Automated kapok fiber-based pipette-tip solid-phase extraction coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for rapid and sensitive analysis of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in plasma.

This study delineates the development of a novel automated pipette-tip solid-phase extraction (SPE) methodology, employing kapok fiber as a naturally efficient and cost-effective adsorbent for the selective extraction of eleven tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) from plasma. The uniqueness of this method lies in its assembly, where kapok fibers are ingeniously wrapped around a stainless-steel spring within the pipette tip, ensuring an obstruction-free central space for effortless solution aspiration and dispensation. This design significantly minimizes backpressure, enhancing operational efficiency and ensuring compatibility with pipettors, including the implementation of an electric pipettor to streamline the sample preparation process and facilitate automation.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 and tuberculosis coinfection.

Background: Data on the coincidence of Tuberculosis (TB) and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are limited. We sought to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of coinfected patients in Henan and identify whether TB disease is associated with an increased risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality.

Method: We conducted a retrospective matched cohort study of COVID-19 inpatients involving 41 TB-positive patients with 82 patients without TB.

Circ_0000514 promotes the malignant biological behaviors of non-small cell lung cancer cells by modulating miR-330-5p and HMGA2.

Background: Circular RNA 0000514 (circ_0000514) has a modulatory function in the progression of several cancers, but its role and mechanism in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are obscure.

Methods: The relative expressions of circ_0000514, microRNA-330-5p (miR-330-5p) and high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) mRNA in 67 cases of NSCLC and adjacent lung tissues were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The changes in cell phenotypes were examined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), Transwell and flow cytometry assays, respectively.

Prediction of long-term mortality by using machine learning models in Chinese patients with connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease.

Background: The exact risk assessment is crucial for the management of connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) patients. In the present study, we develop a nomogram to predict 3‑ and 5-year mortality by using machine learning approach and test the ILD-GAP model in Chinese CTD-ILD patients.

Methods: CTD-ILD patients who were diagnosed and treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were enrolled based on a prior well-designed criterion between February 2011 and July 2018.

LncRNA PVT1 Facilitates Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of NSCLC Cells via miR-551b/FGFR1 Axis.

Background: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) plays a crucial role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nonetheless, regulatory effects of PVT1 on functions of NSCLC cells remain blurry.

Methods: Relative expression levels of PVT1, miR-551b and FGFR1 mRNA in tumor tissues and cells were examined employing quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR); CCK-8 and BrdU assays were utilized for measuring cell viability and proliferation of H1299 and A549 cells; cell migration and invasion were detected deploying Transwell assay; dual-luciferase assay was used for the validation of binding sequence between PVT1 and miR-551b.

Tissue factor promotes airway pathological features through epithelial-mesenchymal transition of bronchial epithelial cells in mice with house dust mite-induced asthma.

It has recently been shown that expression levels of tissue factor (TF) are high in the serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with asthma. However, whether TF impacts airway inflammation and remodelling in asthma remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of TF in asthma airway inflammation and remodelling using a house dust mite (HDM)-induced chronic asthma model and human bronchial epithelial (16HBE) cells.

Anxiety and depressive symptoms among COVID-19 patients in Jianghan Fangcang Shelter Hospital in Wuhan, China.

Fangcang shelter hospitals were established in China during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as a countermeasure to stop the spread of the disease. To our knowledge, no research has been conducted on mental health problems among patients in Fangcang shelter hospitals. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and major influencing factors of anxiety and depressive symptoms among COVID-19 patients admitted to Fangcang shelter hospitals.

Knockdown of lncRNA ANRIL inhibits the development of cisplatin resistance by upregulating miR‑98 in lung cancer cells.

Emerging evidence has demonstrated that abnormally expressed long non‑coding (lnc) RNAs contribute to drug resistance in various types of malignancy. LncRNA antisense non‑coding RNA in the inhibitor of cyclin‑dependent kinase 4 locus (ANRIL) exerts oncogenic activity and acts as a key player in a variety of carcinomas, including non‑small cell lung cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the functional roles of ANRIL in cisplatin (DDP) resistance of lung cancer and the underlying mechanism involved in the competing endogenous RNA regulatory network.

Knockdown of Long Noncoding RNA H19 Represses the Progress of Pulmonary Fibrosis through the Transforming Growth Factor β/Smad3 Pathway by Regulating MicroRNA 140.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in various human diseases. Recently, H19 was reported to be upregulated in fibrotic rat lung and play a stimulative role in bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. However, its expression in human fibrotic lung tissues and mechanism of action remain unclear.

Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Signaling Pathway Inhibition Attenuates Airway Inflammation and Remodeling in Rats with Asthma.

Background/aims: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a cytokine that plays diverse roles in the regulation of immune responses. However, a detailed understanding of the TSLP signaling pathway in asthma remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of the TSLP signaling pathway in asthma and its effect on airway inflammation and remodeling.

Knockdown of LncRNA-XIST Suppresses Proliferation and TGF-β1-Induced EMT in NSCLC Through the Notch-1 Pathway by Regulation of miR-137.

