: To investigate the effect and mechanism of RNA binding protein Lin28 on the 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) sensitivity of HepG2 cells. Methods: HepG2 cells were transfected with plasmid pcDNA3.1-Lin28 or si-Lin28 (small interfering RNA of Lin28). qPCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of Lin28 in HepG2 cells after transfection. Changes of cell proliferation in transfected cells after 5-Fu treatment was detected by CCK8 assay and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) was calculated. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptotic rate after 5-Fu treatment and the expression of apoptosis-related protein was assayed by Western blotting. The mRNA expressions of drug-resistant miRNAs (let-7a and let-7b), as well as cancer stem cell markers (Oct4, Nanog and Sox2) after transfection were detected by qPCR. Results: As compared to the HepG2/Vector cells, the mRNA and protein expressions of Lin28 were significantly up-regulated in HepG2/Lin28 cells (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Over-expression of Lin28 significantly suppressed the sensitivity of HepG2 cells to 5-Fu (IC50elevated obviously, P<0.05) and significantly increased cell proliferation while decreased apoptotic rate and expression of apoptotic-related protein caspase-3 (all P<0.01). As compared to si-control group, expression of Lin28 in HepG2/si-Lin28 cells was significantly down-regulated (P<0.01). Lin28 knockdown significantly reduced cell proliferation and IC50 of 5-Fu (all P<0.01) but increased apoptotic rate and expression of apoptosis-related protein (P<0.01). Compared with HepG2/Vector group, expressions of let-7a and let-7b, as well as cancer stem cell markers (Oct4, Nanog and Sox2) were significantly increased in HepG2/Lin28 cells (all P<0.01); while these molecules were significantly decreased in HepG2/si-Lin28 cells as comparing to si-control group (all P<0.01). Conclusion: Lin28 can modulate the chemosensitivity of HepG2 cells by regulating the expression of miRNAs and the formation of cancer stem cells. Targeting Lin28 might be a promising approach to improve the chemotherapy efficacy in HCC.

Objective: To investigate the imaging characteristics and the cause for the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of epidermoid cyst in intrapancreatic accessory spleen (ECIPAS) in order to improve the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis. Methods: The clinical and imaging data of 8 patients with ECIPAS confirmed by pathology in Zhejiang Provincial People′s Hospital between June 2008 and February 2018 were collected. The reason for doctor visit included CA19-9 elevation (n=1) and pancreatic occupying mass (n=9) during physical examination and no obvious symptoms were reported. CT and MRI imaging features, diagnosis and treatment were analyzed. Results: The lesions in 8 cases of ECIPAS were all located in the tail of the pancreas and were cystic and solid. The lesions in 3 cases were mainly cystic and the cystic wall was linear, whose CT density, MRI signal and enhancement pattern cannot be compared with those of the spleen. Solid components can be seen in 5 cases, and the CT density or MR signal of the solid part was similar to that of the spleen. After enhancement, the solid part at the artery stage was uniformly enhanced and the enhancement degree was higher than that of the pancreas. Similar to the spleen, it was uniformly enhanced at the portal vein stage and the enhancement degree of the spleen was consistent. All 8 patients were diagnosed with pancreatic neoplastic lesions before surgery, and 1 patient had pancreatic fistula and peripancreatic necrosis after surgery. Postoperative pathology confirmed the diagnosis of ECIPAS. Conclusions Improving the radiologists and clinicians′ cognition of the imaging manifestations of ECIPAS can improve the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis and avoid unnecessary surgery due to misdiagnosis.

