Scientific reports
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Growing evidence indicates that angiotensin II (Ang II), a potent biologically active product of RAS, is a key regulator of renal inflammation and fibrosis. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Ang II induces renal inflammatory injury and fibrosis through interaction with myeloid differentiation protein-2 (MD2), the accessory protein of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) of the immune system. Results indicated that in MD2-/- mice, the Ang II-induced renal fibrosis, inflammation and kidney dysfunction were significantly reduced compared to control Ang II-infused wild-type mice. ⋯ In addition, Ang II directly bound recombinant MD2 protein, rather than TLR4 protein. We conclude that MD2 is a significant contributor in the Ang II-induced kidney inflammatory injury in chronic renal diseases. Furthermore, MD2 inhibition could be a new and important therapeutic strategy for preventing progression of chronic renal diseases.
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To explore the feasibility of 3D-printed navigation template in proximal femoral varus rotation and shortening osteotomy for older children with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Between June 2014 and May 2015, navigation templates were designed and used for 12 DDH patients. Surgical information and outcomes were compared to 13 patients undergoing the same surgery but without navigation template. ⋯ By contrast, 46.2% and 23.1% of the hips in traditional operation group were classed as excellent or good, respectively, using the McKay criteria; 46.2% and 30.8% by using the Severin criteria respectively. The template-guided group achieved a better outcome; however, there was no significant difference. Application of the navigation template for older DDH children can reduce the operation time, radiation exposure, and epiphysis damage, which also simplifies surgery and improves precision.
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We undertook a study of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in a large and relatively homogeneous group of patients with completely resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of 235 ESCC tumours were evaluated for density of TILs in intratumoural (iTIL) and stromal compartments (sTIL). Foxp3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells in tumoural and stromal areas were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. ⋯ Further analysis, sTIL was identified as independently prognostic factor in Stage III-IVa disease, which was not found in Stage I-II disease. Our study demonstrated that sTIL was associated with better ESCC patients' survival, especially in Stage III-IVa disease. Assessment of sTIL could be useful to discriminate biological behavior for ESCC patients.
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Clinical Trial
Genome-wide copy number variation analysis in a Chinese autism spectrum disorder cohort.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) describes a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with high heritability, although the underlying genetic determinants of ASDs remain largely unknown. Large-scale whole-genome studies of copy number variation in Han Chinese samples are still lacking. We performed a genome-wide copy number variation analysis of 343 ASD trios, 203 patients with sporadic cases and 988 controls in a Chinese population using Illumina genotyping platforms to identify CNVs and related genes that may contribute to ASD risk. ⋯ We also identified several CNVs that include known ASD genes (SHANK3, CDH10, CSMD1) or genes involved in nervous system development (NYAP2, ST6GAL2, GRM6). Besides, our study also implicated Contactins-NYAPs-WAVE1 pathway in ASD pathogenesis. Our findings identify ASD-related CNVs in a Chinese population and implicate novel ASD risk genes and related pathway for further study.
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Case Reports
Nix restores mitophagy and mitochondrial function to protect against PINK1/Parkin-related Parkinson's disease.
Therapeutic targets are needed to develop neuroprotective treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD). Mitophagy, the selective autophagic elimination of dysfunctional mitochondria, is essential for the maintenance of mitochondrial integrity and is predominantly regulated by the PINK1/Parkin-mediated pathway. Loss of function mutations in Parkin and PINK1 cause an accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria, leading to nigral neurodegeneration and early-onset PD with a high penetrance rate. ⋯ Both genetic and pharmacological induction of Nix restores mitophagy in PINK1- and Parkin-related PD patient cell lines, confirming its ability to induce mitophagy in the absence of PINK1/Parkin-mediated pathway. Moreover, Nix over-expression improves mitochondrial ATP production in these patient cells. Our results demonstrate that Nix can serve as an alternative mediator of mitophagy to maintain mitochondrial turnover, identifying Nix as a promising target for neuroprotective treatment in PINK1/Parkin-related PD.