[Effects of Combined Stress of Polyethylene and Sulfamethazine on Seed Germination, Seedling Growth, and Physiological Characteristics of Soybean].

The combined pollution of antibiotics adsorption by microplastics has become inevitable in soil ecosystems; moreover, the plant biological effects under combined stress remain unclear. This study used soybean variety Jindou 21 as the material and conducted seed germination test and soil-potted seedling experiment to study the effects of different single and combined treatments of polyethylene (PE) and sulfamethazine (SMZ) on seed germination, seedling growth, photosynthetic parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and nitrogen metabolism. The results showed that single PE treatment at low levels promoted soybean seed germination and seedling growth physiology; however, inhibited them at a high level.

PD-1/PD-L1 combined with LAG3 is associated with clinical activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma.

Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (PLELC) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related, rare subtype of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) show durable responses in advanced NSCLC. However, their effects and predictive biomarkers in PLELC remain poorly understood.

High SHP2 expression determines the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in advanced KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is a novel target for Kirsten rat sarcoma oncogene (KRAS) mutant cancer. We retrospectively studied the significance of SHP2 in KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immunotherapy and its relationship with tumor microenvironment (TME).

Methods: Sixty-one advanced KRAS mutant NSCLC patients who underwent immunotherapy were enrolled.

Pelvic incidence measurement using a computed tomography data-based three-dimensional pelvic model.

Objectives: To introduce a new method of pelvic incidence (PI) measurement based on three-dimensional (3D) pelvic models reconstructed from CT images and to report the normal distribution of PI in normal pelvic anatomy.

Methods: CT images of 320 subjects with normal pelvic anatomy who visited the Radiology Department between 2006 and 2017 were retrospectively selected and saved in Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format. A computerized method was employed to determine the bony landmarks required for the measurement of PI.

Integrated Data Set of microRNAs and mRNAs Involved in Severe Intrauterine Adhesion.

Background: Adhesion tissue is formed following injury to the uterine basal layer. Currently, there is no effective treatment for severe intrauterine adhesion (IUA), which causes loss of reproductive function. Enhanced understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving severe IUA would be beneficial for the treatment.

CD4+CXCR5+ T cells activate CD27+IgG+ B cells via IL-21 in patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes the skewing and activation of B cell subsets, but the characteristics of IgG+ B cells in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection have not been thoroughly elucidated. CD4+CXCR5+ follicular helper T (Tfh) cells, via interleukin (IL)-21 secretion, activate B cells. However, the role of CD4+CXCR5+ T cells in the activation of IgG+ B cells in CHC patients is not clear.

Serum viral duplex-linear DNA proportion increases with the progression of liver disease in patients infected with HBV.

Objective: HBV has two forms of genomic DNA, relaxed-circular DNA (rcDNA) and duplex-linear DNA (dlDNA). Compared to rcDNA, dlDNA has been demonstrated to integrate more frequently into host cellular chromosomes, which may have oncogenic consequences. However, the dlDNA proportion relative to total HBV DNA and its clinical significance in patients remain to be investigated.

Protein-losing enteropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus: 12 years experience from a Chinese academic center.

Objective: Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a complication in some systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients that is often misdiagnosed. With this study, we provide insight into clinical characteristics, laboratory characteristics, diagnostic tests, risk factors, treatment, and prognosis of the disease.

Methods: A retrospective, case-control study was performed in 44 patients with SLE-related PLE (PLE group) and 88 patients with active SLE (control group) admitted to our care from January 2000-January 2012.

FOXP3 gene polymorphism is associated with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma in China.

Background: Previous evidence has shown that the FOXP3 gene was involved in the pathogenesis of several tumors; however, the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FOXP3 gene and the susceptibility to hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear.

Methods: We analyzed two SNPs in the FOXP3 gene, rs2280883 and rs3761549, in 392 patients with HCC, 344 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 372 matched healthy controls. Genotyping was performed by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry for all donors.

In vitro interactions between rat bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells and hepatic stellate cells: interaction between EPCs and HSCs.

