The association between serum uric acid / serum creatinine ratio and in-hospital outcomes in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The role of Serum uric acid (SUA) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was controversial, which might be influenced by the renal clearance function of the patients. The present study aimed to explore the association between serum uric acid to serum creatinine ratio (SUA/Scr), reflecting a net production of SUA, and the in-hospital outcomes of elderly patients with AMI.

Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 330 elderly AMI patients (≥ 75 years) were enrolled.

Effect of Dry-Wet Ratio on Properties of Concrete Under Sulfate Attack.

In order to explore the drying-wetting cycle test method of concrete under sulfate accelerating erosion, the influence of dry-wet time ratio on concrete sulfate erosion was studied. Under the condition of 7 days for one cycle, five different dry-wet time ratios were designed: 1:3, 1:1, 3:1, 5:1, and 10:1. The basic properties such as compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and dynamic elastic modulus of concrete were tested.

[Effect of Fertilizers on Cadmium Uptake and Accumulation by Sunflowers].

A pot experiment was conducted to assess the phytoextraction potential for cadmium (Cd) of three types of sunflowers (edible, ornamental, and oil sunflowers) and the effects of the application of N, NP, and NPK fertilizers on Cd uptake of the three plants using Cd-contaminated soils collected from northern China. The results showed that fertilization could significantly increase the biomass, aboveground Cd concentrations and accumulation of ornamental and oil sunflowers, and the effect of NPK fertilizer was significantly better than those of other treatments. Cd concentrations of the aboveground parts of edible, ornamental, and oil sunflowers were 6.

The Effect of ICOS Polymorphism Interactions with HBV Mutations on HBV Subtype Infection Outcomes.

Introduction And Aim: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a public health problem worldwide. In addition, HBV infection results are influenced by various virological, immunological, and genetic factors. Inducible T-cell costimulator (ICOS) polymorphisms involving chronic HBV infection have been confirmed in previous studies.

Retinoid X Receptor α-Dependent HBV Minichromosome Remodeling and Viral Replication.

Background And Aim: The HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is organized into a minichromosome in the nuclei of infected hepatocytes through interactions with histone and nonhistone proteins. Retinoid X receptor α (RXRα), a liver-enriched nuclear receptor, participates in regulation of HBV replication and transcription through modulation of HBV enhancer 1 and core promoter activity.

Material And Methods: This study investigated RXRα involvement in HBV cccDNA epigenetic modifications.

Association of HLA-DQ and IFNL4 polymorphisms with susceptibility to hepatitis B virus infection and clearance.

Unlabelled:  Background and aim. Leukocyte antigen DQ (HLA-DQ) and interferon-λ4 (IFNL4) gene polymorphisms were associated with susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B and C virus infection. This study further confirmed that variants of these genes were associated with susceptibility and spontaneous clearance of HBV infection in a Chinese population.

PNPLA3 rs738409 Polymorphism Associated with Hepatic Steatosis and Advanced Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus: A Meta-Analysis.

Background/aims: The recognition of a correlation between patatin-like phospholipase domain containing-protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 (C>G) and the severity of liver steatosis or fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has not reached a consensus. This meta-analysis sought to investigate with accuracy the association between the PNPLA3 rs738409 (C>G) polymorphism and liver steatosis and advanced fibrosis in CHC patients.

Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature search from the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases up to December 31, 2014.

Association of genetic polymorphisms in CD8+ T cell inhibitory genes and susceptibility to and progression of chronic HBV infection.

Background: Previous studies have shown that multiple inhibitory genes play an important role in HBV-specific CD8+ T cell exhaustion and dysfunction in the setting of chronic HBV infection. Polymorphic variants of these genes are thought to be predisposing factors for HBV susceptibility, clearance, and disease progression. The aim of this retrospective study was to identify variants affecting chronic HBV infection in a Chinese Han population.

A novel baseline hepatitis B virus sequencing-based strategy for predicting adefovir antiviral response.

Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) is used as first-line monotherapy or rescue therapy in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. In this study, we sought to identify nucleotide changes in the reverse transcriptase (RT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) at baseline and explore their predictive value for ADV antiviral response. Ultra-deep pyrosequencing (UDPS) was utilized to determine HBV genetic variability within the RT region at baseline and during a 48-week ADV therapy.

Effects of interaction between genetic variants in human leukocyte antigen DQ and granulysin genes in Chinese Han subjects infected with hepatitis B virus.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HLA-DQ and granulysin (GNLY) are reportedly associated with HBV infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of interactions between SNPs in HLA-DQ and GNLY on the outcome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Chinese Han subjects. HLA-DQ (rs9275572) and GNLY (rs1866139 and rs11127) were genotyped in 310 subjects with HBV-related chronic liver disease, 295 in whom spontaneous clearance of HBV had occurred and 316 who had not been exposed to HBV.

MicroRNA-34A inhibits the growth, invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer by targeting PDGFR and MET expression.

Within the family of RTKs (receptor tyrosine kinases), PDGFR (platelet-derived growth factor receptor) has been implicated in carcinogenesis and tumour development. miRNAs (microRNAs), which can target the mRNAs (messenger RNAs) of cancer-associated genes, are abnormally expressed in various cancers. In this study, our aim was to identify the miRNAs that target PDGFR-α/β and to study the functions of these miRNAs.

Dynamics of hepatitis B virus resistance substitutions correlates with virological response in lamivudine-refractory patients with entecavir rescue monotherapy.

Entecavir (ETV) demonstrates potent antiviral effects against lamivudine (LMV)-resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV). This study was designed to investigate the impact of LMV resistance mutations on the outcome of ETV rescue therapy in LMV-refractory patients. Twenty-six chronic hepatitis B patients who received ETV monotherapy for LMV resistance were enrolled.

