Altered Liver Enzyme Markers in Patients with Asymptomatic, and Mild Omicron Infection: A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has posed a significant global public health challenge. Elucidating the laboratory profiles of individuals infected with this variant is crucial for assessing organ damage. This study aimed to investigate the variations in liver function tests and their correlation with demographic characteristics and inflammatory markers in patients with early Omicron variant infections.

The clinical characteristics analysis of serum markers for the cardiovascular system in early-stage COVID-19 patients.

Background: This study aimed to investigate alterations in serum markers [creatine kinase-MB (CKMB), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), myoglobin (Myo), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), D-dimer (DD), procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin-6 (IL6)] in early Omicron variant infection and analyzed their correlation with clinical parameters.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 1,138 mild/asymptomatic cases at Tianjin First Central Hospital, including age, gender, serum markers and nucleic acid test results. Statistical analysis used SPSS software, version 24.

The value of age IgG and IL6 in estimating time of viral clearance in asymptomatic or mild patients with COVID-19.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Age, immunoglobin G (IgG), immunoglobin M (IgM), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL6), and the time to clear viral nucleic acids in asymptomatic and mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, as well as evaluated the predictive value of these biochemical indicators.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis on 1,570 individuals who were admitted to Tianjin First Central Hospital and diagnosed with asymptomatic or mild cases. Laboratory data were collected, including age, gender, levels of IgG, IgM, PCT and IL6, as well as results of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleic acid test.

Clinical and immunological features of convalescent pediatric patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Tianjin, China.

COVID-19 has spread surprisingly fast worldwide, and new variants continue to emerge. Recently, the World Health Organization acknowledged a new mutant strain "Omicron", with children were accounting for a growing share of COVID-19 cases compared with other mutant strains. However, the clinical and immunological characteristics of convalescent pediatric patients after Omicron infection were lacking.

Regulatory effect of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on Treg/Th17 immune balance in vitro.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM‑MSCs) regulate the balance between regulatory T cells (Tregs) and T helper 17 (Th17) cells. However, the role of different factors on BM‑MSCs‑mediated regulation of the Treg/Th17 balance is unknown. BM‑MSCs and CD4+ T lymphocytes were co‑cultured with various treatments.

The T-helper cells 17 instead of Tregs play the key role in acute rejection after pediatric liver transplantation.

Th17 and imbalance of Treg/Th17 might be one of the mechanisms of acute rejection. We aim to explore the role of Th17s in the balance of Treg/Th17 in acute rejection after LT in children diagnosed with BA. The ratios of Treg and Th17 in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry pre-LT, post-LT, and when rejection occurred.

Different phenotypes of CD4CD25Foxp3 regulatory T cells in recipients post liver transplantation.

CD4 regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in inducing immune tolerance in organ transplantation, which can be divided into CD45RATregs (resting Tregs, rTregs) and CD45ROTregs (activated Tregs, aTregs). Currently, the expressions and phenotypic changes of Tregs in recipients after liver transplantation (LT) is unknown. We therefore investigated the expression and transformation of rTregs and aTregs in 83 cases of recipients with normal status post-LT.

Combined acupuncture and treatment affects behavior and synaptophysin levels in the hippocampus of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 after neural stem cell transplantation.

Sanjiao acupuncture and HuangDiSan can promote the proliferation, migration and differentiation of exogenous neural stem cells in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice and can improve learning and memory impairment and behavioral function in dementia-model mice. Thus, we sought to determine whether Sanjiao acupuncture and HuangDiSan can elevate the effect of neural stem cell transplantation in Alzheimer's disease model mice. Sanjiao acupuncture was used to stimulate Danzhong (CV17), Zhongwan (CV12), Qihai (CV6), bilateral Xuehai (SP10) and bilateral Zusanli (ST36) 15 days before and after implantation of neural stem cells (5 × 10) into the hippocampal dentate gyrus of SAMP8 mice.