Transplantation of bone marrow (BM)-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has been reported to improve liver fibrosis, but there is no direct evidence for the mechanism of improvement. We investigated the mechanism in vitro by coculturing BM-derived EPCs with activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) to mimic the hepatic environment. EPCs and HSCs were cultured alone and indirectly cocultured at a 1:1 ratio in a Transwell system.

Frequency of T-cell FoxP3⁺ Treg and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ PD-1 expression is related to HBeAg seroconversion in hepatitis B patients on pegylated interferon.

Background: Host immune responses against hepatitis B virus (HBV) induced by antiviral therapy play a crucial role in viral clearance. To further investigate the immune mechanisms underlying the differences between respondents and non-respondents, we analyzed myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs), plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells (FoxP3(+) Treg) and programmed death 1 (PD-1) expression in CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells in chronic hepatitis B patients undergoing pegylated interferon (PegIFN)α-2b treatment.

Methods: Patients received PegIFNα-2b for 24 or 48 weeks, with follow-up at 24 weeks.

[Correlation between interleukin-28B genetic polymorphisms and primary hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To explore the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interleukin-28B (IL-28B) gene and the susceptibility to primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: A total of 300 histologically confirmed HCC cases (from November 2001 to April 2010) and 310 healthy controls with no history of chronic hepatitis B or hepatocellular carcinoma (2009-2010) were selected from a hospital in Guilin and a hospital in Beijing for this case-control study.139 HCC patients in the case group had complete clinical tracking data.

[Preliminary study of estrogen effects on calcium free smooth muscle cells at the endometrial-myometrial interface in uteri with adenomyosis].

Objective: To investigate the effect and mechanism of estrodial (E(2)) on intracellular free calcium in the endometrial-myometrial interface (EMI) smooth muscle cells from uteri with adenomyosis.

Methods: From March 2011 to October 2011, 16 uterus specimens were collected from patients with adenomyosis undergoing hysterectomy in Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, which included 9 proliferative endometrium and 7 secretory endometrium. EMI smooth muscle cells from the uterus were cultured and loaded with calcium ion (Ca(2+)) fluorescent probe fluo-4/AM.

In vitro inhibition of HBV replication by a novel compound, GLS4, and its efficacy against adefovir-dipivoxil-resistant HBV mutations.

Background: HBV infection continues to be an important worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality. Patients with chronic hepatitis B can be successfully treated using nucleoside/nucleotide analogues. However, drug-resistant HBV mutants frequently arise, leading to treatment failure and progression to liver disease.

Intestinal immune barrier integrity in rats with nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as the major cause of chronic liver injury. Intestinal barrier plays an important role in the pathogenis of NAFLD. The aim of this article was to assess intestinal immune barrier function during the development of NAFLD.

Differences in gene expression profiles and carcinogenesis pathways between colon and rectal cancer.

Objective: Colon cancer is more common in the USA and Europe than that in China, for reasons that are unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in gene expression profiles and carcinogenesis pathways between colon and rectal cancer.

Methods: Expression profiling of primary tumor tissues from 12 colon and 12 rectal cancers was performed using oligonucleotide microarray analysis.

[Expression of ERα in endometrial-myometria interface of human adenomyosis].

Objective: To examine and analyze the expression of estrogen receptor-α (ERα) in myometrium of endometrial-myometria interface (EMI) of adenomyosis and normal myometrium and explore the pathogenesis of adenomyosis (ADS).

Methods: The myometrium specimens were obtained from 41 cases undergoing hysterectomy, including 20 adenomyosis patients in ADS group and 21 other patients in control group. EMI was located and acquired by anatomy and immunohistochemistry.

Regulatory T cell depletion enhances tumor specific CD8 T-cell responses, elicited by tumor antigen NY-ESO-1b in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, in vitro.

Immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma based on one or a few tumor specific antigens have shown limited antitumor efficacy. As a major suppressive factor in tumor immune response, better understanding of the role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in hepatocellular carcinoma might be important for design of future immunotherapy-based clinical protocols. Tregs from 49 HCC patients and 40 controls were identified by flow cytometric analysis for the phenotype.

