The effect of low-level laser therapy on the oxidative stress level and quality of life in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

This study aimed to examine the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) combined with levothyroxine replacement therapy on thyroid function, oxidative stress (OS), and quality of life in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Forty-six patients diagnosed with HT were randomized to receive active LLLT ( = 23) and sham LLLT ( = 23) twice a week for three weeks. Clinical and laboratory evaluations of the participants were performed before treatment and three months after treatment.

A modified method for measuring the length of peripherally inserted central catheters to reduce the risk of malposition during catheter insertion.

Background: Malposition may occur during peripherally inserted central catheter insertion. Accurately measuring the length of a peripherally inserted central catheter is crucial to preventing malposition, including "long peripherally inserted central catheter placement," in which the tip of a peripherally inserted central catheter is deeper than the target position. The traditional method of measuring peripherally inserted central catheter length involves measuring from the insertion site to the parasternal notch and down to the third or fourth intercostal space, which may result in overestimation because of the thickness of the pectoralis major and anterior chest wall.

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the personality constructs in CPAI-2 in Taiwanese Hakka populations.

Here in this study we adopted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to investigate the genetic components of the personality constructs in the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory 2 (CPAI-2) in Taiwanese Hakka populations, who are likely the descendants of a recent admixture between a group of Chinese immigrants with high emigration intention and a group of the Taiwanese aboriginal population generally without it. A total of 279 qualified participants were examined and genotyped by an Illumina array with 547,644 SNPs to perform the GWAS. Although our sample size is small and that unavoidably limits our statistical power (Type 2 error but not Type 1 error), we still found three genomic regions showing strong association with Enterprise, Diversity, and Logical vs.

Proximal tubule-derived exosomes contribute to mesangial cell injury in diabetic nephropathy via miR-92a-1-5p transfer.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is an increasing threat to human health and regarded to be the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Exosomes delivery may play a key role in cross-talk among kidney cells and the progression of DN. However, the mechanisms underlying exosomes in DN remain unclear.

KITLG Promotes Glomerular Endothelial Cell Injury in Diabetic Nephropathy by an Autocrine Effect.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is an increasing threat to human health. The impact of hyperglycemia or its metabolites, advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), on glomerular endothelial cells (GECs) and their pathophysiologic mechanisms are not well explored. Our results reveal that AGEs increased the expression and secretion of the KIT ligand (KITLG) in GECs.

Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily Member 21 Induces Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Coronary Artery Endothelium of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an increasing threat to human health and regarded as an important public issue. Coronary artery disease is one of the main causes of death in type 2 DM patients. However, the effect of hyperglycemia on coronary artery endothelial cells (CAECs) and the pathophysiologic mechanisms are still not well-explored.

Cysteinyl Leukotriene Pathway and Cancer.

Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, despite many advances being made in recent decades. Changes in the tumor microenvironment, including dysregulated immunity, may contribute to carcinogenesis and cancer progression. The cysteinyl leukotriene (CysLT) pathway is involved in several signal pathways, having various functions in different tissues.

Autocrine Exosomal Fibulin-1 as a Target of MiR-1269b Induces Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Proximal Tubule in Diabetic Nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is an increasing threat to human health and is regarded to be the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Exosomes deliver biomolecule massages and may play a key role in cell communication and the progression of DN. A cross-disciplinary study, including , , and human studies, was conducted to explore the cross-talk within proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) in DN.

miR-150-5p-Containing Extracellular Vesicles Are a New Immunoregulator That Favor the Progression of Lung Cancer in Hypoxic Microenvironments by Altering the Phenotype of NK Cells.

Natural killer (NKs) cells are cytotoxic effector cells, which can modulate tumor metastasis according to their function; however, the role of NK cells in lung cancer has not been extensively investigated. In this study, we determined the functional profiles of NK cells in a hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME) of lung cancer. We revealed CD226 downregulation and functional repression of NK cells after hypoxic lung cancer priming and we then investigated their interaction with extracellular vesicles (EVs) and miR-150-5p.

Cooperation Between Cancer and Fibroblasts in Vascular Mimicry and N2-Type Neutrophil Recruitment Notch2-Jagged1 Interaction in Lung Cancer.

Background: Angiogenesis is required for tumor development and metastasis, which is a major part in a pro-tumor microenvironment. Vascular mimicry (VM) is a process in which cancer cells, rather than endothelia, create an alternative perfusion system to support the tumor progression.

Objectives: To validate the role of VM and to develop a strategy to inhibit angiogenesis in lung cancer.

Hypoxia-Induced Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cells through miR-545-3p-TNFSF10.

Hypoxia is regarded as one of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of kidney injury and further progression to kidney failure. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in kidney tubules is a critical process of kidney fibrosis. This study utilized transcriptome analysis to investigate hypoxia-induced EMT through microRNA (miRNA)-modulated EMT in proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs).

