Platelets are reprogrammed by cancer via a process called education, which favors cancer development. The transcriptional profile of tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) is skewed and therefore practicable for cancer detection. This intercontinental, hospital-based, diagnostic study included 761 treatment-naïve inpatients with histologically confirmed adnexal masses and 167 healthy controls from nine medical centers (China, n = 3; Netherlands, n = 5; Poland, n = 1) between September 2016 and May 2019. The main outcomes were the performance of TEPs and their combination with CA125 in two Chinese (VC1 and VC2) and the European (VC3) validation cohorts collectively and independently. Exploratory outcome was the value of TEPs in public pan-cancer platelet transcriptome datasets. The AUCs for TEPs in the combined validation cohort, VC1, VC2, and VC3 were 0.918 (95% CI 0.889-0.948), 0.923 (0.855-0.990), 0.918 (0.872-0.963), and 0.887 (0.813-0.960), respectively. Combination of TEPs and CA125 demonstrated an AUC of 0.922 (0.889-0.955) in the combined validation cohort; 0.955 (0.912-0.997) in VC1; 0.939 (0.901-0.977) in VC2; 0.917 (0.824-1.000) in VC3. For subgroup analysis, TEPs exhibited an AUC of 0.858, 0.859, and 0.920 to detect early-stage, borderline, non-epithelial diseases and 0.899 to discriminate ovarian cancer from endometriosis. TEPs had robustness, compatibility, and universality for preoperative diagnosis of ovarian cancer since it withstood validations in populations of different ethnicities, heterogeneous histological subtypes, and early-stage ovarian cancer. However, these observations warrant prospective validations in a larger population before clinical utilities.
Humans ; Female ; Blood Platelets/pathology* ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology* ; China

Electroacupuncture may play a role in treatment of learning and memory impairment after ischemic stroke by regulating phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A (PKA)/cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway, nerve growth factor (NGF)/tyrosine kinase-A (TrkA) signaling pathway, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway, Notch signaling pathway, erythropoietin-producing hepatocyte (Eph)/ephrin signaling pathway. The interactions among these pathways should be further explored in treatment of learning and memory impairment after ischemic stroke.
Humans ; Electroacupuncture ; Ischemic Stroke ; Learning ; Signal Transduction/physiology*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Aim To establish three kinds of DNA damage models of mouse testicular spermatogonia cell line GC-1 cells and analyze their similarities and differences. Methods GC-1 cells were treated with UVB irradiation, D-galactose(D-Gal) or bleomycin (BLM), respectively. Then the expression and localization of 'Y-H2AX were detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence, the expression and localization of 8-OHdG were measured by immunofluorescence, and the expression levels of p-p53 and p21 were measured by Western blot. Results The expression of -y-H2AX in GC-1 cell reached to the peak 4 h after UVB irradiation and 6 h after D-Gal stimulation, whereas -y-H2AX expression gradually increased after BLM stimulation, and the higher the concentration of BLM,the shorter the time to reach the peak. The results of immunofluorescence showed that 8-OHdG expression was observed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of GC-1 cells after UVB irradiation and BLM stimulation, and the longer the culture time, the more the expression in the nucleus. In contrast, the expression of 8-OHdG was observed in the cytoplasm and reached the peak at 6 h in the D-Gal stimulated GC-1 cells. After UVB irradiation, the protein expression levels of p-p53 gradually increased, while p21 protein expression appeared later than that of p-p53; in the D-Gal stimulated GC-1 cells, the protein expression levels of p-p53 reached the peak at 6 h, and p21 protein expression reached the peak at 12 h; after low concentration BLM stimulation, the protein expression levels of p-p53 and p21 continuously increased, and after high concentration BLM stimulation, the protein expression levels of p-p53 and p21 reached its peak at 2 h, then decreased at 4 h. Conclusions Three kinds of DNA damage models of GC-1 cells are successfully established, and the DNA damage in GC-1 cells treated with D-Gal is mild, while the DNA damage in GC-1 cells treated by UVB irradiation and BLM stimulation is more severe.