Background: Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), primarily microRNAs and long ncRNAs, play important roles in lung cancer. However, the role of long ncRNA (lncRNA)-X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the biologic function and potential mechanism of XIST in NSCLC progression.

Hypoxia-induced autophagy activation through NF-κB pathway regulates cell proliferation and migration to induce pulmonary vascular remodeling.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether autophagy mediated cell proliferation and migration of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) under hypoxia and to validate the underlying mechanism.

Methods: The rat model of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling was established. Rat primary PASMCs were isolated and cultured in vitro in hypoxia or normoxia to explore the underlying mechanism.

Knockdown of LncRNA MALAT1 contributes to the suppression of inflammatory responses by up-regulating miR-146a in LPS-induced acute lung injury.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a type of severe pulmonary inflammatory disease with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Now, an increasing number of studies suggest that lncRNAs may act as key regulators of the inflammatory response and play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases. Our study firstly explored the function and underlying mechanism of lncRNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcription 1 (MALAT1) in regulating the inflammatory response of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI in rats.

NLRP3 regulates macrophage M2 polarization through up-regulation of IL-4 in asthma.

Activation of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome received substantial attention recently in inflammatory diseases. Macrophages contribute to allergic inflammation in asthma. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of NLRP3 inflammasome on the polarization of macrophages.

Efficacy and safety of low-dose urokinase for the treatment of hemodynamically stable AECOPD patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD),and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-dose urokinase (UK) thrombolysis therapy when treating hemodynamically stable AECOPD patients with acute PTE (AECOPD-PTE).

Methods: A total of 419 AECOPD patients, including 96 AECOPD-PTE, were enrolled. A total of 30 AECOPD-PTE patients were collected retrospectively, and 66 AECOPD-PTE patients were prospectively divided into anticoagulation-only, low-dose UK and standard-dose UK groups.

Suppression of microRNA-384 enhances autophagy of airway smooth muscle cells in asthmatic mouse.

Injury to airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells hallmarks the pathological progression of asthma, a chronic inflammatory airway disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in the development of asthma as well as airway remodeling. Here we studied the involvement of miRNAs in the regulation of autophagic survival of ASM cells and airway disorder.

MicroRNA-145 down-regulates mucin 5AC to alleviate airway remodeling and targets EGFR to inhibit cytokine expression.

This study aims to explore how microRNA-145 (miR-145) affects airway remodeling and cytokine expression by targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to regulate mucin 5AC (MUC5AC).Mice alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) were divided into a control, blank, miR-145 mimics, mimic control, miR-145 inhibitors, inhibitor control, si-EGFR and miR-145 inhibitors + si-EGFR group. Asthma mice models with airway remodeling were induced with an Ovalbumin (OVA) solution and randomly divided into a normal, asthma, asthma + miR-145 mimics, asthma + miR-145 mimic control, asthma + si-EGFR or asthma + si-EGFR NC group.

Diagnostic value of soluble B7-H4 and carcinoembryonic antigen in distinguishing malignant from benign pleural effusion.

Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of joint detection of soluble B7-H4 (sB7-H4) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in identifying malignant pleural effusion (MPE) from benign pleural effusion (BPE).

Methods: A total of 97 patients with pleural effusion specimens were enrolled from The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between June 2014 and December 2015. All cases were categorized into malignant pleural effusion group (n = 55) and benign pleural effusion group (n = 42) according to etiologies.

Foxp3 downregulation in NSCLC mediates epithelial-mesenchymal transition via NF-κB signaling.

Forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) is a member of forkhead box transcription factor family and it was identified as a tumor suppressor in various solid tumors. This study evaluated the expression of Foxp3 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and investigated its role in epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cancer cells. qRT-PCR and western blot analysis were used for examining the expression of Foxp3 in NSCLC tissues and the non-tumor tissues.

[Effect of noninvasive ventilation on hypercapnic encephalopathy syndrome: a Meta-analysis].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) on hypercapnic encephalopathy syndrome (HES) induced by acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).

Methods: An extensive search of related literature from the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, CNKI and Wanfang databases up to January 2015 was performed. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and case control studies regarding comparison of the effect of NIV and conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) on the HES were collected.

[Monitoring of functional residual capacity by bedside real-time concentration via helium dilution technique].

Objective: To explore the accuracy, precision and repeatability of bedside real-time concentration monitoring via helium dilution (RHe) in ventilated dogs with and without acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods: Functional residual capacity (FRC) measurements were performed with computer tomography (FRCCT) and RHe (FRCRHe) in 18 adult male beagle dogs. Blood gas analysis was conducted for baseline, post-lung injury and end-of-experiment.

Interleukin-1B-31T/C promoter polymorphism and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk: a meta-analysis.

Introduction: The role of interleukin (IL)-1β -31T/C promoter polymorphism in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been studied with inconsistent results. This meta-analysis was performed to assess the association of IL-1β -31T/C promoter polymorphism with COPD susceptibility.

Material And Methods: Published case-control studies from PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were retrieved.