Complexity and diversity of hepatitis B virus quasispecies: correlation with long-term entecavir antiviral efficacy.

This study was undertaken to determine the complexity and diversity of hepatitis B virus (HBV) quasispecies during long-term antiviral therapy and examine their impacts on therapeutic outcome. Six chronic hepatitis B patients receiving entecavir monotherapy (0.5mg/day) for 3 years were enrolled.

Dynamics of lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus strains in patients with entecavir rescue therapy.

Entecavir rescue therapy is frequently used in patients with lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) strains. The aim of this study was to investigate evolutionary patterns of HBV quasispecies during entecavir rescue therapy and evaluate their impacts on therapeutic efficacy. We enrolled 21 chronic hepatitis B patients who failed to respond to lamivudine therapy and were switched to entecavir treatment.

[Evolution of hepatitis B virus quasispecies during antiviral therapy in one chronic hepatitis B patient].

Objective: To investigate the evolution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) quasispecies in one patient during lamivudine (LAM) monotherapy and switching to entecavir (ETV) rescue treatment.

Methods: Serum samples were taken at seven different time points during antiviral therapy (0, 24, 48, 60, 72, 96, 152 weeks, respectively), the HBV DNA polymerase gene was amplified, cloned and sequenced to analyze the amino acid substitutions within HBV DNA polymerase gene and distribution of virus quasispecies. Quantitative detection of the HBV wild strains and total virus was performed by amplification refractory mutation system real-time PCR (ARMS-PCR).

Comparison of a novel real-time PCR assay with sequence analysis, reverse hybridization, and multiplex PCR for hepatitis B virus type B and C genotyping.

We compared a novel real-time genotyping and quantitative PCR (GQ-PCR) assay, direct sequence analysis, reverse hybridization, and multiplex PCR for genotyping hepatitis B virus (HBV) in 127 HBV-infected patients. We found that GQ-PCR had the highest concordance with sequence analysis and the highest detection rate for mixed genotype detecting.

Simultaneous genotyping and quantification of hepatitis B virus for genotypes B and C by real-time PCR assay.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important cause of human chronic liver diseases and is a major public health problem. Viral load and HBV genotype play critical roles in determining clinical outcomes and response to antiviral treatment in hepatitis B patients. Viral genotype detection and quantification assays are currently in use with different levels of effectiveness.

Inducible nucleosome depletion at OREBP-binding-sites by hypertonic stress.

Background: Osmotic Response Element-Binding Protein (OREBP), also known as TonEBP or NFAT5, is a unique transcription factor. It is hitherto the only known mammalian transcription factor that regulates hypertonic stress-induced gene transcription. In addition, unlike other monomeric members of the NFAT family, OREBP exists as a homodimer and it is the only transcription factor known to bind naked DNA targets by complete encirclement in vitro.

[Dissection of mechanism for the adefovir dipivoxil resistance in chronic hepatitis B patients].

Objective: To explore the mechanism for adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) resistance occurred in chronic hepatitis B patients of a series of phase III clinical trails.

Methods: 30 resistant HBV strains were selected out from 177 cases of ADV treated chronic hepatitis B patients. HBV polymerase RT region were amplified by nested PCR and analyzed with the standard nucleotide sequence of HBV strains deposited in GeneBank.

A new strategy for constructing in vitro replication-competent 1.3 copies of hepatitis B virus genome.

In the absence of a robust infectable cell culture system, assays related to replication of clinical HBV isolates are based on the transfection of replication-competent HBV DNA into hepatoma cell lines that are able to replicate and secrete HBV virions. Current methods for constructing HBV 1.1 genomes work well for drug susceptibility assays, but are not very suitable for research on HBV replication capacity or regulation since a heterogeneous promoter is required to drive pgRNA transcription.

Hepatitis B virus genotype-associated variability in antiviral response to adefovir dipivoxil therapy in Chinese Han population.

It is well known that different genotypes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) have a different sensitivity to interferon-alpha or lamivudine (nucleoside analogue) antiviral therapy. However, for adefovir dipivoxil (ADV, a nucleotide analogue), the antiviral response of the different genotypes remains to be clarified. In order to evaluate the response of HBV genotypes to ADV therapy and to identify factors that might affect initial virological response, we performed a retrospective analysis on patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Chinese Han population.

Dynamics of hepatitis B virus resistance to entecavir in a nucleoside/nucleotide-naïve patient.

The genotypic evolution of HBV quasi-species was analyzed in a nucleoside/nucleotide-naïve patient who developed resistance to entecavir. The lamivudine resistant quasi-species (rtM204V+/-rtL180M), absent at baseline, were emerged as early as 48 weeks after entecavir administration. Entecavir-resistant quasi-species (rtM204V+/-rtL180M plus S202G) were found after week 112 and gradually became the predominant mutations afterwards.

[Comparison of antiviral responses to adefovir dipivoxil therapy of genotype B and genotype C HBV infected patients].

Objective: To investigate the role of HBV genotypes on their response to adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) antiviral therapy.

Methods: HBV genotypes from 177 HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients were identified and the patients were treated with ADV 10 mg per day for 48 weeks. The clinical data in terms of serum HBV DNA seroclearance, mean HBV DNA reduction (log value), HBeAg loss, anti-HBe seroconversion and serum ALT of those patients were analyzed against their HBV genotypes.

[Genotyping 238 HBV strains using type-specific primer PCR combined with type-specific nucleotide analysis].

Objective: To establish a set of suitable and reliable methods for HBV genotyping and to study the distribution of HBV genotypes.

Methods: Type-specific nucleotides were searched through alignment of S genes (more than 1000 sequences) listed in GenBank. Then, type-specific primers were designed and type-specific primer PCR was used to genotype the 238 HBV strains.