To scientifically evaluate the intervention effect of Chinese medicine preventive administration(combined use of Huo-xiang Zhengqi Oral Liquid and Jinhao Jiere Granules) on community population in the case of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19), a large cohort, prospective, randomized, and parallel-controlled clinical study was conducted. Total 22 065 subjects were included and randomly divided into 2 groups. The non-intervention group was given health guidance only, while the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) intervention group was given two coordinated TCM in addition to health guidance. The medical instructions were as follows. Huoxiang Zhengqi Oral Liquid: oral before meals, 10 mL/time, 2 times/day, a course of 5 days. Jinhao Jiere Granules: dissolve in boiling water and take after meals, 8 g/time, 2 times/day, a course of 5 days, followed up for 14 days, respectively. The study found that with the intake of medication, the incidence rate of TCM intervention group was basically maintained at a low and continuous stable level(0.01%-0.02%), while the non-intervention group showed an overall trend of continuous growth(0.02%-0.18%) from 3 to 14 days. No suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case occurred in either group. There were 2 cases of colds in the TCM intervention group and 26 cases in the non-intervention group. The incidence of colds in the TCM intervention group was significantly lower(P<0.05) than that in the non-intervention group. In the population of 16-60 years old, the incidence rate of non-intervention and intervention groups were 0.01% and 0.25%, respectively. The difference of colds incidence between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05). In the population older than 60 years old, they were 0.04% and 0.21%, respectively. The incidence of colds in the non-intervention group was higher than that in the intervention group, but not reaching statistical difference. The protection rate of TCM for the whole population was 91.8%, especially for the population of age 16-60(95.0%). It was suggested that TCM intervention(combined use of Huoxiang Zhengqi Oral Liquid and Jinhao Jiere Granules) could effectively protect community residents against respiratory diseases, such as colds, which was worthy of promotion in the community. In addition, in terms of safety, the incidence of adverse events and adverse reactions in the TCM intervention group was relatively low, which was basically consistent with the drug instructions.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Betacoronavirus ; Coronavirus Infections ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; drug therapy ; Prospective Studies ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: Stably expressed transforming growth factor -beta 1(TGF-β1)MCs were obtained and the effects of centellaasiatica (CA) granule on the expressions of Smad 2/3, Smad 7 and collagen Ⅳ and the level of Smad 2/3 phosphorylation were observed. METHODS: Lipofectin method was used to transfect TGF-β1 vector into MC, and the stably expressed TGF-β1 cell lines were selected by G418. The cells were divided into three groups. Control group:normal MC + RPMI 1640 + 10% normal rat serum; TGF-β1 group:stably expressed TGF-β1 MC + RPMI 1640 + 10% normal rat serum; CA group:stably expressed TGF-β1 MC + RPMI 1640 + 10% rat serum containing high CA. The experiments were repeated for five times. The contents of TGF-β1 and collagen Ⅳ in the culture medium were detected with ELISA, the expressions of mRNA and protein of TGF-β1, Smad 2/3, Smad 7 and the level of Smad 2/3 phosphorylation were detected by using real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. RESULTS: The contents of TGF-β1 and collagen Ⅳ in the culture medium of stably-expressed TGF-β1 MC were increased significantly, and the CA could reverse the effects of TGF-β1. The expressions of mRNA and protein of TGF-β1, Smad 2/3 and the level of Smad 2/3 phosphorylation were increased significantly in TGF-β1 transfected MC, and CA could dramatically reduce the expressions of mRNA and protein of TGF-β1, Smad 2/3 and the level of Smad 2/3 phosphorylation. The high expression of TGF-β1 decreased the expression of Smad 7 mRNA and protein, and the CA could antagonize the effect of mRNA expression. CONCLUSIONS The MCs stably-expressed TGF-β1 can activate the TGF-β1/Smad signal pathway and increase the expression of collagen Ⅳ. CA can decrease the occurrence of diabetic nephropathy(DN) by reducing the production of collagen Ⅳ through inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad signal pathway.
Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Centella ; chemistry ; Collagen Type IV ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Mesangial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Smad Proteins ; metabolism ; Smad2 Protein ; metabolism ; Smad3 Protein ; metabolism ; Smad7 Protein ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the limitation of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) technique through analyzing two false negative cases.

METHODSChromosomal karyotyping analysis was performed on umbilical cord blood sample derived from case 1 at 24 weeks' gestation and peripheral blood sample derived from the neonate of case 2. Placental tissues of case 1 and peripheral blood sample of case 2 were also analyzed by high-throughput sequencing for copy number variations (CNVs).

RESULTSFor case 1, analysis of fetal umbilical cord blood sample showed a translocation type of trisomy 21, i.e., 46,XY,der(21;21)(q10;q10),+21. There were no obvious abnormalities detected at or near the center of the fetal surface and matrix surface of the placenta. High-thoroughput sequencing showed Chr13:(33 840 001 - 115 100 000)×3[60%]/46,XY[40%] at the edge of the placenta, Chr13:(34 080 001-115100000)×3[54%]/46,XY[46%] at the edge of placenta matrix surface, and trisomy 21 in the umbilical cord tissue. For case 2, analysis of the neonatal peripheral blood sample showed a karyotype of 46,XY,del(18)(q22), which revealed a microdeletion in chromosome 18. High-throughput sequencing of the maternal peripheral blood sample stored during pregnancy confirmed it to be chr18: (62 910 000 - 78 020 000)×1 with 15.1 Mb deletion in the fetus. The neonate was therefore diagnosed with partial monosomy of chromosome 18.

