Genetically predicted lipid traits mediate the association between folic acid and atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is one of the most common causes of death from cardiovascular disease, and low folic acid (FA) levels have been reported to be strongly associated with an increased risk of AS. We aimed to obtain causal estimates of the association between FA and AS and to quantify the mediating role of known modifiable risk factors. Based on the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) from the IEU Open GWAS Project for all human studies, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study of genetically predicted FA and AS.

Association between blood urea nitrogen levels and the risk of diabetes mellitus in Chinese adults: secondary analysis based on a multicenter, retrospective cohort study.

Background: As one of the recognized indicators of kidney function, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is a key marker of metabolic diseases and other diseases. Currently, data on the relationship of BUN levels with the risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Chinese adults are sparse. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between BUN levels and DM risk in Chinese adults.

Heterogeneity and Clinical Effect of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Primary Lung and Brain Metastases of Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer.

Introduction: This study aimed to analyze the heterogeneity in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation and its impact on clinical outcomes in primary tumor and corresponding brain metastasis (BM) in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: Primary pulmonary tumors and paired BMs of 27 NSCLC patients were surgically removed. All brain lesions were histologically confirmed as metastatic NSCLC.

Association Between Blood Urea Nitrogen Levels and Length of Stay in Patients with Pneumonic Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbation: A Secondary Analysis Based on a Multicentre, Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: High blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is associated with an elevated risk of mortality in various diseases, such as heart failure and pneumonia. Heart failure and pneumonia are common comorbidities of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation. However, data on the relationship of BUN levels with length of stay (LOS) in patients with pneumonic COPD exacerbation are sparse.

Testosterone protects cardiomyocytes against hydrogen peroxide-induced aging by upregulating IGF1 and SIRT1 pathways.

Objective: To investigate the role of IGF1 and SIRT1 pathways in protection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced aging in H9c2 rat cardiomyocyte cells by testosterone.

Methods: The cells were treated with testosterone or up- or down-regulated for the IGF1 and SIRT1 genes and assessed for apoptosis, aging and expression of relevant genes.

Results: Aging was induced and the expression of SIRT1 and IGF1 was down-regulated after H2O2 treatment in H9c2 cells.

Clinical significance of plasma free DNA in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Objectives: Plasma free DNA is a promising new tumor biomarker, which may have applications in clinical diagnosis and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Plasma free DNA was collected from 120 healthy controls and 116 patients with NSCLC before and after treatment.

Results: The mean plasma free DNA levels in 116 NSCLC patients (200.

The Clinical Significance of PD-L1/PD-1 Expression in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasia.

Purpose: This study examined the tumor expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)/programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) in patients with GEP-NEN. This study aims to reveal the relationship of their expression with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis.

Methods: PD1 and PD-L1 expression in tumors from 120 GEP-MEN patients was evaluated using immunohistochemistry.

Efficacy of tenofovir in preventing perinatal transmission of HBV infection in pregnant women with high viral loads.

Mother-to-child transmission is the major cause of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This double-blind trial tested the effect of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in preventing vertical transmission. Pregnant women who were HBsAg/HBeAg-positive with a HBV DNA titer ≥ 2×10 IU/mL were randomly assigned to the control (n = 60) and TDF-treated (n = 60) groups.

Combined detection of the expression of Nm23-H1 and p53 is correlated with survival rates of patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer.

Molecular tumor markers hold considerable promise for accurately predicting the recurrence and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients. However, in the majority of cases, single marker analysis has been found to have low accuracy, and is of little practical use in clinical practice. The present study investigated the prognostic value of the combined detection of the protein expression of metastasis suppressor 23-H1 (Nm23-H1) and p53 using immunohistochemical analysis, and the mRNA expression levels were analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 110 cases of stage II and III CRC.

Biological activity of DC-CIK cells and its effect against leukemia cells in vitro.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of dendritic cells (DC) on the proliferation capability, immunophenotype changes, level of secreted cytokines and activity against leukemia of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells in vitro. DCs and CIK cells were induced from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy volunteers. They were co-cultured meanwhile CIK cells were cultured alone as controls.