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Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional bowel disorders and dysmetabolism plays an important role in the pathogenesis of disease. Nevertheless, there remains a lack of information regarding the causal relationship between circulating metabolites and IBS. A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the causal relationship between genetically proxied 486 blood metabolites and IBS. Methods: A two-sample MR analysis was implemented to assess the causality of blood metabolites on IBS. The study utilized a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to examine 486 metabolites as the exposure variable while employing a GWAS study with 486,601 individuals of European descent as the outcome variable. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used to estimate the causal relationship of metabolites on IBS, while several methods were performed to eliminate the pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Another GWAS data was used for replication and meta-analysis. In addition, reverse MR and linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) were employed for additional assessment. Multivariable MR analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the direct impact of metabolites on IBS. Results: Three known and two unknown metabolites were identified as being associated with the development of IBS. Higher levels of butyryl carnitine (OR(95%CI):1.10(1.02–1.18),p = 0.009) and tetradecanedioate (OR(95%CI):1.13(1.04–1.23),p = 0.003)increased susceptibility of IBS and higher levels of stearate(18:0)(OR(95%CI):0.72(0.58–0.89),p = 0.003) decreased susceptibility of IBS. Conclusion: The metabolites implicated in the pathogenesis of IBS possess potential as biomarkers and hold promise for elucidating the underlying biological mechanisms of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CD36 deficiency is closely associated with fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia, platelet transfusion refractoriness, and other hemorrhage disorders, particularly in Asian and African populations. There is a clinical need for rapid and high-throughput methods of platelet CD36 (pCD36) phenotyping to improve the availability of CD36 typing of donors and assist clinical blood transfusions for patients with anti-CD36 antibodies. Such methods can also support the establishment of databases of pCD36-negative phenotypes. Study Design and Methods: A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for CD36 phenotyping of human platelets was developed using anti-CD36 monoclonal antibodies. The reliability of the assay was evaluated by calculating the intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation (CV). A total of 1,691 anticoagulant whole blood samples from healthy blood donors were randomly selected. PCD36 expression was measured using a sandwich ELISA. PCD36 deficiency was confirmed by flow cytometry (FC). Mutations underlying pCD36 deficiency were identified using polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT). Results: The sandwich ELISA for pCD36 phenotyping had high reliability (intra-assay CV, 2.1–4.8%; inter-assay CV, 2.3–5.2%). The sandwich ELISA was used to screen for CD36 expression on platelets isolated from 1,691 healthy blood donors. Of these, 36 samples were pCD36-negative. FC demonstrated absence of CD36 expression on monocytes in three of the 36 cases. In the present study population, the frequency of CD36 deficiency was 2.13% (36/1,691), of which 0.18% (3/1,691) was type I deficiency and 1.95% (33/1,691) was type II deficiency. In addition, we used PCR-SBT to characterize the gene mutations in exons 3–14 of the CD36 gene in 27 cases of CD36 deficiency and discovered 10 types of mutations in 13 pCD36-negative samples. Conclusion: The present study describes the development and characterization of a highly reliable sandwich ELISA for high-throughput screening for pCD36 expression. This novel method is feasible for clinical applications and provides a useful tool for the establishment of databases of pCD36-negative phenotype donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prior studies have detected topological changes of brain functional networks in patients with acute mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). However, the alterations of dynamic topological characteristics in mTBI have been scarcely elucidated. Purpose: To evaluate static and dynamic functional connectivity topological networks in patients with acute mTBI using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Material and Methods: A total of 55 patients with acute mTBI and 55 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. All participants underwent resting-state fMRI scans, and data were analyzed using graph-theory methods and a sliding window approach. Post-traumatic cognitive performance and resting-state fMRI data