CONCLUSIONFalse negative results of NIPT are related with the fraction of circulating cell-free fetal DNA in the maternal serum. NIPT has limitations in detecting fetal chromosomal microdeletion and confined placenta mosaicisms. Routine ultrasound scan is necessary for pregnant women with low-risk indicated by NIPT.

Adult ; Aneuploidy ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Monosomy ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; methods

Purpose To establish a new method for detecting p16INK4a in cervical tissues with time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA).Methods 126 cases of paraffin imbedding tissues of cervix were selected for immunohistochemistry (IHC) of EnVision two-step and TRFIA.Results There were 20 cases of no intraepithelial lesion or malignancy,24 cases of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL),53 cases of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and 29 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).In the groups of no intraepithelial lesion or malignancy,LSIL,HSIL and SCC,p161NK4a positive was seen in 1,19,53 and 28,respectively.TRFIA test results displayed p16INK4a positive in 3,17,50 and 27 cases,respectively.Positive of p16 using by TRFIA in no intraepithelial lesion or malignancy,LSIL,above HSIL was 15.00％,70.83％ and 93.90％,respectively (P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion TRFIA is suitable for detecting of p16INK4a protein and demand low detection equipment,p16INK4a expression detected by TRFIA may helpful for large scale detection in various clinical institution.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of rehabilitation on exercise capacity, cardiopulmonary function and quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods: A total of 96 CHF patients with NYHA Ⅱ-Ⅲ and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)<40% were enrolled. Based on routine drug therapy, the patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups: Control group, n=50 and Rehabilitation group, n=46, the patients performed treadmill exercise, the training intensity was tailored by (50-80) % of peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) of baseline cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) at (25-40) min/session, 3 sessions/week for 12 weeks. The peak VO2, VE/VCO2 slop, anaerobic threshold (VO2 AT), maximum workload and maximum exercise time were measured by CPET; left atrial diameter (LAD), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), cardiac index (CI) and LVEF were examined by echocardiography; 6 min walking distance (6MWD) and plasma NT-proBNP level were recorded; QoL was assessed by Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire (MLWHFQ). The above indexes were compared within Rehabilitation group and between 2 groups. Results: In Rehabilitation group, compared to baseline condition, the following indexes were increased by 12 weeks training: peak VO2 (19.8±2.7) ml/min?kg vs (17.4±2.1) ml/min?kg, VO2 AT (11.6±2.5) ml/min?kg vs (9.5±1.8) ml/min?kg, maximum workload (120±20) w vs (102±21) w, maximum exercise time (8.2±1.7) min vs (6.4±1.5) min, CI (2.2±0.5) L/(min?m2) vs (1.9±0.4) L/(min?m2), LVEF (42±5) % vs (35±4) % and 6MWD (406±58) m vs (345±79) m, all P<0.05; while the following parameters were decreased: VE/VCO2 slop (31.7±4.6) vs (34.2±5.8), LAD (38.6±5.5) mm vs (41.5±3.6) mm, LVEDD (58.4±6.3) mm vs (62.9±5.4) mm, NT-proBNP (235±69) ng/ml vs (387±57) ng/ml and MLWHFQ (30.8±12.0) vs (42.3±8.5), all P<0.05. The above indexes were different between Control group and Rehabilitation group, all P<0.05. Conclusion: Rehabilitation may safely and effectively improve cardiopulmonary function and quality of life in CHF patients.

Through introducing mutations into ribosomes by obtaining spontaneous drug resistance of microorganisms, ribosome engineering technology is an effective approach to develop mutant strains that overproduce secondary metabolites. In this study, ribosome engineering was used to improve the yield of butenyl-spinosyns produced by Saccharopolyspora pogona by screening streptomycin resistant mutants. The yields of butenyl-spinosyns were then analyzed and compared with the parent strain. Among the mutants, S13 displayed the greatest increase in the yield of butenyl-spinosyns, which was 1.79 fold higher than that in the parent strain. Further analysis of the metabolite profile of S13 by mass spectrometry lead to the discovery of Spinosyn α1, which was absent from the parent strain. DNA sequencing showed that there existed two point mutations in the conserved regions of rpsL gene which encodes ribosomal protein S12 in S13. The mutations occurred a C to A and a C to T transversion mutations occurred at nucleotide pair 314 and 320 respectively, which resulted in the mutations of Proline (105) to Gultamine and Alanine (107) to Valine. It also demonstrated that S13 exhibited genetic stability even after five passages.
Genetic Engineering ; Macrolides ; metabolism ; Point Mutation ; Ribosomal Proteins ; genetics ; Ribosomes ; metabolism ; Saccharopolyspora ; metabolism