Risk Factors for Severe Allergic Rhinitis and the Association with Serum sIgE Levels: A Study in Guangzhou, China.

Background: The control of risk factors is crucial for the management of allergic rhinitis (AR), and it contributes to reduce both direct medical costs and indirect economic burdens. The research on risk factors for severe AR and the association between serum allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) and the severity of AR is currently limited and inconsistent.

Methods: The study utilized data from a cross-sectional epidemiological survey conducted in Guangzhou, China, from April 2023 to March 2024, involved 638 AR patients.

The Way to Malignant Transformation: Can Epigenetic Alterations Be Used to Diagnose Early-Stage Head and Neck Cancer?

Identifying and treating tumors early is the key to secondary prevention in cancer control. At present, prevention of oral cancer is still challenging because the molecular drivers responsible for malignant transformation of the 11 clinically defined oral potentially malignant disorders are still unknown. In this review, we focused on studies that elucidate the epigenetic alterations demarcating malignant and nonmalignant epigenomes and prioritized findings from clinical samples.

Functionality of Pea-Grass Carp Co-Precipitated Dual-Protein as Affected by Extraction pH.

Isoelectric solubilisation/co-precipitation (ISP) has been proven to be a better method than blending for preparing plant-animal dual-proteins, which can achieve synergies in the functional properties of heterologous proteins. This paper aims to investigate the effect of extraction pH on the functional properties of co-precipitated dual-protein. The basic composition, subunit composition, solubility, surface hydrophobicity, emulsification and gel properties of co-precipitated dual-protein (Co) prepared from pea and grass carp with pH (2.

Diversity, metabolism and cultivation of archaea in mangrove ecosystems.

Mangroves comprise a globally significant intertidal ecosystem that contains a high diversity of microorganisms, including fungi, bacteria and archaea. Archaea is a major domain of life that plays important roles in biogeochemical cycles in these ecosystems. In this review, the potential roles of archaea in mangroves are briefly highlighted.

Toll‑like receptor 4 activates the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and periodontal inflammaging by inhibiting Bmi‑1 expression.

Overproduction of pro‑inflammatory cytokines in the aged, which is called inflammaging, leads to the deterioration of periodontitis. Toll‑like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays a role in the regulation of cellular senescence, and its expression increases with age. However, there has been limited research into the molecular mechanisms underlying the onset of periodontal inflammaging, and the interplay between TLR4 and inflammaging.

Index of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Is Superior to the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Score in Prognosis Prediction.

In many solid tumors, tissue of the mesenchymal subtype is frequently associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), strong stromal infiltration, and poor prognosis. Emerging evidence from tumor ecosystem studies has revealed that the two main components of tumor stroma, namely, infiltrated immune cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), also express certain typical EMT genes and are not distinguishable from intrinsic tumor EMT, where bulk tissue is concerned. Transcriptomic analysis of xenograft tissues provides a unique advantage in dissecting genes of tumor (human) or stroma (murine) origins.

Spatial and seasonal variation of methanogenic community in a river-bay system in South China.

River-bay system is a transitional zone connecting land and ocean and an important natural source for methane emission. Methanogens play important roles in the global greenhouse gas budget and carbon cycle since they produce methane. The abundance and community assemblage of methanogens in such a dynamic system are not well understood.

Discoidin Domain Receptor-1 (DDR1) is Involved in Angiolymphatic Invasion in Oral Cancer.

The discoidin domain receptor-1 (DDR1) is a non-integrin collagen receptor recently implicated in the collective cell migration of other cancer types. Previously, we identified an elevated expression of DDR1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. Through the data mining of a microarray dataset composed of matched tumor-normal tissues from forty OSCC patients, we distilled overexpressed genes statistically associated with angiolymphatic invasion, including DDR1, COL4A5, COL4A6 and PDPN.

Epstein-Barr Virus Rta-Mediated Accumulation of DNA Methylation Interferes with CTCF Binding in both Host and Viral Genomes.

Rta, an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) immediate-early protein, reactivates viral lytic replication that is closely associated with tumorigenesis. In previous studies, we demonstrated that in epithelial cells Rta efficiently induced cellular senescence, which is an irreversible G arrest likely to provide a favorable environment for productive replications of EBV and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). To restrict progression of the cell cycle, Rta simultaneously upregulates CDK inhibitors and downregulates MYC, CCND1, and JUN, among others.

Dynamic lipid profile of hyperlipidemia mice.

Biomarkers of serum fatty acids in hyperlipidemia need to be elucidated. 90 SPF KM male mice were randomly divided into 18 groups (n=5/group), control groups, and high fat diet (HFD) groups at 9 time points. On day 7, 10, 15, 18, 21, 24, 28, 31, and 35, the mice were sacrificed; blood was collected into tubes from the eyes, serum samples for clinical biochemistry assays and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy were attained after centrifugation, and the contents of serum fatty acids were detected with GC-MS.

Intervention of pumpkin seed oil on metabolic disease revealed by metabonomics and transcript profile.

Background: Understanding the metabolic and transcription basis of pumpkin seed oil (PSO) intervention on metabolic disease (MD) is essential to daily nutrition and health.

Results: This study analyzed the liver metabolic variations of Wistar rats fed normal diet (CON), high-fat diet (HFD) and high-fat plus PSO diet (PSO) to establish the relationship between the liver metabolite composition/transcript profile and the effects of PSO on MD. By using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy together with multivariate data analysis, it was found that, compared with CON rats, HFD rats showed clear dysfunctions of choline metabolism, glucose metabolism and nucleotide and amino acid metabolism.

