Single-cell profiling of the peripheral blood immune landscape during mid- and late-stage pregnancy.

We aimed to determine the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) immune profiles of mid- and late-stage pregnant women to establish a foundation for studying pregnancy-related diseases. Peripheral blood samples were collected from three women each during mid- and late-stage pregnancy, and PBMCs were extracted for single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Peripheral blood samples were also collected for flow cytometry analysis to validate the analytical results.

Differences between Chronically Hepatitis B Virus-Infected Pregnant Women with and without Intrafamilial Infection: From Viral Gene Sequences to Clinical Manifestations.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the differences between pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and intrafamilial infection and those without intrafamilial infection.

Methods: HBV-DNA was extracted from the sera of 16 pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and their family members for gene sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. A total of 74 pregnant women with CHB were followed up from the second trimester to 3 months postpartum.

Bioinformatics analysis of the potential receptor and therapeutic drugs for Alzheimer's disease with comorbid Parkinson's disease.

Background: Now, there are no sensitive biomarkers for improving Alzheimer's disease (AD) and comorbid Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of the present study was to analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in brain tissue from AD and PD patients via bioinformatics analysis, as well as to explore precise diagnostic and therapeutic targets for AD and comorbid PD.

Methods: GFE122063 and GSE7621 data sets from GEO in NCBI, were used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for AD and PD, and identify the intersected genes, respectively.

Tenofovir alters the immune microenvironment of pregnant women with hepatitis B virus infection: Evidence from single-cell RNA sequencing.

Background: Mother-to-child is the main route of the transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Tenofovir fumarate (TDF) antiviral treatment has become the most extensive choice worldwide. However, the effects of TDF treatment on the immune function of pregnant women remains unclear.

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals transcriptional profiles of monocytes in HBV-infected pregnant women during mid-pregnancy.

There is a growing body of evidence that innate immunity also plays an important role in the progression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, there is less study on systematically elucidating the characteristics of innate immunity in HBV-infected pregnant women. We compared the features of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in three healthy pregnant women and three HBV-infected pregnant women by single-cell RNA sequencing.

Kai-Xin-San Protects Depression Mice Against CORT-Induced Neuronal Injury by Inhibiting Microglia Activation and Oxidative Stress.

Objective: Traditional Chinese medicine formula Kai-Xin-San (KXS) is used to treat psychiatric disorders, especially in anxiety and depression. However, the precise molecular mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the antidepressant effect of KXS on inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress in corticosterone (CORT)-induced depression.

A Machine Learning Approach Using XGBoost Predicts Lung Metastasis in Patients with Ovarian Cancer.

Background: Liver metastasis (LM) is an independent risk factor that affects the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer; however, there is still a lack of prediction. This study developed a limit gradient enhancement (XGBoost) to predict the risk of lung metastasis in newly diagnosed patients with ovarian cancer, thereby improving prediction efficiency. .

Downregulation of the long non-coding RNA MALAT1 in tenofovir-treated pregnant women with hepatitis B virus infection promotes immune recovery of natural killer cells via the has-miR-155-5p/HIF-1α axis.

Background: Currently, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) treatment in pregnant women with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the second trimester of pregnancy to reduce the HBV DNA load and block the mother-to-child transmission of HBV has become a consensus. An increasing number of studies have shown that lncRNAs play an important role in immune regulation; however, there are only a few studies on how lncRNAs affect the immune function of TDF-treated pregnant women with HBV infection.

Methods: The peripheral blood of pregnant women with HBV infection was collected before and after TDF treatment for whole-transcriptome sequencing; the differential expression of lncRNA MALAT1 in PBMCs and natural killer (NK) cells was verified by qRT-PCR.

Associations between AGT, MTHFR, and VEGF gene polymorphisms and preeclampsia in the Chinese population.

Introduction: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific multisystemic syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the associations between angiotensinogen (AGT), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphisms, and PE in the Han Chinese population.

Methods: We genotyped 26 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in three genes by using QuantStudio™ 12 K Flex Real-Time PCR technology in 168 patients with PE and 204 healthy pregnant control subjects.

Alteration of the Immune Microenvironment in HBsAg and HBeAg Dual-Positive Pregnant Women Presenting a High HBV Viral Load.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the differences in the immune microenvironment between HBV-infected pregnant women with a high HBV viral load and healthy pregnant women, with an emphasis on T cell subset alteration.

Patients And Methods: We compared the differences of cellular and molecular signatures between HBV-infected and healthy pregnant women by performing single-cell RNA and T cell receptor sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 51,836 women in the mid-trimester pregnancy stage. Specific trajectories of the different T clusters throughout the course of T cell differentiation were investigated.

Anti-depressive effects of Jiao-Tai-Wan on CORT-induced depression in mice by inhibiting inflammation and microglia activation.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Jiao-Tai-Wan (JTW) is a very famous traditional Chinese medicine formula for the treatment of psychiatric disorders, especially in anxiety, insomnia and depression. However, its molecular mechanism of treatment remains indistinct.

Aim Of The Study: We aimed to reveal the action mechanism of JTW on anti-depression via inhibiting microglia activation and pro-inflammatory response both in vivo and in vitro.

HBxAg promotes HBV replication and EGFR activation in human placental trophoblasts.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global epidemic. The main transmission route of chronic HBV infection is from mother to child, yet the mechanisms underlying HBV intrauterine infection remain unclear. In the present study, the effect and the mechanism underlying hepatitis B virus X antigen (HBxAg) on HBV replication and EGFR activation in trophoblasts was investigated.

Metabolomics Analysis on Mice With Depression Ameliorated by Acupoint Catgut Embedding.

