Risk factors for recurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation after second-generation of cryoballoon ablation.

Objectives: To analyze the risk factors for recurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) after the second-generation of cryoballoon ablation (CBA).

Methods: A total of 67 patients with PAF, who underwent CBA treatment from March 2017 to June 2018, were selected from the Department of Cardiology, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. The incidence rate of early recurrence (within 3 months) and late recurrence (after 3 months) in patients with PAF were analyzed retrospectively and the risk factors for recurrence were discussed.

Can we predict the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 with a routine blood test?

Introduction: The ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) has posed a huge threat to global public health. However, the issue as to whether routine blood tests could be used to monitor and predict the severity and prognosis of COVID‑19 has not been comprehensively investigated so far.

Objectives: This study aimed to provide an overview of the association of markers in the routine blood test with the severity of COVID‑19.

Patient characteristics and 6-month dose of basal insulin associated with HbA1c achievement <7.0% in Chinese people with type 2 diabetes: results from the Observational Registry of Basal Insulin Treatment (ORBIT).

Background: The efficacy of basal insulin (BI) for adequate glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been well documented by randomized clinical trials. This post hoc analysis of the Observational Registry of Basal Insulin Treatment (ORBIT) study was performed to explore the 6-month dose of BI used in insulin-naïve T2DM patients achieving HbA1c target (<7%) and determine the patient characteristics that affect the 6-month dose of BI in the setting of real-world clinics in China.

Methods: This multicenter observational registry screened 19 894 adult T2DM patients with inadequately controlled hyperglycemia and treated with oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) in China.

Identifying Small Molecule-miRNA Associations Based on Credible Negative Sample Selection and Random Walk.

Recently, many studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) are new small molecule drug targets. Identifying small molecule-miRNA associations (SMiRs) plays an important role in finding new clues for various human disease therapy. Wet experiments can discover credible SMiR associations; however, this is a costly and time-consuming process.

Inhibition of PAD2 Improves Survival in a Mouse Model of Lethal LPS-Induced Endotoxic Shock.

Endotoxemia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an extremely severe syndrome identified by global activation of inflammatory responses. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play an important role in the development of endotoxemia. Histone hypercitrullination catalyzed by peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) is a key step of NET formation.

Two Pathogenic Gene Mutations Identified Associating with Congenital Cataract and Iris Coloboma Respectively in a Chinese Family.

Purpose: To screen out pathogenic genes in a Chinese family with congenital cataract and iris coloboma. . A three-generation family with congenital cataract and iris coloboma from a Han ethnicity was recruited.

Reduced PDZRN4 promotes breast cancer progression and predicts poor prognosis.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most lethal types of cancer throughout the world due its proliferation and invasion. PDZ domain containing ring finger 4 (PDZRN4) belongs to the LNX family, which has E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and is involved in the progression of cancer. However, the role of PDZRN4 in the progression of BC remains unknown.

Stem cell therapy for chronic skin wounds in the era of personalized medicine: From bench to bedside.

With the significant financial burden of chronic cutaneous wounds on the healthcare system, not to the personal burden mention on those individuals afflicted, it has become increasingly essential to improve our clinical treatments. This requires the translation of the most recent benchtop approaches to clinical wound repair as our current treatment modalities have proven insufficient. The most promising potential treatment options rely on stem cell-based therapies.

Toll-Like Receptor 3 Deficiency Leads to Altered Immune Responses to Chlamydia trachomatis Infection in Human Oviduct Epithelial Cells.

Reproductive tract pathology caused by infection is an important global cause of human infertility. To better understand the mechanisms associated with -induced genital tract pathogenesis in humans, we used CRISPR genome editing to disrupt Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) function in the human oviduct epithelial (hOE) cell line OE-E6/E7 in order to investigate the possible role(s) of TLR3 signaling in the immune response to Disruption of TLR3 function in these cells significantly diminished the -induced synthesis of several inflammation biomarkers, including interferon beta (IFN-β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-6 receptor alpha (IL-6Rα), soluble interleukin-6 receptor beta (sIL-6Rβ, or gp130), IL-8, IL-20, IL-26, IL-34, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNF-R1), tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 13B (TNFSF13B), matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), MMP-2, and MMP-3. In contrast, the -induced synthesis of CCL5, IL-29 (IFN-λ1), and IL-28A (IFN-λ2) was significantly increased in TLR3-deficient hOE cells compared to their wild-type counterparts.