Amine oxidase, copper containing 3 exerts anti‑mesenchymal transformation and enhances CD4 T‑cell recruitment to prolong survival in lung cancer.

Lung cancer remains notorious for its poor prognosis. Despite the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors, the probability of curing the disease in lung cancer patients remains low. Novel mechanisms and treatment strategies are needed to provide hope to patients.

The Potential Effects of Curcumin on Pulmonary Fibroblasts of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)-Approaching with Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive interstitial lung disease. Currently, therapeutic options are limited for this fatal disease. Curcumin, with its pleiotropic effects, has been studied for its potential therapeutic utilities in various diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis.

Loss of miR-145-5p Causes Ceruloplasmin Interference with PHD-Iron Axis and HIF-2α Stabilization in Lung Adenocarcinoma-Mediated Angiogenesis.

For decades, lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) play critical roles in mediating lung cancer development and metastasis. The present study aims to clarify how HIF's over-activation affects lung cancer angiogenesis not only in a normoxic condition, but also a hypoxic niche.

Upregulation of / Increases the Cancer Progression by Neurotensin and Dihydropyrimidinase-Like 3 in Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death globally, thus elucidation of its molecular pathology is highly highlighted. Aberrant alterations of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) are implicated in the development of cancer due to abnormal cell division. TTK (, a dual serine/threonine kinase, is considered to act as a cancer promoter by controlling SAC.

Impact of corticosteroid treatment on clinical outcomes of influenza-associated ARDS: a nationwide multicenter study.

Background: Corticosteroid treatment has been widely used in the treatment of septic shock, influenza, and ARDS, although some previous studies discourage its use in severe influenza patients. This multicenter retrospective cohort study conducted in the intensive care units (ICUs) of eight medical centers across Taiwan aims to determine the real-world status of corticosteroid treatment in patients with influenza-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and its impact on clinical outcomes. Between October 2015 and March 2016, consecutive ICU patients with virology-proven influenza infections who fulfilled ARDS and received invasive mechanical ventilation were enrolled.

Dual Role of Chondrocytes in Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Chicken and the Egg.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the inflammatory joint diseases that display features of articular cartilage destruction. The underlying disturbance results from immune dysregulation that directly and indirectly influence chondrocyte physiology. In the last years, significant evidence inferred from studies in vitro and in the animal model offered a more holistic vision of chondrocytes in RA.

High Glucose Induces Mesangial Cell Apoptosis through miR-15b-5p and Promotes Diabetic Nephropathy by Extracellular Vesicle Delivery.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is an increasing threat to human health and is regarded as an important public issue. The pathophysiologic mechanisms of DN are complicated. The initiating molecular events triggering the loss function in mesangial cells (MCs) in DN are not well known.

Systematic Analysis of Transcriptomic Profile of the Effects of Low Dose Atropine Treatment on Scleral Fibroblasts using Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics.

This study has two novel findings: it is not only the first to deduct potential genes involved in scleral growth repression upon atropine instillation from a prevention point of view, but also the first to demonstrate that only slight changes in scleral gene expression were found after atropine treatment as side effects and safety reasons of the eye drops are of concern. The sclera determines the final ocular shape and size, constituting of scleral fibroblasts as the principal cell type and the major regulator of extracellular matrix. The aim of our study was to identify differentially expressed genes and microRNA regulations in atropine-treated scleral fibroblasts that are potentially involved in preventing the onset of excessive ocular growth using next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics approaches.

Effects of Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) on Urinary Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma-Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics Approaches.

Bladder urothelial carcinoma is the most common type of genitourinary cancer. Patients with bladder cancer may have limited treatment efficacy related to drug toxicity, resistance or adverse effects, and novel therapeutic strategies to enhance treatment efficacy or increase sensitivity to drugs are of high clinical importance. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a polyphenolic compound found in green tea leaves, and a potential anti-cancer agent in various cancer types through modulating and regulating multiple signaling pathways.

Investigating Novel Genes Potentially Involved in Endometrial Adenocarcinoma using Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatic Approaches.

Endometrial cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide, affecting more than 300,000 women annually. Dysregulated gene expression, especially those mediated by microRNAs, play important role in the development and progression of cancer. This study aimed to investigate differentially expressed genes in endometrial adenocarcinoma using next generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics.

Bone-marrow-derived cell-released extracellular vesicle miR-92a regulates hepatic pre-metastatic niche in lung cancer.

Metastatic tumors have been shown to establish a supportive pre-metastatic niche (PMN) in distant organs, which in turn determines disseminated tumor cells' targeting of such organs. PMN is formed through the recruitment of bone-marrow-derived cells (BMDCs); however, the role of BMDCs in PMN formation is not fully understood. On the basis of RNA-seq data and bioinformatic analysis, secretion of extracellular vesicle (EV) miR-92a by BMDCs of lung cancer-bearing mice contributes to the establishment of liver PMN.