MHC II, but not MHC II, hepatic Stellate cells contribute to liver fibrosis of mice in infection with Schistosoma japonicum.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are considered as the main effector cells in vitamin A metabolism and liver fibrosis, as well as in hepatic immune regulation. Recently, researches have revealed that HSCs have plasticity and heterogeneity, which depend on their lobular location and whether liver is normal or injured. This research aimed to explore the biological characteristics and heterogeneity of HSCs in mice with Schistosoma japonicum (S.

Inhibiting interleukin-18 production through the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, a potential role of corticotropin-releasing hormone in chronic plaque psoriasis.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and CRH receptors (CRH-Rs) are expressed in the skin; CRH-R1 is the predominant receptor. Whether the CRH/CRH-R1 system plays a role in psoriasis has not yet been assessed. Immunohistochemistry, real-time RT-PCR, ELISA assay, and Western blot analysis were used to investigate the expression of CRH/CRH-R1 in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and that of IL-18 in CRH-treated HaCaT cells.

The quantitative and functional changes of NK cells in mice infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a neurotropic parasite which can cause injury to central nervous system and eosinophilic meningitis to human. Natural killer (NK) cells are specialized innate lymphocytes important in early defense against pathogens as in a variety of intracellular bacterial, viral, and protozoan infections. However, the number and function of NK cells in extracellular parasitic infection of A.

The latest developments in synthetic peptides with immunoregulatory activities.

In the past few years, many researches have provided us with much data demonstrating the abilities of synthetic peptides to impact immune response in vitro and in vivo. These peptides were designed according to the structure of some important protein molecules which play a key role in immune response, so they act with specific targets. The class I and II MHC-derived peptides inhibit the TCR recognition of antigen peptide-MHC complex.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide induces vascular endothelial growth factor production in human HaCaT keratinocytes via MAPK pathway.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease characterized by abnormal keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, inflammation, and angiogenesis. Although dysfunction of the immune system is known to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, there is also strong evidence that psychological stresses are involved. Neuropeptides are thought to be main mediators of neurogenic inflammation, presumably involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

The pentapeptide PLNPK inhibits systemic lupus erythematosus-associated renal damage.

Objective: This study aimed to observe the therapeutic effect of pentapeptide PLNPK on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in mice, and to study the inhibitory effect of PLNPK on activation of T cells in vivo.

Methods: Murine SLE-like chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was induced. After treatment with PLNPK (100, 200, 400 μg/kg per day) for 70 days, serum blood urea nitrogen, creatine, total cholesterol, triglyceride and albumin were tested, and serum levels of anti-dsDNA and anti-histone antibodies were detected by ELISA.

Inhibition of calcineurin by quercetin in vitro and in Jurkat cells.

Calcineurin (CN), the Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM)-dependant protein phosphatase, is an integral enzyme involved in activation of T cells. It is also the target of various inhibitors such as cyclosporine A (CsA) and FK506 both of which have been widely used as immunosuppressants. We show that the novel CN inhibitor, quercetin (QC), associates with CN both in vitro and in Jurkat cells, and that it causes non-competitive inhibition of phosphatase activity.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone attenuates vascular endothelial growth factor release from human HaCaT keratinocytes.

Objectives: Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is a central component of the local hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which has a functional equivalent in the skin. To determine whether CRH and its receptor, CRH-R1, modulate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is overexpressed in psoriatic epidermis and plays a causal role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, we investigated the effect of CRH on the expression of VEGF in a human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) and whether this effect is via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathways.

Methods: Real-time RT-PCR, ELISA assay and western blot were used in the present study to investigate the expression of VEGF in CRH-treated HaCaT cells.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide increases proliferation of human HaCaT keratinocytes by activation of MAP kinases.

Psoriasis is a chronic disease characterized by keratinocyte hyperproliferation and inflammation. It has been demonstrated that the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is elevated in psoriasis lesions and CGRP-containing neuropeptide nerve fibers are denser in the psoriatic epidermis. CGRP has been previously described to influence proliferation of several cell types, such as Schwann cell, tracheal epithelial cells, and human gingival fibroblasts.