[Specific suppression in regulatory T cells by Foxp3 siRNA contributes to enhance the in vitro anti-tumor immune response in hepatocellular carcinoma patients].

Objective: To design the suitable sequence siRNA of Foxp3 to interfere the function of regulatory T cells(Treg), and to evaluate whether the suppression of Treg could enhance the anti-tumor immune response in hepatocellular carcinoma patients or not.

Methods: Foxp3-specific siRNAs by chemical synthesis were delivered into regulatory T cells. The inhibition efficiencies of Foxp3-specific siRNAs were evaluated by real-time PCR and fluorescently stained for intracellular Foxp3 and analyzed using multiparameter FCM.

Expression of CIITA-related MHCII molecules in tumors linked to prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after surgery is poor due to its high recurrence rate. In order to unfold the mechanism of different recurrent-free survival (RFS) times following resection, expression profiling of tumor tissues from 32 HCC patients with different RFS time were used to identify differential expression of individual genes and signaling pathway components correlated with RFS time. Quantitative RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to validate the expression of selected genes.

Comparisons for detecting NY-ESO-1 mRNA expression levels in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues.

NY-ESO-1 is a cancer/testis (CT) antigen expressed in normal adult tissues solely in the testicular germ cells of normal adults and in various cancers. It induces specific humoral and cellular immunity in patients with NY-ESO-1-expressing cancer. We compared the expression of NY-ESO-1 mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients by using various primers and DNA polymerases to optimize RT-PCR conditions and to evaluate the correlations among the expression levels of NY-ESO-1, LAGE-1 and SSX-1 and clinical parameters.

[Inhibition of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in chronic hepatitis B patients].

Objective: To evaluate the inhibition of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) in the chronic hepatitis B patients.

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 22 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 18 healthy blood donors to isolate the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Flow cytometry was used to analyze the proportion of CD4+ CD127(lo)CD25(hi-int) Tregs in the CD4+ T cells so as to calculate the proportion of CD4+ CD25+ Tregs in the CD4+ T cells.

The functional evaluation of dendritic cell vaccines based on different hepatitis C virus nonstructural genes.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural (NS) genes are relatively conserved and play critical roles in cellular immune responses against HCV. The aim of the study was to evaluate the immunogenicity of the different HCV NS genes through transduction of DCs and presentation to T cells. Monocyte-derived DCs from healthy donors were infected with the recombinant adenovirus (Ad) harboring HCV NS3 (AdNS3), NS4 (NS4A and NS4B; AdNS4), NS5 (NS5A and NS5B; AdNS5), NS3/NS4 (AdNS3/NS4), and NS4/NS5 (AdNS4/NS5) genes, and then used to stimulate autologous lymphocytes in vitro.

[The frequency, phenotypes and functions of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma patients].

Objectives: (1) To evaluate the prevalence, phenotypes and suppressive function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) among the in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and tumor-infiltration lymphocytes (TILs) from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and patients with chronic hepatitis B. (2) To investigate the correlation between the frequency of CD4+CD25+ Tregs and clinical characteristics of HCC patients.

Methods: PBMCs and TILs in 18 HCC patients, 10 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 15 healthy donors were evaluated for the phenotypes of CD4+CD25+ Tregs and the proportion of CD4+CD25+ Tregs as a percentage of the total CD4+ cells, by flow cytometric analysis with three or four color staining.

[The effect of stimulation of dendritic cell on HBV-epitopic cytotoxic T-lymphocyte].

Objective: To observe the enhancement of cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in patients with chronic hepatitis B following vaccination with dendritic cell stimulated by Poly (I:C) in vitro.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from whole blood by density gradient centrifugation on Ficoll-Hypaque, the adherent cells were cultured in the medium AIM-V contained recombinant human IL-4 and recombinant human GM-CSF. On day 7, one part of wells were added with Poly (I:C).