[Curative effect of Wenxin Granule and antiarrhythmic drugs in the treatment of atrial fibrillation:a Meta-analysis].

To evaluate the efficiency and safety between Wenxin Granule and antiarrhythmic drugs in the treatment of atrial fibrillation(AF). A total of 8 major electronic databases(CNKI, WanFang, VIP, CBM, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, EMbase) were retrieved since the establishment of the database to January 10, 2019. Two reviewers extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies.

A nomogram for predicting the HER2 status in female patients with breast cancer in China: a nationwide, multicenter, 10-year epidemiological study.

Background: The concordance rate of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status between core needle biopsy (CNB) and subsequent excisional biopsies of the same tumor varies from 81 to 96%, which may cause inappropriate neoadjuvant therapy that impair the potential benefit from HER2 targeted therapy for patients. This study aimed to establish a nomogram to predict the HER2 status pre-operatively as an auxiliary diagnosis to CNB assessment.

Methods: Among 4211 breast cancer patients cataloged in the Nation-wide Multicenter 10-year Retrospective Clinical Epidemiological Study of Breast Cancer in China, 2291 patients with complete relevant information were included in this study, which were further randomized 3:1 and divided into a training set and a validation set.

Thermoresponsive Citrate-Based Graphene Oxide Scaffold Enhances Bone Regeneration from BMP9-Stimulated Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Effective bone tissue engineering is important to overcome the unmet clinical challenges as more than 1.6 million bone grafts are done annually in the United States. Successful bone tissue engineering needs minimally three critical constituents: osteoprogenitor cells, osteogenic factors, and osteoinductive/osteoconductive scaffolds.

[Clinical significance of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 and mammalian target of rapamycin expression in oral leukoplakia in smokers and never-smokers].

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the expression patterns and relationship of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3B) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in oral leukoplakia (OLK) in smokers and never-smokers. This work also analyzed the relationship between smoking and the carcinogenic potential of OLK.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of LC3B and mTOR in 120 patients with OLK.

Chronic Low-grade Inflammatory Phenotype (CLIP) and Senescent Immune Dysregulation.

Purpose: The aim was to provide an overview of chronic low-grade inflammatory phenotype (CLIP) and evidence for its role in the pathogenesis of frailty and other chronic conditions as well as potential causative factors and interventions.

Methods: We reviewed evidence from published clinical and laboratory studies and summarized the opinions of experts from published reviews.

Findings: CLIP is a low-grade, systemic, unresolved, and smoldering chronic inflammatory state clearly indicated by a 2- to 4-fold increase in serum levels of inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein.

A pH-Triggered, Self-Assembled, and Bioprintable Hybrid Hydrogel Scaffold for Mesenchymal Stem Cell Based Bone Tissue Engineering.

Effective bone tissue engineering can restore bone and skeletal functions that are impaired by traumas and/or certain medical conditions. Bone is a complex tissue and functions through orchestrated interactions between cells, biomechanical forces, and biofactors. To identify ideal scaffold materials for effective mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based bone tissue regeneration, here we develop and characterize a composite nanoparticle hydrogel by combining carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) (designated as CMCh-ACP hydrogel).

TLR3 deficiency exacerbates the loss of epithelial barrier function during genital tract Chlamydia muridarum infection.

Problem: Chlamydia trachomatis infections are often associated with acute syndromes including cervicitis, urethritis, and endometritis, which can lead to chronic sequelae such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, and tubal infertility. As epithelial cells are the primary cell type productively infected during genital tract Chlamydia infections, we investigated whether Chlamydia has any impact on the integrity of the host epithelial barrier as a possible mechanism to facilitate the dissemination of infection, and examined whether TLR3 function modulates its impact.

