T cell differentiation protein 2 facilitates cell proliferation by enhancing mTOR-mediated ribosome biogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Dysregulation of T cell differentiation protein 2 (MAL2) has been observed in multiple cancers, but its exact role in lung cancer is poorly understood. Here we report a role of MAL2 in accelerating cell proliferation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MAL2 expression enhances cell proliferation in both cell and nude mouse models.

Reproductive tract microbiota of women in childbearing age shifts upon gynecological infections and menstrual cycle.

Background: This study was undertaken to discover whether the vaginal microbe of women at childbearing age is different among groups defined by urogenital tract infections, childbearing history and menstrual cycle, respectively.

Results: This was a multiple case-control study of women at childbearing age who were assigned to case or control groups according to their states of urogenital tract infections. The participants were also grouped by childbearing history and menstrual cycle.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate prevents inflammation and diabetes -Induced glucose tolerance through inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the primary polyphenol component of green tea, has been shown to inhibit both oxidation and inflammation. However, the exact mechanism through which EGCG exhibits anti-inflammatory effects remains unclear. In this study, we assessed the potential pathways by which EGCG regulates NLRP3 inflammasome activity in vitro.

CD109 regulates the inflammatory response and is required for the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of CD109 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) and to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target.

Methods: CD109 expression was examined in synovial tissues and FLSs from RA patients and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model mice. CD109-deficient mice were developed to evaluate the severity of CIA.

Emerging role of HOX genes and their related long noncoding RNAs in lung cancer.

The transcription factor homeobox (Hox) proteins are the master regulator for the embryonic development. Studies have identified new functions for HOX in the regulation of metabolism and other primary cellular processes in humans. Their dysregulation has been observed in a variety of cancers and accumulating evidence has revealed the crucial role of HOX in cancer progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy.

Long non-coding RNA HOXD-AS1 in cancer.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide with a high risk of incidence and mortality. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to participate in various biological processes, including tumorigenesis and progression. The HOXD-AS1 (also known as HAGLR and Mdgt) gene is located between the HOXD1 and HOXD3 genes in the HOXD cluster and has been reported to play a critical role in the development and progression of cancers.

Deubiquitinase USP48 promotes ATRA-induced granulocytic differentiation of acute promyelocytic leukemia cells.

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been used for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, its molecular mechanisms of action are unclear. Ubiquitin-specific protease 48 (USP48) is a deubiquitinase enzyme that can post-translationally remove ubiquitin molecules from substrates.

Prognostic role of microRNA-155 in patients with leukemia: A meta-analysis.

Background: Recent studies have shown that microRNA-155 (miR-155) is correlated with clinical outcomes of leukemia. This meta-analysis explores to evaluate the prognostic value of miR-155 for survival in patients with leukemia.

Methods: Eligible studies were searched from PubMed and EMBASE databases.

Empty-nest-related psychological distress is associated with progression of brain white matter lesions and cognitive impairment in the elderly.

This study evaluated the association between empty-nest-related psychological distress and the progression of white matter lesions (WMLs) and cognitive impairment in 219 elderly subjects aged 60 years or over. Psychological distress was assessed using the University of California at Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) Short-Form. Cognitive function was evaluated using the MMSE and MoCA.

An increased duplication of ZRS region that caused more than one supernumerary digits preaxial polydactyly in a large Chinese family.

Preaxial polydactyly (PPD) is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion and characterized by the presence of one or more supernumerary digits on the thumb side. It had been identified that point mutation or genomic duplications of the long-range limb-specific cis-regulator - zone of polarizing activity regulatory sequence (ZRS) cause PPD or other limb deformities such as syndactyly type IV (SD4) and Triphalangeal thumb-polysyndactyly syndrome (TPTPS). Most previously reported cases involved with no more than one extra finger; however, the role of the point mutation or genomic duplications of ZRS in the case of more than one redundant finger polydactyly remains unclear.

Identification of vaginal bacteria diversity and it's association with clinically diagnosed bacterial vaginosis by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and correspondence analysis.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common complex associated with numerous adverse health outcomes, affecting women of different ages throughout the world. The etiology of BV remains poorly understood due to the difficulty of establishing a molecular genetic criterion to recognize the vaginal microbiota of BV-positive women from that of the normal women. We used techniques of broad-range PCR-DGGE and gel imaging analysis system cooperated with 16S rRNA gene sequencing and statistical analysis to investigate the community structure of the healthy and BV-affected vaginal microbial ecosystems.

Excessive visit-to-visit glycemic variability independently deteriorates the progression of endothelial and renal dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Glycemic variability (GV) creates challenges to glycemic control and may be an independent marker for unfavorable outcome in management of patients with diabetes. This study was designed to investigate the effect of excessive visit-to-visit GV on the progression of endothelial and renal dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: Two hundred and thirty nine patients with T2DM, who were recruited from outpatient, completed 48-month follow-up visit.

Low carotid artery wall shear stress is independently associated with brain white-matter hyperintensities and cognitive impairment in older patients.

