Plasma-derived exosomal long noncoding RNAs of pancreatic cancer patients as novel blood-based biomarkers of disease.

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PaCa) is one of the most intractable and fatal malignancies and is associated with the dysregulation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are a large class of noncoding RNAs larger than 200 nt that act as competing endogenous RNAs or sponges for miRNAs to induce tumour biological behaviours. However, their clinical value in treating pancreatic cancer has been poorly explained, but they are essential for improving the prognosis of PaCa patients.

Methods: We analysed the plasma-derived exosomal lncRNA profiles of PaCa patients by using whole-transcriptome sequencing analysis and identified significantly differentially expressed lncRNAs, including LINC01268, LINC02802, AC124854.

Clinical outcomes of endoscopic resection for the treatment of intermediate- or high-risk gastric small gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a multicenter retrospective study.

Background And Aims: Many studies of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (g-GISTs) following endoscopic resection (ER) have typically focused on tumor size, with most tumors at low risk of aggressiveness after risk stratification. There have been few systematic studies on the oncologic outcomes of intermediate- or high-risk g-GISTs after ER.

Methods: From January 2014 to January 2020, we retrospectively collected patients considered at intermediate- or high-risk of g-GISTs according to the modified NIH consensus classification system.

Variants in FOXC1 and FOXC2 identified in patients with conotruncal heart defects.

Conotruncal heart defects (CTD), subtypes of congenital heart disease, result from abnormal cardiac outflow tract development (OFT). FOXC1 and FOXC2 are closely related members of the forkhead transcription factor family and play essential roles in the development of OFT. We confirmed their expression pattern in mouse and human embryos, identifying four variants in FOXC1 and three in FOXC2 by screening these two genes in 605 patients with sporadic CTD.

TIMP1 protects against blood-brain barrier disruption after subarachnoid haemorrhage by inhibiting ubiquitination of astrocytic β1-integrin.

Background: Astrocytes regulate blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, whereas subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) results in astrocyte dysregulation and BBB disruption. Here, we explored the involvement of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloprotease-1 (TIMP1) in astrocyte-mediated BBB protection during SAH, along with its underlying mechanisms.

Methods: C57BL/6J mice were used to establish a model of SAH.

Comparison of immune-related gene signatures and immune infiltration features in early- and late-onset preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia, a severe pregnancy syndrome, is widely accepted divided into early- and late-onset preeclampsia (EOPE and LOPE) based on the onset time of preeclampsia, with distinct pathophysiological origins. However, the molecular mechanism especially immune-related mechanisms for EOPE and LOPE is currently obscure. In the present study, we focused on placental immune alterations between EOPE and LOPE and search for immune-related biomarkers that could potentially serve as potential therapeutic targets through bioinformatic analysis.

Construction of a fatty acid metabolism-related gene signature for predicting prognosis and immune response in breast cancer.

Breast cancer has the highest incidence among malignant tumors in women, and its prevalence ranks first in global cancer morbidity. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of a prognostic model for patients with breast cancer based on the differential expression of genes related to fatty acid metabolism. The mRNA expression matrix of breast cancer and paracancer tissues was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database.

Hepatic steatosis and metabolic risk factors among patients with chronic hepatitis B: The multicentre, prospective CAP-Asia study.

We aimed to compare the severity of liver disease, metabolic profile and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with and without hepatic steatosis and patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Patients with NAFLD and CHB were prospectively enrolled from 10 Asian centres. Fibroscan was performed for all patients and hepatic steatosis was defined based on controlled attenuation parameter >248 dB/m.

NamiRNA-enhancer network of miR-492 activates the NR2C1-TGF-β/Smad3 pathway to promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer (PaCa) is one of the most fatal malignancies of the digestive system, and most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages due to the lack of specific and effective tumor-related biomarkers for the early detection of PaCa. miR-492 has been found to be upregulated in PaCa tumor tissue and may serve as a potential therapeutic target. However, the molecular mechanisms by which miR-492 promotes PaCa tumor growth and progression are unclear.

Identification of ferroptosis-related genes in syncytiotrophoblast-derived extracellular vesicles of preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE), defined as new-onset hypertension and multi-organ systemic complication during pregnancy, is the leading cause of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. With extracellular vesicles research progresses, current data refers to the possibility that ferroptosis may play a role in exosomal effects. Evidence has suggested that ferroptosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia by bioinformatics analyses.

LncRNAs as epigenetic regulators of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality because of tumor metastasis. Activation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway has been confirmed to be an important driver of pancreatic cancer progression from initiation to metastasis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to exert essential physiological functions in pancreatic cancer progression by regulating the EMT program.

Identification of Two Novel Variants in the Gene that Cause Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy.

Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR, OMIM 133780) is a severe inherited eye disease characterized by abnormal development of the retinal vasculature. Variants in the reported genes account for ∼50% of total FEVR cases. However, the pathogenesis of the other 50% of FEVR cases remains unclear.

Multi-Center Analysis of Predictive Factors of Enteral Autonomy and Risk Factors of Complications of Pediatric Intestinal Failure in China.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify predictors for enteral autonomy and intestinal failure (IF)-related complications and evaluate the outcomes of a multi-center pediatric cohort in China.

Methods: The medical records of pediatric patients with IF treated at four medical centers in China from January 1, 2012 to November 31, 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Enteral autonomy was defined as sustained growth and cessation of parenteral nutrition for >90 days.

Heterozygote loss-of-function variants in the LRP5 gene cause familial exudative vitreoretinopathy.

Background: Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is an inherited ocular disease with clinical manifestations of aberrant retinal vasculature. We aimed to identify novel causative variants responsible for FEVR and provided evidence for the genetic counselling of FEVR.

Methods: We applied whole-exome sequencing (WES) on the genomic DNA samples from the probands and performed Sanger sequencing for variant validation.

Placebo modulation in orthodontic pain: a single-blind functional magnetic resonance study.

Objectives: The mechanism of orthodontic pain modulation with a placebo remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the placebo modulation of brain activity associated with orthodontic pain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Methods: This longitudinal fMRI experiment recruited 23 volunteers and a self-contrast method was used.

A New Application of Gelatin Sponge in the Treatment of Hemifacial Spasm by Microvascular Decompression: A Technical Note.

Objectives:  Microvascular decompression (MVD) for facial nerve remains the highly efficient hemifacial spasm (HFS) treatment. Nonetheless, a variety of cases have poor response to MVD. Using Teflon plus gelatin sponge in MVD seems to be a good solution.

Protocol for a gallbladder cancer registry study in China: the Chinese Research Group of Gallbladder Cancer (CRGGC) study.

Introduction: Gallbladder cancer (GBC), the sixth most common gastrointestinal tract cancer, poses a significant disease burden in China. However, no national representative data are available on the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of GBC in the Chinese population.

Methods And Analysis: The Chinese Research Group of Gallbladder Cancer (CRGGC) study is a multicentre retrospective registry cohort study.

Genetic associations of T cell cancer immune response-related genes with T cell phenotypes and clinical outcomes of early-stage lung cancer.

Background: Recent advances in T cell-related immunotherapy have brought remarkable progress in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, whether and how genetic variations of T cell cancer immune response genes can influence clinical outcomes of NSCLC patients remain obscure.

Methods: In this multiphase study, we assessed 2450 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 280 T cell cancer immune response-related genes in 941 early-stage NSCLC patients (discovery n=536; validation n=405) to analyze the variants' associations with outcomes and to observe the effects on T cell phenotypes.

Clinical and genetical features of probands and affected family members with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy in a large Chinese cohort.

Aims: To explore the clinical and genetical features of families with strictly confirmed familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) in a large Chinese cohort.

Methods: A retrospective chart review study was conducted on the FEVR families diagnosed by both angiography and targeted next-generation sequencing in six FEVR known genes (, , , , ) in the probands and at least one first-degree family member. Variation in expressivity and severity was evaluated in different gene groups.

Downstaging of lymph node metastasis after neoadjuvant intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy in gastric carcinoma with peritoneal metastasis.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical features and prognosis of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) after neoadjuvant intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy.

Methods: A total of 69 gastric cancer patients with PM and LNM who received neoadjuvant intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy (NIPS) of intraperitoneal docetaxel (DXT) and cisplatin (CDDP); intravenous chemotherapy of DXT and CDDP and oral S-1in Kishiwada Tokushukai Hospital between January 2008 and February 2017. After surgical resection, the response of LNMs was studied to confirm the effect of NIPS on LNMs.

CITED2 Mutations in Conserved Regions Contribute to Conotruncal Heart Defects in Chinese Children.

Conotruncal heart defects (CTDs) are severe malformations of outflow tract with heterogeneous morphology. Several missense variants of CITED2 have been identified to cause CTDs in recent researches. In this study, we screened the coding regions of CITED2 in 605 Chinese children with CTDs and found two possible pathogenic mutant sites: p.

Investigating the relationship between precocious puberty and obesity: a cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China.

Objectives: Obesity is reported to be closely relevant to early sexual development but the relationship between sexual precocity and obesity or central obesity is still inconsistent, especially in boys. We aimed to investigate the relationship between precocious puberty and obesity as well as central obesity.

Design: A large population-based cross-sectional study using multistage, stratified cluster random sampling.