Objective To analyze the genetic characteristics of VP1-VP4 genes carried by cox-sackievirus A6 (CVA6) strains isolated from severe cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in Shenzhen during 2012 to 2015. -ethods The VP1-VP4 genes of CVA6 strains isolated from severe HFMD cases in Shenzhen during 2012 to 2015 were amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis was performed to analyze the VP1-VP4 genes of CVA6 isolates and sequences downloaded from GenBank by using DNASTAR6. 0 and MEGA6. 02 software packages. Results Four cases of severe HFMD were caused by CVA6 in Shenzhen during 2012 to 2015. All of the patients had the symptom of fever, skin rash and aseptic encephalitis. The CVA6 strain causing severe HFMD in 2013 shared 98. 8％-98. 9％ homology in nucleotide sequences and 99. 3％-99. 8％ in amino acid sequences with the strains isolated in 2012. Two amino acid mutations were found in the CVA6 strain isolated in 2013, which were G73E in VP2 region and S13G in VP1 region. However, the CVA6 strain isolated in 2015 only shared 95. 0％ homology in nucleotide sequences and 99. 3％ homology in amino acid sequences with the strain isolated in 2013. Six amino acid mutations were identified including E73G in VP2 region and T5A, S27N, A30V, N137S and V242I in VP1 region. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the four CVA6 strains belong to D3 sub-genotype. The CVA6 strains causing severe cases in 2012 had the nearest genetic relationship with the strain isolated in Changsha in 2012 (KJ156349). The CVA6 strain isolated in Shenzhen in 2013 had the nearest genetic relationship with the strain isolated in Shanghai in 2013 (KJ612513). The Shenzhen CVA6 isolate in 2015 showed high similarity to Weifang CVA6 isolate in 2014 (KX752785). Conclusions All CVA6 strains causing severe HFMD ca-ses in Shenzhen during 2012 to 2015 belongs to D3 sub-genotype. Mutations of S27N and A30V in the VP1 region of the CVA6 isolate in 2015 are located in the B cell epitopes. In addition, the VP1-V242I mutation in the CVA6 strain isolated in 2015 is located in the binding site of PSGL-1 receptor. These mutations may affect the binding of CVA6 strains to the cellular receptors and their infectivity to people.

Objective To explore the predictive value of plasma cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) for prognosis in patients with sepsis. Methods 105 patients with sepsis admitted to department of emergency of the First Hospital of Quanzhou Affiliated to Fujian Medical University from June 2015 to June 2017 were enrolled. Patients were divided into sepsis group (n = 50) and severe sepsis group (n = 55). At the same time, 50 cases of physical examination center in our hospital were randomly selected as the healthy control group. The differences of cf-DNA, procalcitonin (PCT) and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ) score among the three groups were compared. The correlation between cf-DNA and PCT or APACHEⅡ were analyzed by Bivarite method. Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent predictors of sepsis. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was made to evaluate cf-DNA, PCT, APACHEⅡ alone or combined ability to predict the prognosis of sepsis. Results The PCT, APACHE Ⅱ and cf-DNA in the sepsis group and severe sepsis group were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group [PCT (μg/L):5.80 (3.28, 8.85), 17.53 (8.40, 29.61) vs. 0.02 (0.01, 0.03); APACHEⅡ: 13.04±3.03, 23.29±8.02 vs. 2.10±1.05;cf-DNA (μg/L): 1 438.0 (1 154.0, 1 576.0), 2 595.0 (2 162.0, 5 198.0) vs. 17.0 (13.0, 20.5); all P﹤0.05], and the indicators in the severe sepsis group were further higher than the sepsis group (all P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that cf-DNA was significantly positive correlated with PCT [r = 0.675, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.575-0.766, P < 0.001] and APACHEⅡ (r = 0.911, 95%CI = 0.874-0.939, P < 0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under ROC curve (AUC) of PCT, APACHEⅡ, cf-DNA, PCT+APACHEⅡ, cf-DNA+PCT, cf-DNA+APACHEⅡ, cf-DNA+PCT+APACHEⅡ to predict the prognosis of sepsis patients were 0.898, 0.905, 0.961, 0.941, 0.974, 0.976 and 0.982, respectively. It was shown that when predicted alone with PCT, APACHEⅡ and cf-DNA, the AUC of cf-DNA was the largest (0.961), the sensitivity was 100%, and the specificity was 81.43%; the combined prediction of cf-DNA with PCT or APACHEⅡ could further increase AUC, and the combined prediction of cf-DNA, PCT and APACHEⅡhad the highest AUC (0.982), the sensitivity was 94.29%, the specificity was 98.57%. Conclusions cf-DNA, PCT and APACHEⅡ have certain predictive value for the prognosis of sepsis. The value of cf-DNA was the highest when predicted alone, but the predictive ability of cf-DNA combined with PCT and APACHEⅡ was the best.