The Expression and Molecular Mechanisms of Matrix Metalloproteinase- 9 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Renal Interstitial Fibrosis in Rats.

Objective: To explore a new approach for the treatment of renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF), we detected the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 2- week normal control (2NC) group, 4-week NC (4NC) group, 2-week unilateral ureteral obstruction (2UUO) group, and 4-week UUO (4UUO) group. We performed left ureteral ligation on UUO groups.

The novel HLA-A*26:236 allele identified by sequence-based typing.

The new allele A*26:236 differs from A*26:01:01:01 at position 340 (G>T) of exon 2.

All-trans retinoic acid regulating angiopoietins-1 and alleviating extracellular matrix accumulation in interstitial fibrosis rats.

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is one of essentially active metabolite of vitamin A, and plays an important role in diverse physiological processes, such as cellular growth and function. Renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) is a common pathological characteristic of chronic renal disease causing end-stage renal disease currently lacking effective treatment. Low level of Angiopoietins-1 (Angpt-1) is associated with extracellular matrix accumulation and fibrosis diseases.

Nephroprotective Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Therapy of Kidney Disease Induced by Toxicants.

Background: Renal damage caused by drug toxicity is becoming increasingly common in the clinic. Preventing and treating kidney damage caused by drug toxicity are essential to maintain patient health and reduce the social and economic burden. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis to assess the nephroprotective effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the treatment of kidney disease induced by toxicants.

Administration of mesenchymal stem cells in diabetic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy shows great promise for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) patients. Research has been carried out on this topic in recent years. The main goals of this paper are to evaluate the therapeutic effects of MSCs on DKD through a meta-analysis and address the mechanism through a systematic review of the literature.

Association of Nuclear Receptor Coactivators with Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 in the Serum of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Nuclear receptor coactivators (NCOAs), consisting of coactivators and corepressors, dramatically enhance the transcriptional activity of nuclear receptors. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a transcription factor that plays a major role under hypoxic conditions. This study was performed with the focus on the association of NCOAs with HIF-1 in the serum of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

The Efficacy of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Therapy of Acute Kidney Injury Induced by Ischemia-Reperfusion in Animal Models.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), discovered and isolated from the bone marrow in the 1960s and with self-renewal capacity and multilineage differentiation potential, have valuable immunomodulatory abilities. Acute kidney injury (AKI) refers to rapid renal failure, which exhibits as quickly progressive decreasing excretion in few hours or days. This study was performed to assess the efficacy of MSCs in the treatment of AKI induced by ischemia-reperfusion using a meta-analysis method.

Current and Emerging Drugs in the Treatment of Anemia in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Anemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and its prevalence has shown a tendency to increase in many countries. Anemia is associated with incident heart failure and increases mortality in CKD patients, garnering public attention. Here, we reviewed recent studies about CKD with anemia, and tried to summarize the risks and causes and new progress in the treatment of renal anemia.

Validation of genome-wide associated variants for Kawasaki disease in a Taiwanese case-control sample.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology that affects infants and young children. Considerable evidence supports the hypothesis that there is a genetic basis for KD susceptibility. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several genetic variants associated with KD.

HLA-DQ genotype and biochemical characterization of anti-transglutaminase 2 antibodies in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Taiwan.

Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 are genetic risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) and Celiac disease (CD) in Caucasians, but their association with Taiwanese Han population is unknown. We screened 532 Taiwanese T1DM patients for CD biomarkers including anti-tissue transglutaminase (TGM2), anti-gliadin and anti-neoepitope antibodies (Abs), sequencing DQB1 genotypes, and characterized the TGM2 Abs. We report that 3.

Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a polymorphic, multisystemic autoimmune disease that causes multiorgan damage in which cellular communication occurs through the involvement of autoantibodies directed against autoantigen production. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which have strong protective and immunomodulatory abilities, are obtained not only from bone marrow but also from medical waste such as adipose tissue and umbilical cord tissue and have been recognized as a promising tool for the treatment of various autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders. This meta-analysis is aimed at assessing whether MSCs can become a new treatment for SLE with good efficacy and safety.

Efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells in animal models of lupus nephritis: a meta-analysis.

Background: Lupus nephritis is usually manifested by proteinuria, active urinary sediment, hypertension, and renal failure and is a serious complication with more than 50% occurrence in systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) present remarkable immunomodulatory ability, and these cells are potential therapeutic agents for autoimmune disorders. In clinical trials, the effectiveness of MSC in the treatment of lupus nephritis is still controversial.

Multitarget Therapy: An Effective and Safe Therapeutic Regimen for Lupus Nephritis.

Introduction: We evaluated the effectiveness and safety of various multitarget therapies for inducing remission in lupus nephritis patients.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) were identified and extracted from the Embase, PubMed, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and the Cochrane Library until Oct 31, 2018, investigations meeting inclusion criteria were extracted, and data were analyzed by meta-analysis. The total remission (TR; complete to partial remission), complete remission (CR), albumin, proteinuria levels, negative rate of anti-double-stranded DNA antibody (ds-DNA), negative rate of anti-nuclear antibody (ANA), and systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLE-DAI) were calculated using the software of RevMan 5.

Association of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) 1790G/A gene polymorphism with renal cell carcinoma and prostate cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis.

Background: This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) 1790G/A gene polymorphism and the susceptibility to renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods: Association investigations were identified and included from the Embase, Cochrane Library and PubMed databases on March 1, 2018, and eligible investigations were analyzed by meta-analysis. Odds ratios (OR) were used to express the dichotomous data, and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) were also calculated.