Increased detection of coronary atherosclerosis on 320-slice computed tomographic angiography with burden of cardiovascular risk factors and complications in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aims: The cardiovascular risk factors and diabetic complications are related to coronary atherosclerosis. However, the evaluation of the prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis based on their accumulation remains to be determined.

Methods: 247 consecutive Chinese subjects with type 2 diabetes but without history of coronary heart disease (CHD) underwent 320-slice computed tomographic coronary angiography, including no coronary atherosclerosis, non-obstructive atherosclerosis (<50% stenosis) and obstructive atherosclerosis (≥50% stenosis).

Identification and characterization of antioxidant peptides from enzymatic hydrolysates of duck meat.

The objective of this study was to prepare antioxidant peptides from duck meat hydrolysate (DMH) using Protamex. The DPPH(•) scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical ((•)OH) scavenging activity, and Fe(2+)-chelating ability of DMH were investigated. DMH was separated into three groups, MWCO-1 (69.

[Expression of peripheral blood gammadelta T cells, treg cells and cytokines IL-17 and TGF-beta1 in patients with allergic rhinitis].

Objective: To investigate the expression of peripheral blood gammadelta T cells/CD4 CD25+ regulatory T cells(Treg) and cytokines interleukin 17 (IL-17) and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Methods: From March 2012 to July 2012, 32 patients with allergic rhinitis (AR group) and 20 healthy control subjects (control group) were collected. The expression of peripheral blood gammadelta T cells/Treg cells were measured by flow cytometry and the levels of IL-17 and TGF-beta1 were evaluated by ELISA.

[Geographic distribution and gene sequencing of Paragonimus westermani in some areas of Guangdong Province].

Objective: To investigate the current distribution of Paragonimus westermani in Guangdong Province.

Method: Snails and crabs collected from mountain streams in regional survey sites were dissected to detect cercarial and metacercarial infections of P. westermani.

Ser-634 and Ser-636 of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus RTA are Involved in Transactivation and are Potential Cdk9 Phosphorylation Sites.

The replication and transcription activator (RTA) of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), K-RTA, is a lytic switch protein that moderates the reactivation process of KSHV latency. By mass spectrometric analysis of affinity purified K-RTA, we showed that Thr-513 or Thr-514 was the primary in vivo phosphorylation site. Thr-513 and Thr-514 are proximal to the nuclear localization signal ((527)KKRK(530)) and were previously hypothesized to be target sites of Ser/Thr kinase hKFC.

[Distribution and clonality of T cell receptor Vγ and Vδ subfamily in peripheral blood of patients with allergic rhinitis before and after immunotherapy].

Objective: To investigate the distribution and clonality of T cell receptor (TCR) Vγ and Vδ subfamily in peripheral blood of patients with allergic rhinitis before and after 1 year treatment with immunotherapy.

Methods: The specific IgE and the complementary determinant region 3 (CDR3) of TCR V γ (I-III) and Vδ(1-8) subfamily genes in mononuclear cells were amplified from 10 effective cases of allergic rhinitis before and after 1 year treatment with immunotherapy, to observe the distribution and utilization of TCR Vγ and Vδ repertoire. The positive PCR products were further labeled with RT-PCR and analyzed by gene scan technique to determine the CDR3 size and evaluate the clonality of the detectable TCR Vγ and Vδ T cells.

Suppressive regulation of KSHV RTA with O-GlcNAcylation.

Background: The replication and transcription activator (RTA) of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a molecular switch that initiates a productive replication of latent KSHV genomes. KSHV RTA (K-RTA) is composed of 691 amino acids with high Ser and Thr content (17.7%), but to what extent these Ser and Thr are modified in vivo has not been explored.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) Rta-mediated EBV and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus lytic reactivations in 293 cells.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) Rta belongs to a lytic switch gene family that is evolutionarily conserved in all gamma-herpesviruses. Emerging evidence indicates that cell cycle arrest is a common means by which herpesviral immediate-early protein hijacks the host cell to advance the virus's lytic cycle progression. To examine the role of Rta in cell cycle regulation, we recently established a doxycycline (Dox)-inducible Rta system in 293 cells.

[Clinical research on the quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis].

Objective: To explore the quality of life (QOL) outcome in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR).

Methods: A prospective trial was conducted to survey the QOL status of 101 AR patients, in contrast to that of 121 healthy individuals and 97 chronic pharyngitis (CP) patients by generic questionnaire medical outcomes study short-form 36-items health survey (SF-36), and to survey the most troublesome problems of AR patients by disease-specific questionnaire rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ). The correlation between SF-36 and RQLQ had also been analyzed.

Epstein-Barr virus DNase (BGLF5) induces genomic instability in human epithelial cells.

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DNase (BGLF5) is an alkaline nuclease and has been suggested to be important in the viral life cycle. However, its effect on host cells remains unknown. Serological and histopathological studies implied that EBV DNase seems to be correlated with carcinogenesis.

Characterization of Escherichia coli nitroreductase NfsB in the metabolism of nitrobenzodiazepines.

Nitrobenzodiazepine (NBDZ) is a sedative-hypnotic drug used in the treatment of anxiety and sleep problems. Overdose of NBDZ may cause severe neurological effects, especially for people in drug abuse or addiction. In the present study, we investigated NBDZ nitroreduction in rat enteric contents and characterized the role of enterobacterial nitroreductase in the reductive pathway.