Background & Aims: Brain white-matter lesions and cognitive impairment are increasing because of the increasing number of patients aged ≥80 y. Wall shear stress (WSS) plays a pivotal role as a fluid mechanical mediator in vascular reactivity and atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the associations among common carotid artery (CCA) WSS, white-matter lesions, and cognitive impairment in patients aged ≥80 y

Methods: We enrolled 384 patients aged ≥80 y.

Excessive variability in systolic blood pressure that is self-measured at home exacerbates the progression of brain white matter lesions and cognitive impairment in the oldest old.

To investigate the effects of variability in self-measured systolic blood pressure at home on the progression of cognitive impairment and white matter lesions in the oldest old. Between April 2009 and October 2009, 248 oldest old aged 80 years or older were eligibly enrolled from geriatric practices and community-dwelling areas of Shandong, China. Self-measured blood pressure at home (HBP) was measured for 7 consecutive days at the baseline, and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score and brain white matter hyperintensities (WMH) were assessed at the baseline and during the final follow-up visit.

Reducing Visit-To-Visit Variability in Systolic Blood Pressure for Improving the Progression of Carotid Atherosclerosis and Endothelial Dysfunction in Patients with Hypertension Management.

Background: Visit-to-visit variability (VVV) in blood pressure (BP) creates challenges to hypertension control and was independent associated with increased all-cause mortality in hypertensive patients. The major goal of the present study was to investigate the association of VVV in systolic (S)BP with progression of carotid atherosclerosis and en-dothelial dysfunction in on-treated hypertensive patients.

Methods: Overall, 356 hypertensive patients were enrolled and completed the trial.

Effect of Selenium-Enriched Garlic Oil against Cytotoxicity Induced by OX-LDL in Endothelial Cells.

Objective. To detect the effect of selenium-enriched garlic oil (Se-garlic oil) against cytotoxicity induced by ox-LDL in endothelial cells. Methods.

Reversion of P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance by diallyl trisulfide in a human osteosarcoma cell line.

Diallyl trisulfide (DATS), the main sulfuric compound in garlic, has been shown to have antitumor effects. The present study aimed to ascertain whether DATS reverses the drug resistance of human osteosarcoma cells in vitro and to investigate its potential mechanisms. Human osteosarcoma U2-OS cells were treated with different concentrations of DATS.

Visit-to-visit variability in systolic blood pressure: correlated with the changes of arterial stiffness and myocardial perfusion in on-treated hypertensive patients.

Background: Visit-to-visit variability in blood pressure (BP) was demonstrated to correlate with cardiovascular events independent of mean BP. The goal of the present study was to investigate the correlation of visit-to-visit BP variability with artery stiffness and myocardial perfusion in on-treated hypertensive patients.

Methods: BP was measured in 271 hypertensive patients at every visit over the course of the antihypertensive treatment, and the standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), maximum, and minimum in serial BP were calculated.

Treatment with telmisartan/rosuvastatin combination has a beneficial synergistic effect on ameliorating Th17/Treg functional imbalance in hypertensive patients with carotid atherosclerosis.

Objectives: To explore synergistic effect between angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and statins on Th17/Treg functional imbalance in hypertensive patients with carotid atherosclerosis.

Methods: This study was a 2 × 2 factorial randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. One hundred and fifty nine hypertensive patients with carotid atherosclerosis were randomized to the administration of control group, telmisartan group, rosuvastatin group, and combination group (telmisartan plus rosuvastatin) base on hydrochlorothiazide treatment.

Day-by-day variability in self-measured blood pressure at home: effects on carotid artery atherosclerosis, brachial flow-mediated dilation, and endothelin-1 in normotensive and mild-moderate hypertensive individuals.

Objective: To investigate variability in self-measured home blood pressure (HBP) and its effects on carotid artery atherosclerosis and endothelial function in normotensive and mild-moderate hypertensive individuals.

Materials And Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. HBP monitoring over 7 consecutive days, carotid artery ultrasound, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were performed in 314 normotensive, prehypertensive, and mild-moderate hypertensive volunteers.

Salt loading and potassium supplementation: effects on ambulatory arterial stiffness index and endothelin-1 levels in normotensive and mild hypertensive patients.

The authors investigated effects of excessive salt intake and potassium supplementation on ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in salt-sensitive and non-salt-sensitive individuals. AASI and symmetric AASI (s-AASI) were used as indicators of arterial stiffness. Plasma ET-1 levels were used as an index of endothelial function.

Trends in hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates in Shandong Province of China.

The authors retrospectively examined data from 3 surveys on hypertension according to the 2010 Chinese Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension. These surveys were conducted in 1991, 1999, and 2007, and included 85,371 individuals 18 years and older who were living in Shandong Province, China. Age-standardized prevalent hypertension increased from 15.

Reversion of p-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance in human leukemic cell line by diallyl trisulfide.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the major obstacle in chemotherapy, which involves multiple signaling pathways. Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) is the main sulfuric compound in garlic. In the present study, we aimed to explore whether DATS could overcome P-glycoprotein-(P-gp-)mediated MDR in K562/A02 cells, and to investigate whether NF-κB suppression is involved in DATS-induced reversal of MDR.