Int J Med Sci
-
Objectives: Comparative analysis of laboratory data in moderate-to-severe COVID-19 patients presenting with or without ground-glass opacities (GGOs). Methods: This retrospective study examined 61 patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19, as defined by the report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on COVID-19. All patients were admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Union Hospital from Dec 28, 2019 to Feb 22, 2020 and classified into a GGO group or a non-GGO group based on CT results. ⋯ Conclusions: There were correlations between GGO in the lungs of patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 and the levels of IL-2, IL-4, and INF-γ. IL-2 was a significant and independent risk factor for GGO. These findings provide a basis for studying the mechanism of pulmonary lesions in COVID-19 patients.
-
Observational Study
Predictability of Macrosomic Birth based on Maternal Factors and Fetal Aneuploidy Screening Biochemical Markers in Hyperglycemic Mothers.
Background: Macrosomic birth weight has been implicated as a significant risk factor for developing various adult metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and coronary heart diseases; it has also been associated with higher incidences of complicated births. This study aimed to examine the predictability of macrosomic births in hyperglycemic pregnant women using maternal clinical characteristics and serum biomarkers of aneuploidy screening performed in the first half of pregnancy. Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed on a cohort of 1,668 pregnant women who 1) had positive outcomes after undergoing 50-g oral glucose challenge test (OGCT) at two university-based hospitals and 2) underwent any one of the following maternal biomarker screening tests for fetal aneuploidy: triple test, quadruple test, and integrated test. ⋯ Expanded models, including maternal demographic and clinical factors, demonstrated an improved performance by 25% (AUCs, 0.69-0.73). Conclusion: Our prediction models will help to identify pregnancies with an elevated risk of macrosomic births in hyperglycemic mothers using maternal clinical factors and serum markers from routine antenatal screening tests. Prediction of macrosomic birth at mid-pregnancy may allow customized antenatal care to reduce the risk of macrosomic births.
-
The incidence of papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) has increased rapidly during the past several decades. Until now, the mechanisms underlying the tumorigenesis of PTCs have remained largely unknown. Next-generation-sequencing (NGS) provides new ways to investigate the molecular pathogenesis of PTCs. ⋯ In conclusion, our study supplements the genomic landscape of PTCs and identifies new actionable target candidates and clinicopathology-associated mutations. Extension of this study to larger cohorts will help define comprehensive genomic aberrations in PTCs and validate target candidates. These new targets may open methods of individualized treatments adapted to the clinicopathologic specifics of the patients.
-
Observational Study
MiR-508-3p promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of middle ear cholesteatoma cells by targeting PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway.
Cholesteatoma of the middle ear is a common disease in otolaryngology, which can lead to serious intracranial and extracranial complications. Recent studies showed that the dysregulation of microRNA may be involved in the formation of middle ear cholesteatoma. This study aimed to explore the regulatory effect of micro ribonucleic acid 508-3p (miR-508-3p) on proliferation and apoptosis of middle ear cholesteatoma cells and excavate its underlying regulatory mechanism. ⋯ Gain and loss of functions of miR-508-3p were performed to identify their roles in the biological behaviors of cholesteatoma cells, including proliferation and apoptosis. Rescue assays confirmed that PTEN could reverse the effect of miR-508-3p overexpression on cell proliferation. In a word, this study validated that the development of cholesteatoma may regulated by hsa_circ_0000007/miR-508-3p/ PTEN/ PI3K/Akt axis.
-
Periodontitis is the most prevalent oral infection disease, which causes the destruction of periodontal supporting tissues and eventual tooth loss. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of miRNA-23b (miR-23b) in regulating the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) in an inflammatory environment. Results revealed that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a notoriously inflammatory cytokine, remarkably attenuated the osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs, which were partially rescued by SKL2001 (Wnt/β-catenin agonist). ⋯ Our study clarified that miR-23b mediated the TNF-α-inhibited osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs by targeting Runx2. Therefore, the expanded function of miR-23b in the osteogenesis of hPDLSCs under inflammatory conditions. This study might provide new insights and a novel therapeutic target for periodontitis.