Secreted modular calcium-binding protein 2 promotes high fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic steatosis through enhancing lipid deposition, fibrosis and inflammation via targeting TGF-β1.

The molecular mechanism revealing the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), one of the most common liver diseases, remains to be investigated. In the study, we found that secreted modular calcium-binding protein 2 (SMOC2), which belongs to the secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) family of matricellular proteins, functioned as a positive modulator of NAFLD. SMOC2 expression was markedly up-regulated in human liver samples with NAFLD, and in hepatic tissues of mice fed with HFD.

Roles of IL-4 genetic polymorphisms and haplotypes in the risk of gastric cancer and their interaction with environmental factors.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer and imposes a global cancer burden. IL-4 is a typical cytokine of Th2 cells. IL-4 genetic polymorphisms have multiple functions in many cancers.