Validation of the novel GLAS algorithm as an aid in the detection of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis based on GP73, LG2m, age, and sex.

Background: Diagnosis of liver disease at earlier stages can improve outcomes and reduce the risk of progression to malignancy. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis of liver disease, but is invasive and sample acquisition errors are common. Serum biomarkers for liver function and fibrosis, combined with patient factors, may allow for noninvasive detection of liver disease.

Comparative analysis of sigma factors RpoS, FliA, and RpoN in Edwardsiella tarda.

Sigma factors are important regulators that bacteria employ to cope with environmental changes. Studies on the functions of sigma factors have uncovered their roles in many important cellular activities, such as growth, stress tolerance, motility, biofilm formation, and virulence. However, comparative analyses of sigma factors that examine their common and unique features or elucidate their cross-regulatory relationships have rarely been conducted for Edwardsiella tarda.

Impact of co-deficiency of RpoN and RpoS on stress tolerance, virulence and gene regulation in Edwardsiella tarda.

Edwardsiella tarda the etiological agent for edwardsiellosis, a devastating fish disease prevailing in worldwide aquaculture industries was subjected to a molecular genetic study. To research into the influence when RpoN (σ(54) ) and RpoS (σ(38) ) were deleted simultaneously, the double deletion mutant of RpoN (σ(54) ) and RpoS (σ(38) ), namely rnrs, was constructed. Firstly, RpoN and RpoS are both essential for H2 O2 , starvation, high osmotic pressure and acid resistance, which have synergistic effect.

Characterization of Edwardsiella tarda rpoN: roles in σ(70) family regulation, growth, stress adaption and virulence toward fish.

Edwardsiella tarda EIB202, a Gram-negative pathogen with strong virulence, is an opportunistic pathogen capable of causing edwardsiellosis with high mortality to fish. Alternative sigma factor 54 (RpoN) is an important regulator of virulence and stress resistance genes in many bacterial species and mainly responsible for transcription of genes in nitrogen utilization. In this study, the in-frame rpoN deletion mutant was constructed to analyze the function of RpoN in Edwardsiella tarda firstly.