miR-124 inhibits progression of hepatocarcinoma by targeting KLF4 and promises a novel diagnostic marker.

Hepatocarcinoma is one of the most lethal malignancy haunting the Chinese population, which is partially due to the difficulties in diagnosis at an early stage. The search for a biomarker that could signify the presence and progress of hepatocarcinoma is never ended. MicroRNAs are 22-nt RNAs that could bind to 3' UTR of target mRNAs, mediating degradation of mRNAs or inhibiting the translation.

Development and validation of nomogram based on lncRNA ZFAS1 for predicting survival in lymph node-negative esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Background: There is increasing evidence of a relationship between long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and cancer. This study aimed to examine the prognostic value of the lncRNA ZFAS1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Results: The results showed that ZFAS1 expression was significantly higher in ESCC tissues compared with the corresponding adjacent normal tissues ( < 0.

BCL2/Ki-67 index predict survival in germinal center B-cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. BCL2 apoptosis regulator (BCL2) and marker of proliferation Ki-67 (Ki-67) are established prognostic markers, which have traditionally been assessed separately in DLBCL. However, no studies have evaluated the prognostic value of the combination of BCL2 and Ki-67 index.

Phylogenetic and specific sequence analysis of four paralogs in insect Aquaporins.

Aquaporins (AQP) are proteins that form channels to facilitate the movement of water across cell membranes in plants, bacteria and animals. Insect AQPs are indispensable for cellular water management under stress, including dehydration and cold. To better understand the biological significance of molecular evolution of gene sequences, followed by structural and functional specialization, the present study used ClustalX2.

MiR-1-3p inhibits the proliferation and invasion of bladder cancer cells by suppressing CCL2 expression.

We attempted to analyze the effects of miR-1-3p and CCL2 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of bladder cancer cells. A total of 18 pairs of bladder cancer tissues with corresponding adjacent tissues and the 6 cases of normal tissues were collected. The expressions of miR-1-3p and CCL2 in the cancer tissues were evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot.

Long non-coding RNA DANCR, a prognostic indicator, promotes cell growth and tumorigenicity in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer remains the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and proliferation of gastric cancer represents the major reason for its poor prognosis. Recent evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs play crucial roles in development and progression of gastric cancer. Long non-coding RNA differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA is upregulated in hepatic cell carcinoma, but the role of lncRNA differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA in gastric cancer has not been explored.

The Feasibility and Safety of Interventional Occlusion Treatment of Intracristal Ventricular Septal Defects: Clinical Report of 56 Cases.

Background: To investigate the feasibility and safety of the O eccentric shape occluder in the interventional occlusion treatment of intracristal ventricular septal defect (IVSD).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 56 IVSD patients treated by interventional occlusion at our center, as well as recording of their intraoperative and postoperative status, was performed.

Results: Of the 56 patients, a total of 48 patients underwent successful occlusion during the first surgical attempt.

Interleukin-1β pre-treated bone marrow stromal cells alleviate neuropathic pain through CCL7-mediated inhibition of microglial activation in the spinal cord.

Although neuropathic pain is one of the most intractable diseases, recent studies indicate that systemic or local injection of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines release and alleviates neuropathic pain. However, it is still not clear whether pre-treated BMSCs have a strong anti-inflammatory and/or analgesia effect. Using the spinal nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain, IL-1β pre-treated BMSCs (IL-1β-BMSCs) were injected into rats followed by SNL in order to determine possible effects.

Successful pregnancy and delivery in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia: a case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Complications associated with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) during pregnancy are rare, and management is challenging because very limited data are available on this patient group.

Case Description: We herein report a successful pregnancy and delivery in a patient diagnosed with CML. The patient was treated with imatinib (400 mg/day) as a first-line therapy.

MiR-4295 promotes cell growth in bladder cancer by targeting BTG1.

microRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to contribute to tumor progression and metastasis, and have been proposed to be key regulators of diverse biological processes. In this study, we report that miR-4295 is deregulated in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines. To characterize the role of miR-4295 in bladder cancer cells, we performed functional assays.

Anti-inflammatory effects of polysaccharide on asthma pathology.

Asthma is a chronic airway disease common around the world. The burden of this disease could be reduced with new and effective treatments. Here, the efficacy of a polysaccharide extract from the (BEP) mushroom, which has demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties, was tested in a mouse model of asthma.

Epidermal growth factor receptor and B7-H3 expression in esophageal squamous tissues correlate to patient prognosis.

Biomarkers that can serve as diagnostic and prognostic indicators of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are urgently needed to help improve patient outcomes. Here, the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and costimulatory molecule B7-H3, both of which have been implicated in tumor onset and progression in certain tumors, was investigated in relation to the clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of patients with ESCC. ESCC tissue samples were analyzed for 100 patients.