Depression is a prevalent mental disease characterized by persistent low mood, lack of pleasure, and exhaustion. Acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) is a kind of modern acupuncture treatment, which has been widely used for the treatment of a variety of neuropsychiatric diseases. To investigate the effects and underlying mechanism of ACE on depression, in this study, we applied ACE treatment at the Baihui (GV20) and Dazhui (GV14) acupoints of corticosterone (CORT)-induced depression model mice.

Downregulation of Diacylglycerol kinase zeta (DGKZ) suppresses tumorigenesis and progression of cervical cancer by facilitating cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.

Diacylglycerol kinase zeta (DGKZ) participates in cancer progression. Here, the current work aims to identify the functional role of DGKZ in cervical cancer (CC). DGKZ expression in cervical cancer tissues and paired adjacent normal cervical tissues was assessed using Immunohistochemistry assay.

Vitamin A, D, and E Levels and Reference Ranges for Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study 2017-2019.

Pregnancy-specific vitamin reference ranges are currently not available for maternal vitamin management during pregnancy. This study aimed to propose pregnancy-specific vitamin reference ranges and to investigate the factors influencing vitamin levels during pregnancy. A cross-sectional study that included pregnant women from 17 cities in 4 provinces in western China was conducted from 2017 to 2019.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict synchronous lung metastases in patients with ovarian cancer: a large cohort study.

Purpose: Lung metastasis is an independent risk factor affecting the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. We developed and validated a nomogram to predict the risk of synchronous lung metastases in newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients.

Methods: Data of ovarian cancer patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Final Results (SEER) database between 2010 and 2015 were retrospectively collected.

A clinical model to predict the risk of liver metastases in newly diagnosed ovarian cancer: a population-based study.

Background: Liver metastases are important in determining the prognosis of ovarian cancer. We aimed to develop and validate nomograms to predict the risk of liver metastases in patients with early-stage ovarian cancer.

Methods: A total of 13,487 patients were enrolled in the study based on their records in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

F-box protein FBXO31 modulates apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cervical cancer via inactivation of the PI3K/AKT-mediated MDM2/p53 axis.

Aims: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common malignant tumours in the world and a serious threat to women's health. The dysregulation of protein degradation mediated by F-box proteins is involved in tumorigenesis, and F-box protein FBXO31 has been reported to play an important role in various human cancers. However, the role of FBXO31 in CC remains unclear.

Early Start Of Tenofovir Treatment Achieves Better Viral Suppression In Pregnant Women With A High HBV Viral Load: A Real-World Prospective Study.

Purpose: To investigate whether tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) treatment that started from the second trimester had an advantage over TDF treatment that started from the third trimester.

Patients And Methods: Twenty 35-year-old pregnant women with hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA >2×106 IU/mL were prospectively enrolled in this study. All participants were divided into two subgroups: the second trimester group who started TDF treatment at 24-27 weeks and the third trimester group who started TDF treatment at 28-30 weeks.

Efficacy of tenofovir in preventing perinatal transmission of HBV infection in pregnant women with high viral loads.

Mother-to-child transmission is the major cause of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This double-blind trial tested the effect of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in preventing vertical transmission. Pregnant women who were HBsAg/HBeAg-positive with a HBV DNA titer ≥ 2×10 IU/mL were randomly assigned to the control (n = 60) and TDF-treated (n = 60) groups.

3D Spatiotemporal Mechanical Microenvironment: A Hydrogel-Based Platform for Guiding Stem Cell Fate.

Stem cells hold great promise for widespread biomedical applications, for which stem cell fate needs to be well tailored. Besides biochemical cues, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that spatiotemporal biophysical cues (especially mechanical cues) imposed by cell microenvironments also critically impact on the stem cell fate. As such, various biomaterials, especially hydrogels due to their tunable physicochemical properties and advanced fabrication approaches, are developed to spatiotemporally manipulate biophysical cues in vitro so as to recapitulate the 3D mechanical microenvironment where stem cells reside in vivo.

A study of the association between the sFlt-1/PIGF ratio and preeclampsia in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.

Aim: It was previously reported that the ratio of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) to placental growth factor (PlGF) can predict the clinical onset of preeclampsia. This study seeks to validate the association between ratios of sFlt-1/PlGF with preeclampsia and to identify the contribution of ethnicity across diverse populations of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Methods: Pregnant women were classified into those with preeclampsia (n = 136) and healthy controls (n = 350).

HBxAg suppresses cell apoptosis and promotes the secretion of placental hormones in human placental trophoblasts via activation of the EGFR/Akt pathway.

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of Hepatitis B virus x (HBx) in the growth and secretion of human placental trophoblasts. Firstly, placenta tissues were collected from pregnant HBV carriers with various viral loads. The results of immunohistochemical technique showed that the HBx protein and pEGFR protein levels were both markedly increased with the viral load elevation.

HBxAg suppresses apoptosis of human placental trophoblastic cell lines via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein on the apoptosis of placental trophoblastic cells and its potential mechanism. A pcDNA3.1 expression vector of HBx gene was built and transfected into JEG-3 and HTR-8 human placental trophoblastic cell lines, respectively.

Effect of hepatitis B virus infection on apoptosis of a human choriocarcinoma cell line in vitro.

Aim: To investigate the effect and mechanism of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the human choriocarcinoma cell line, JEG-3, in relation to apoptosis and intrauterine infection.

Material And Methods: HBV-DNA serum was used to infect the choriocarcinoma cell line, JEG-3, in vitro. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) was then employed to detect intracellular replication of HBV DNA.