Efficacy and safety of cyclosporine A in the treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy in an Asian population.

Introduction: The efficacy of cyclosporine A (CsA) in the treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) is unclear. This meta-analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy and the safety of CsA in the treatment of IMN in Asians.

Methods: We searched the Pubmed, China Biomedical Database, CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, and EMBASE (November 30, 2018) systematically to identify the appropriate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the efficacy and the safety of CsA and glucocorticoid (GC) treatment vs other immunosuppressants and GC on patients with IMN in Asian populations.

Efficacy and safety of tacrolimus vs cyclophosphamide in the therapy of patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy: a meta-analysis.

Background: As one of the therapeutic drugs for idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN), tacrolimus (TAC) has not been fully vindicated for its efficacy and tolerability. A meta-analysis was performed to detect the efficacy and safety of TAC plus glucocorticoid vs cyclophosphamide (CTX) plus glucocorticoid in therapy of patients with IMN.

Methods: A literature search with a pre-defined search strategy was conducted using English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, ClinicalKey and the Cochrane Library) and Chinese databases (China National Knowledge International, Wanfang, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP)) from inception to Nov 19, 2018.

Relationship between TGF-β1 + 869 T/C and + 915 G/C gene polymorphism and risk of acute rejection in renal transplantation recipients.

Background: This meta-analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between the transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) + 869 T/C gene polymorphism, + 915 G/C gene polymorphism, and the susceptibility of acute rejection in the recipients with renal transplantation.

Methods: Relevant studies were searched and identified from the Cochrane Library and PubMed, and eligible investigations were recruited and data were calculated by meta-analysis.

Results: In this study, we found no relationship between either TGF-β1 + 869 T/C or TGF-β1 + 915 G/C gene polymorphism and acute rejection susceptibility in patients with renal transplantation.

Efficacy and safety of tacrolimus in induction therapy of patients with lupus nephritis.

Background: The purpose of this study was to detect the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus (TAC) in induction therapy of patients with lupus nephritis.

Methods: Associated studies were extracted from the PubMed and the Cochrane Library on July 10, 2018, and applicable investigations were pooled and analyzed by meta-analysis. Data on complete remission (CR), total remission (TR; complete plus partial remission), proteinuria levels, urine erythrocyte number, albumin, glomerular filtration rate, negative rate of ds-DNA, C levels, C levels, systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLE-DAI), etc, were extracted and pooled using RevMan 5.

Replication of results from a cervical cancer genome-wide association study in Taiwanese women.

Genetic epidemiological studies show that genetic factors contribute significantly to cervical cancer carcinogenesis. Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed novel genetic variants associated with cervical cancer susceptibility. We aim to replicate 4 GWAS-identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which were associated with invasive cervical cancer in Chinese women, in a Taiwanese population.

ITPR3 gene haplotype is associated with cervical squamous cell carcinoma risk in Taiwanese women.

Host immunogenetic background plays an important role in human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer development. Inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor type 3 (ITPR3) is essential for both immune activation and cancer pathogenesis. We aim to investigate if ITPR3 genetic polymorphisms are associated with the risk of cervical cancer in Taiwanese women.

Functional variant of the P2X7 receptor gene is associated with human papillomavirus-16 positive cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the fate of HPV infected cervical epithelial cells are strictly associated with cervical cancer development. P2X7 receptor has been implicated in both the regulation of immune responses and apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. The study aims to investigate if polymorphisms in the P2RX7 gene are associated with the risk of cervical cancer in Taiwanese women.

Association of Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte-Associated Protein 4 (CTLA4) Gene Polymorphisms with Autoimmune Thyroid Disease in Children and Adults: Case-Control Study.

Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), including Graves disease (GD) and Hashimoto disease (HD), is an organ-specific autoimmune disease with a strong genetic component. Although the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) polymorphism has been reported to be associated with AITD in adults, few studies have focused on children. The aim of our study was to investigate whether the CTLA4 polymorphisms, including -318C/T (rs5742909), +49A/G (rs231775), and CT60 (rs3087243), were associated with GD and HD in Han Chinese adults and children.

Genetic susceptibility to cervical squamous cell carcinoma is associated with HLA-DPB1 polymorphisms in Taiwanese women.

Cervical cancer is a multifactorial disease, and increasing evidence suggests that host immunogenetic background may contribute to its pathogenesis. Genetic variations in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes may alter the efficiency of immune response to human papillomavirus (HPV) antigens and have been implicated in the risk of cervical cancer. We investigated whether polymorphisms in the HLA-DPB1 gene were associated with cervical cancer risk in a Taiwanese population.

Human leucocyte antigen-G polymorphisms are associated with cervical squamous cell carcinoma risk in Taiwanese women.

Background: The mere presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) is not enough for cervical cancer development and immunogenetic background may play an important role. Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-G acts as a negative regulator of immune responses and its expression in tumour cells may enable them to avoid immune attack. We aim to study if polymorphisms in the HLA-G gene are associated with cervical cancer risk in Taiwanese women.

Genetic variants in interleukin-18 gene and risk for cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Cervical cancer is strongly associated with infection of oncogenic types of human papillomavirus (HPV). However, HPV infection alone is not sufficient for progression to cervical cancer. It is now recognized that host immunogenetic background participates in the control of HPV infection and development of cervical cancer.