Mimotope identification of dust mite allergen Der f 5 using phage‑displayed random peptide libraries.

Mimotope mapping enables the characterization of allergen epitopes for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. In the present study, a phage display peptide library was used for mimotope mapping based on the binding of antibodies against the recombinant group 5 allergen from the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f 5), an arthropod that causes indoor allergies worldwide. When three monoclonal anti‑Der f 5 antibodies were used for biopanning, seven mimotopes were identified.

A modified protocol for the detection of three different mRNAs with a new-generation in situ hybridization chain reaction on frozen sections.

A new multiple fluorescence in situ hybridization method based on hybridization chain reaction was recently reported, enabling simultaneous mapping of multiple target mRNAs within intact zebrafish and mouse embryos. With this approach, DNA probes complementary to target mRNAs trigger chain reactions in which metastable fluorophore-labeled DNA hairpins self-assemble into fluorescent amplification polymers. The formation of the specific polymers enhances greatly the sensitivity of multiple fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Microvesicles shed from microglia activated by the P2X7-p38 pathway are involved in neuropathic pain induced by spinal nerve ligation in rats.

Microglia are critical in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. In this study, we investigated the role of microvesicles (MVs) in neuropathic pain induced by spinal nerve ligation (SNL) in rats. First, we found that MVs shed from microglia were increased in the cerebrospinal fluid and dorsal horn of the spinal cord after SNL.

Application of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique to research on functional genomes of parasites.

The clustered regularly-interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) structural family functions as an acquired immune system in prokaryotes. Gene editing techniques have co-opted CRISPR and the associated Cas nucleases to allow for the precise genetic modification of human cells, zebrafish, mice, and other eukaryotes. Indeed, this approach has been used to induce a variety of modifications including directed insertion/deletion (InDel) of bases, gene knock-in, introduction of mutations in both alleles of a target gene, and deletion of small DNA fragments.

Transcriptomic/proteomic identification of allergens in the mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae.

While a number of allergens from house dust mites have been described, much remains to be discovered about allergens from storage mites. Here, next-generation sequencing was combined with MS/MS shotgun proteomics to identify proteins, especially potential allergens from Tyrophagus putrescentiae, commonly found in stored food products, especially flour. cDNAs of suspected allergens were cloned and expressed from bacterial cells, and recombinant allergens were tested for binding to IgE in sera from T.

Upregulation of miR-522 is associated with poor outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: The aim of our study was to explore the clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of miR-522 expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Patients And Methods: The expression of miR-522 in 161 HCC tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues was examined using quantitative real-time-PCR. The association of miR-522 expression with clinicopathological features and the prognosis of HCC patients were also analyzed.

Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide for the Diagnosis of Childhood Asthma: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

The gold standard for diagnosing asthma in children is based on clinical history of respiratory symptoms, physical examination, and respiratory function testing. Recent advances indicate that a non-invasive measure of airway inflammation, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), provides objective data for use in asthma diagnosis. However, the diagnostic performance of FeNO in children with asthma has not been clearly defined.

Identification of featured biomarkers in breast cancer with microRNA microarray.

Purpose: We aimed to screen possible biomarkers associated with the molecular mechanism of breast cancer using microRNA (miRNA) microarray.

Methods: The miRNAs expression profile GSE45666 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database, which included 101 genechips from breast tumor samples and 15 from adjacent breast normal tissue samples. Limma package in R language was used to screen and identify differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) which were classified as up-regulated and down-regulated groups.

Atopy and Specific Cancer Sites: a Review of Epidemiological Studies.

Mounting evidence appears to link asthma and atopy to cancer susceptibility. This review presents and discusses published epidemiological studies on the association between site-specific cancers and atopy. PubMed was searched electronically for publications between 1995 and 2015, and cited references were researched manually.

Enhanced RAGE Expression in the Dorsal Root Ganglion May Contribute to Neuropathic Pain Induced by Spinal Nerve Ligation in Rats.

Objective: There is some evidence implicating receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) signaling in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain (NP). The objective was to investigate whether RAGE signaling in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) might contribute to NP following peripheral nerve injury.

Design: Experimental study before and after spinal nerve ligation (SNL) surgery.

Effects of changes in serum endostatin and fibroblast growth factor 19 on the chemotherapeutic sensitivity in acute myeloid leukemia patients.

The present study aimed to explore the changes in serum endostatin and fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF-19) in acute myeloid leukemia patients, and to determine their effects on chemotherapeutic sensitivity. Sixty acute myeloid leukemia patients and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. Patient serum endostatin and FGF-19 levels were measured on admission, and then, standard chemotherapy was administered.