Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented to control SARS-CoV-2 have significantly influenced the activity of respiratory pathogens. This study investigated epidemiological changes among hospitalized patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) before (2017-2019) and during (2020-2022) the COVID-19 pandemic in Hangzhou, China. We also examined viral load distribution across demographic and temporal variables.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenetic risk for schizophrenia is thought to trigger variation in clinical features of schizophrenia, but biological processes associated with neuronal activity in brain regions remain elusive. In this study, gene expression features were mapped to various sub-regions of the brain by integrating low-frequency amplitude features and gene expression data from the schizophrenia brain and using gene co-expression network analysis of the Allen Transcriptome Atlas of the human brain from six donors to identify genetic features of brain regions and important associations with neuronal features. The results indicate that changes in the dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) are mainly associated with transcriptome signature factors such as cortical layer synthesis, immune response, and expanded membrane transport.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The MC-80 (Mindray, Shenzhen, China), a newly available artificial intelligence (AI)-based digital morphology analyzer, is the focus of this study. We aim to compare the leukocyte differential performance of the Mindray MC-80 with that of the Sysmex DI-60 and the gold standard, manual microscopy.
Methods: A total of 100 abnormal peripheral blood (PB) smears were compared across the MC-80, DI-60, and manual microscopy.
Purpose: Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy (IgAN) is a common chronic glomerulonephritis and the main cause of end-stage renal diseases. Recent evidence suggests that mannan binding lectin associated serine proteases 2 (MASP2) is related to IgAN; therefore, we investigated the expression and significance of MASP2 in serum and urinary extracellular vesicles (UEVs) in patients with IgAN.
Methods: Thirty-eight patients with IgAN and 17 healthy controls were enrolled in this study.
Solasonine, a steroidal glycoalkaloid isolated from the herbal plant Solanum nigrum Linn., has shown active against multiple human cancers; however, there is little knowledge on the activity of solasonine against gastric cancer until now. This study aimed to examine the effect of solasonine on the biological behaviours of human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRenal injury in lupus nephritis (LN) does not manifest as one uniform entity. The clinical presentation, management, and prognosis of membranous LN (MLN) differ from that of the proliferative LN (PLN). Differentiating the molecular mechanisms involved in MLN and PLN and discovering the reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis and target therapy are important.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF, a food-borne Gram-positive pathogen, often causes diseases such as gastroenteritis, bacterial sepsis, and meningitis. Newly discovered extracellular electron transfer (EET) from plays critical roles in the generation of redox molecules as electron carriers in bacteria. A Mg-dependent protein flavin mononucleotide (FMN) transferase (FmnB; UniProt: LMRG_02181) in EET is responsible for the transfer of electrons from intracellular to extracellular by hydrolyzing cofactor flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and transferring FMN.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFC3 glomerulopathy (C3G) is a rare renal disease characterized by predominant glomerular C3 staining. Complement alternative pathway dysregulation due to inherited complement defects is associated with C3G. To identify novel C3G-related genes, we screened 86 genes in the complement, coagulation and endothelial systems in 35 C3G patients by targeted genomic enrichment and massively parallel sequencing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe UbiA superfamily of intramembrane prenyltransferases catalyzes an isoprenyl transfer reaction in the biosynthesis of lipophilic compounds involved in cellular physiological processes. Digeranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate (DGGGP) synthase (DGGGPase) generates unique membrane core lipids for the formation of the ether bond between the glycerol moiety and the alkyl chains in archaea and has been confirmed to be a member of the UbiA superfamily. Here, the crystal structure is reported to exhibit nine transmembrane helices along with a large lateral opening covered by a cytosolic cap domain and a unique substrate-binding central cavity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To investigate which plasma lipid parameters are useful for detecting chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a Chinese population without known CKD or renal impairment.
Methods: This was a prospective study. In southern Chinese cities from 2012 to 2013, a total of 1037 subjects aged ≥ 18 years old received a survey.
Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), and the most frequent cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in many countries. Urinary extracellular vesicles (UEVs) are considered a rich non-invasive source of markers for renal diseases. In this study, UEV enrichment and analysis in diabetic nephropathy (DN) was performed in a community epidemiological survey supported through the ISN CKHDP program.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiabetes Metab Syndr Obes
February 2020
Purpose: To investigate the correlation between visceral obesity and pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among non-diabetic individuals, and to evaluate the potential of visceral adiposity index (VAI) as a predictor of CKD.
Patients And Methods: From December 2017 to March 2018, 1877 non-diabetic participants (male n=699, female n=1208) in southern China were recruited for a cross-sectional survey. Males and females were divided into four groups according to gender-specific quartiles of VAI scores.
Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes
October 2019
Purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is a global public health problem, is a state of chronic low-grade inflammation. This study looked at the changes in hematological parameters and the predictive value of the lymphocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (LHR) as a new index in subjects with and without MetS in coastal cities in southern China.
Patients And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, there were 852 participants (n = 598 with MetS and n = 254 without MetS).
Background: Urinary extracellular vesicles (UEVs) carry rich markers of their parent cells, so they can serve as possible biomarkers of kidney diseases.
Methods: In this study, we isolated urinary extracellular vesicles from five individuals using a simple, clinically applicable method called hydrostatic filtration dialysis (HFD) and compared it to the gold-standard ultracentrifuga-tion (UC) with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We also employed a proteomic approach using pooled human urine samples from the same five individuals to profile the protein composition of UEVs to evaluate the effectiveness of these two methods.
Autoimmune diseases are characterized by pathogenic immune responses to self-antigens. In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), many self-antigens are found in apoptotic cells (ACs), and defects in removal of ACs from the body are linked to a risk for developing SLE. This includes pathological memory that gives rise to disease flares.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZhonghua Yi Xue Yi Chuan Xue Za Zhi
December 2014
Objective: To employ single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) microarray to detect copy number variations (CNVs) for the diagnosis of disease and molecular classification.
Methods: For a patient with split-hand/split-foot malformation, genome-wide copy number variants SNP microarray was applied. Tiny copy number variations were verified by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR.
Background: Terminal deletion of 6q27 produces a rare syndrome associated with unexplained mental retardation, hypotonia, epilepsy, and multiple malformations. Structural brain malformations are consistently observed, including agenesis of the corpus callosum, hydrocephalus, periventricular nodular heterotopia, polymicrogyria, and cerebellar malformations. Here we report a fetal risk assessment of a 27-year-old woman with mental retardation, hypotonia and dysmorphic features at 17 weeks of pregnancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZhonghua Yi Xue Yi Chuan Xue Za Zhi
October 2014
Objective: To analyze deaf-related genes in patients with nonsyndromic hearing loss (NSHL) and set up a prenatal diagnosis system for such patients.
Methods: Nine NSHL families were collected. Potential mutations of GJB2 (35delG, 176del16, 235delC, 299delAT), SLC26A4 (2168A> G, IVS7-2A> G), GJB3 (538C> T) and mtDNA (1494C> T, 12S rRNA 1555A> G) were detected by direct sequencing.
Background/purpose: This study investigated the correlation between antibiotic consumption and the incidence of health care-associated infections (HCAIs) caused by imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (IRAB) at a hospital in Taiwan from 2005 to 2010.
Methods: Data on annual consumption (defined daily dose per 1000 patient-days) of extended-spectrum cephalosporins, β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones from 2005 to 2010 were analyzed. Yearly aggregated data on the number of nonduplicate clinical IRAB isolates causing HCAI were collected.
Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome Type I (APS I) results in multiple endocrine organ destruction and is caused by mutations in the Autoimmune regulator gene (AIRE). In the thymic stroma, cells expressing the AIRE gene dictate T cell education and central tolerance. Although this function is the most studied, AIRE is also expressed in the periphery in DCs and stromal cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) trigger pronounced inflammation and fibrosis in the lungs of mice following administration via pharyngeal aspiration or inhalation. Human exposure to SWCNT in an occupational setting may occur in conjunction with infections and this could yield enhanced or suppressed responses to the offending agent. Here, we studied whether the sequential exposure to SWCNT via pharyngeal aspiration and infection of mice with the ubiquitous intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii would impact on the immune response of the host against the parasite.
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