Method Of Study: We used wild-type and TLR3-deficient murine oviduct epithelial (OE) cells to ascertain whether C.

[Clinical importance of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 and mammalian target of rapamycin expression in oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma].

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the expression and relationship of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in normal oral mucosa, oral leukoplakia (OLK), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This work also analyzed the relationship between expression levels and clinical factors. This study evaluated the clinical value of LC3B and mTOR as indices to determine the carcinogenic potential of OLK.

Monensin inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth of chemo-resistant pancreatic cancer cells by targeting the EGFR signaling pathway.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most deadly malignancies with <5% five-year survival rate due to late diagnosis, limited treatment options and chemoresistance. There is thus an urgent unmet clinical need to develop effective anticancer drugs to treat pancreatic cancer. Here, we study the potential of repurposing monensin as an anticancer drug for chemo-resistant pancreatic cancer.

Effect of CYP4F2, VKORC1, and CYP2C9 in Influencing Coumarin Dose: A Single-Patient Data Meta-Analysis in More Than 15,000 Individuals.

The cytochrome P450 (CYP)4F2 gene is known to influence mean coumarin dose. The aim of the present study was to undertake a meta-analysis at the individual patients level to capture the possible effect of ethnicity, gene-gene interaction, or other drugs on the association and to verify if inclusion of CYP4F2*3 variant into dosing algorithms improves the prediction of mean coumarin dose. We asked the authors of our previous meta-analysis (30 articles) and of 38 new articles retrieved by a systematic review to send us individual patients' data.

A Simplified System to Express Circularized Inhibitors of miRNA for Stable and Potent Suppression of miRNA Functions.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an evolutionarily conserved class of small regulatory noncoding RNAs, binding to complementary target mRNAs and resulting in mRNA translational inhibition or degradation, and they play an important role in regulating many aspects of physiologic and pathologic processes in mammalian cells. Thus, efficient manipulations of miRNA functions may be exploited as promising therapeutics for human diseases. Two commonly used strategies to inhibit miRNA functions include direct transfection of chemically synthesized miRNA inhibitors and delivery of a gene vector that instructs intracellular transcription of miRNA inhibitors.

BMP9-induced osteoblastic differentiation requires functional Notch signaling in mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent progenitors that can differentiate into multiple lineages including osteoblastic lineage. Osteogenic differentiation of MSCs is a cascade that recapitulates most, if not all, of the molecular events occurring during embryonic skeletal development, which is regulated by numerous signaling pathways including bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). Through a comprehensive analysis of the osteogenic activity, we previously demonstrated that BMP9 is the most potent BMP for inducing bone formation from MSCs both in vitro and in vivo.

Characterization of the essential role of bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) in osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) through RNA interference.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells and capable of differentiating into multiple cell types including osteoblastic, chondrogenic and adipogenic lineages. We previously identified BMP9 as one of the most potent BMPs that induce osteoblastic differentiation of MSCs although exact molecular mechanism through which BMP9 regulates osteogenic differentiation remains to be fully understood. Here, we seek to develop a recombinant adenovirus system to optimally silence mouse BMP9 and then characterize the important role of BMP9 in osteogenic differentiation of MSCs.

Enteral nutrition feeding in Chinese intensive care units: a cross-sectional study involving 116 hospitals.

Background: There is a lack of large-scale epidemiological data on the clinical practice of enteral nutrition (EN) feeding in China. This study aimed to provide such data on Chinese hospitals and to investigate factors associated with EN delivery.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was launched in 118 intensive care units (ICUs) of 116 mainland hospitals and conducted on April 26, 2017.

The development of a sensitive fluorescent protein-based transcript reporter for high throughput screening of negative modulators of lncRNAs.

While the human genome is pervasively transcribed, <2% of the human genome is transcribed into protein-coding mRNAs, leaving most of the transcripts as noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs and long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are critical components of epigenetic regulation. lncRNAs are emerging as critical regulators of gene expression and genomic stability. However, it remains largely unknown about how lncRNAs are regulated.