[Evaluation of the inhibitory effect of tripeptide tyroservatide on growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma using a hollow fiber assay].

Objective: To investigate the inhibitory effect of tyroservatide (YSV) on growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Methods: In vitro effects of YSV on five human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines were assayed by MTS. In vivo effects of YSV on 5 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines were assayed by hollow fiber tumor model.

Tripeptide tyroserleutide plus doxorubicin: therapeutic synergy and side effect attenuation.

Background: Tripeptide tyroserleutide (YSL) is a novel small molecule anti-tumor polypeptide that has been shown to inhibit the growth of human liver cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of YSL plus doxorubicin on the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 cells that had been transplanted into nude mice.

Methods: Nude mice bearing human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 tumors were treated with successive intraperitoneal injections of saline; low-, mid-, or high-dose doxorubicin; or low-, mid-, or high-dose doxorubicin plus YSL.

A new pentapeptide compound, PLNPK, ameliorates anti-glomerular basement membrane nephritis in Wistar rats.

PLNPK is a pentapeptide compound extracted from pig spleen with a Pro-Leu-Asn-Pro-Lys molecular structure. The spleen is the biggest immune organ in the body, in which there are lots of immunocytes and immune molecules. Our pilot study showed that PLNPK could suppress the transformation and proliferation of T lymphocytes and the production of antibodies in mice.

Reversal effect of tyroservatide (YSV) tripeptide on multi-drug resistance in resistant human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line BEL-7402/5-FU.

Tyroservatide (YSV) is an active, low-molecular-weight polypeptide that has been shown to have antitumor effects on human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 cells in vitro and in vivo. Multi-drug resistance (MDR) represents a major obstacle to the success of cancer chemotherapy. To enhance the chemosensitivity of tumor cells, attention has been focused on MDR modulators.

Kaempferol: a new immunosuppressant of calcineurin.

Calcineurin (CN), the Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM)-dependant protein phosphatase, is the target for immunosuppressive drugs cyclosporine A (CsA) and FK506. These immunosuppressants can inhibit CN activity after binding with respective immunophilins. Based on the model of screening by using p-nitrophenyl phosphate as a substrate for preliminary screening and (32)P-labeled 19-residue phosphopeptide as a specific substrate for final determination, we found Kaempferol, a natural flavonol, could inhibit CN activity in purified enzyme and Jurkat T-cells.

Evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of tripeptide tyroserleutide (YSL) for human hepatocarcinoma by in vivo hollow fiber assay.

Tyroserleutide (YSL), extracted from spleen of pigs, is a tripeptide that has shown therapeutic efficacy in an experimental BEL-7402 human hepatocarcinoma model. The hollow fiber assay (HFA) is a solid tumor model for large-scale screening of potential anticancer compounds that minimizes expenditures of materials, time, and money. Tumor cells are cultivated within biocompatible, semipermeable hollow fibers, which are implanted in immunosuppressed mice.

Expression and localization of the activated mitogen-activated protein kinase in lesional psoriatic skin.

Abnormalities in several signaling pathways and in the expression and/or activation of different transcription factors in psoriatic keratinocytes have been hypothesized to play a role in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are among the best characterized of intracellular signaling pathways, and they play important roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, gene expression, and inflammation. We investigated the expression, activation and distribution of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38 MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), using immunohistochemistry and Western blot in lesional psoriatic skin and normal control skin, to clarify the possible roles of these kinases involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Tripeptide tyroserleutide enhances the antitumor effects of macrophages and stimulates macrophage secretion of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and NO in vitro.

Tyroserleutide (YSL) is a type of active, low molecular weight polypeptide, comprised of three amino acids, which has antitumor effects. YSL has various advantages over the other bioactive peptides such as its low molecular weight, simple construction, nonimmunogenicity, specificity, few side effects, and ease of synthesis. However, the biological activities contributing to it's antitumor effects are not yet known.