Unlike many other human solid tumors, ovarian tumors express many epithelial markers at a high level for cell growth and local invasion. The phosphoprotein Pinin plays a key role in epithelial cell identity. We showed that clinical ovarian tumors and ovarian cancer cell lines express a high level of Pinin when compared with normal ovarian tissues and immortalized normal ovarian surface epithelial cell lines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We examined attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in adolescents with epilepsy and the association with seizure-related and sociodemographic variables.
Methods: Strengths and Weakness of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Normal Behaviors rating scale was administered to 122 children with epilepsy and 50 children with asthma, aged 10 to 18 years attending mainstream schools.
Results: Twenty-nine (23.
Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) may share common risk factors. Here we used a 3-stage procedure to discover novel predictors of CKD by repeatedly applying a stepwise selection based on the Akaike information criterion to subsamples of a prospective complete-case cohort of 2755 patients. This cohort encompassed 25 clinical variables and 36 genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity, or fasting plasma glucose.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To identify the reasons patients miss taking their antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the proportion who miss their ART because of symptoms; and to explore the association between symptoms and incomplete adherence.
Methods: Secondary analysis of data collected during a cross-sectional study that examined ART adherence among adults from 18 purposefully selected sites in Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. We interviewed 250 systematically selected patients per facility (≥ 18 years) on reasons for missing ART and symptoms they had experienced (using the HIV Symptom Index).
Alteration of DNA methylation in mammalian cells could be elicited by many factors, including viral infections [1]. HIV has shown the ability to interact with host cellular factors to change the methylation status of some genes [2], [3], [4]. However, the change of the DNA methylation associated with HIV infection based on the whole genome has not been well illustrated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis report describes a 63-year-old man with a dilated cardiomyopathy, who was supported with a continuous flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD), and on the waiting list for heart transplantation. After a long period of stability, he presented with recurrent ventricular tachycardia and rapidly developed progressive right ventricular (RV) failure. He required implantation of a temporary RV assist device to regain stability and subsequently underwent urgent heart transplantation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEquitable access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for men and women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a principle endorsed by most countries and funding bodies, including the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) Relief (PEPFAR) (1).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To review the experience in the management of impalpable testes using laparoscopy as the initial approach and the need for inguinal exploration.
Methods: From January 2004 to June 2014, 339 patients with undescended testes underwent operation in our institute. Fifty patients (15%) had impalpable testes.
Microbes have co-evolved with human beings for millions of years. They play a very important role in maintaining the health of the host. With the advancement in next generation sequencing technology, the microbiome profiling in the host can be obtained under different circumstances.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConnect Tissue Res
November 2015
A major barrier towards the study of the effects of drugs on Giant Cell Tumor of Bone (GCT) has been the lack of an animal model. In this study, we created an animal model in which GCT stromal cells survived and functioned as proliferating neoplastic cells. A proliferative cell line of GCT stromal cells was used to create a stable and luciferase-transduced cell line, Luc-G33.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) gene is related to various biological processes including stem cell reprogramming and tumorigenesis. In this study, we identified and characterized a non-coding transcript of KLF4, which was designated KLF4‑003, in human liver tissue samples. KLF4‑003 was identified in a number of cell lines by reverse transcription PCR and DNA sequencing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Four-and-a-half LIM (FHL)-only protein is a subfamily of protein members under the LIM-only protein family. These proteins are identified by their characteristic four and a half cysteinerich LIM homeodomain. Five members have been categorized into the FHL subfamily, which are FHL1, FHL2, FHL3, FHL4 and activator of CREM in testis (ACT) in human.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Ex vivo lung perfusion with acellular solutions is an established technique for assessing marginal donor lungs. We evaluated the utility of a blood-based lung preservation fluid as an alternative perfusate.
Methods: Donor lungs from 50-kg donation after cardiac death pigs (n = 24) were randomized into 3 groups: acellular, commercial blood-based, and Papworth-Blood.
We report here the draft genomes of two pneumococcal isolates in Hong Kong, CU_SPNE1_05 and CU_SPNE32_06. Strain CU_SPNE1_05 had a cefotaxime MIC of 1 µg/ml, and CU_SPNE32_06 had an MIC of 32 µg/ml. Both strains belong to the multidrug-resistant serogroup 19, sequence type 271 (clonal complex 3200/271).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Endometriosis is frequently associated with and thought of having propensity to develop into ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC), although the molecular transformation mechanism is not completely understood.
Methods: We employed immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for marker expression along the potential progression continuum. Expression profiling of microdissected endometriotic and OCCC cells from patient-matched formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples was performed to explore the carcinogenic pathways.
The present study examined anxiety and depression in adolescents with epilepsy and the association of these disorders with seizure-related and sociodemographic variables. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was administered to 140 children with epilepsy and 50 children with asthma aged 10 to 18 years attending mainstream schools. Adolescents with epilepsy had significantly higher scores on the depression subscale than those with asthma (5.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report the draft genome sequence of Catabacter hongkongensis, a catalase-positive bacterium which causes bacteremia with high mortality. The 3.2-Mb genome contains 3,161 protein coding sequences, including putative catalase and motility-related proteins, and antibiotic resistance genes, which could be important for its virulence and adaptation to diverse environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report the draft genome sequence of an extensively drug-resistant strain of Acinetobacter baumannii, CUAB1, isolated from a patient in a local Hong Kong hospital. MIC testing was performed, and genes previously associated with drug resistance were located.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the past decade, miRNA emerges as a vital player in orchestrating gene regulation and maintaining cellular homeostasis. It is well documented that miRNA influences a variety of biological events, including embryogenesis, cell fate decision, and cellular differentiation. Adipogenesis is an organized process of cellular differentiation by which pre-adipocytes differentiate towards mature adipocytes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLipoprotein NlpI of Escherichia coli is involved in the cell division, virulence, and bacterial interaction with eukaryotic host cells. To elucidate the functional mechanism of NlpI, we examined how NlpI affects cell division and found that induction of NlpI inhibits nucleoid division and halts cell growth. Consistent with these results, the cell division protein FtsZ failed to localize at the septum but diffused in the cytosol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To characterize antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence across different programmes and examine the relationship between individual and programme characteristics and incomplete adherence among ART clients in sub-Saharan Africa.
Design: A cross-sectional study.
Methods: Systematically selected ART clients (≥18 years; on ART ≥6 months) attending 18 facilities in three countries (250 clients/facility) were interviewed.