were collected within one week after injury. Static and dynamic functional connectivity patterns were determined by independent component analysis. Spearman's correlation analysis was further performed between fMRI changes and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scores. Results: Global efficiency was lower (P = 0.02), and local efficiency (P < 0.001) and mean Cp (P < 0.001) were higher in patients with acute mTBI than in HCs. Local efficiency was correlated with visuospatial/executive performance (r = −0.421; P = 0.002) in patients with acute mTBI. Significant differences in nodal efficiency and node degree centrality (P < 0.01) were found between the mTBI and HC groups. For dynamic properties, patients with mTBI showed higher variance (P = 0.016) in global efficiency than HCs. Conclusions: The present study shows that patients with mTBI have abnormal brain functional connectome topology, especially the dynamic graph theory characteristics, which provide new insights into the role of topological network properties in patients with acute mTBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Lung fibrosis is a severe lung disorder featured by chronic nonspecific inflammation of the interstitial lung and deposition of collagen, leading to lung dysfunction. It has been identified that ferroptosis is involved in the progression of lung injury. Particulate matter (PM2.5) is reported to be correlated with the incidence of pulmonary fibrosis. However, mechanisms underlying ferroptosis in PM2.5-related lung fibrosis is unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of PM2.5 on ferroptosis in lung fibrosis and the related molecular mechanisms. Methods. PM2.5-treated mouse model and cell model were established. Fibrosis and tissue damage were measured by Masson's trichrome staining and HE staining. Fibrosis biomarkers, such as α-SMA, collagen I, and collagen III, were examined by histological analysis. The ferroptosis phenotypes, including the levels of iron, Fe2+, MDA, and GSH, were measured by commercial kits. ROS generation was checked by DCFH-DA. The oxidative stress indicators, 3-nitro-L-tyrosine (3 ′ -NT), 4-HNE, and protein carbonyl, were checked by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and GSH/GSSG ratio were assessed by TBARS assay kit and GSH/GSSG assay kit, respectively. TGF-β signaling was detected by Western blotting. Results. PM2.5 induced the lung injury and fibrosis in the mice model, along with elevated expression of fibrosis markers. PM2.5 enhanced oxidative stress in the lung of the mice. The SOD2 expression was reduced, and NRF2 expression was enhanced in the mice by the treatment with PM2.5. PM2.5 triggered ferroptosis, manifested as suppressed expression of GPX4 and SLC7A11, decreased levels of iron, Fe2+, and MDA, and increased GSH level in mouse model and cell model. The TGF-β and Smad3 signaling was inhibited by PM2.5. ROS inhibitor NAC reversed PM2.5-regulated ROS and ferroptosis in primary mouse lung epithelial cells. Conclusions. Therefore, we concluded that PM2.5 exposure induced lung injury and fibrosis by inducing ferroptosis via TGF-β signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel microcarrier based on red blood cells was prepared and characterized. Proof of principle was demonstrated by using sheep red blood cells that were treated with glutaraldehyde to render the cells generally resistant to hemolysis. Magnetic beads of approximately 10 nm in diameter were prepared and attached to the surface of glutaraldehyde-treated sheep red blood cells by electrostatic interaction at various concentrations. The composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Dilute coverage of magnetic beads allowed the red blood cells to be separated from solution in the presence of a magnetic field, eliminating the need for centrifugation. The magnetized glutaraldehyde-treated red blood cells were then functionalized with human immunoglobulin and used in flow cytometry for the determination of antihuman immunoglobulin. The results indicated that such magnetized glutaraldehyde-treated red blood cell may be used as carriers in flow cytometry. The approach may allow the preparation of carriers using other red blood cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two new lanthanum sulfates DySO4(OH) 1 and Eu2(SO4)3(H2O)8 2 have been hydrothermally synthesized. The colorless crystals were characterized by IR, TGA, ICP and XRD. The structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. 1 crystallizes with monoclinic symmetry, space group P2(1)/n [a=7.995(4)Å, b=10.945(5)Å, c=8.164(4)Å, α=90°, β=93.619(6)°, γ=90°, V=713.0(5)Å3, Z=8]. It displays a three-dimensional framework, based on the novel Dy–O chains connected by the sulfate groups through helical chains. 2 crystallizes with monoclinic symmetry, space group C2/c, [a=13.5605(17)Å, b=6.7676(8)Å, c=18.318(2)Å, α=90°, β=102.265(2)°, γ=90°, V=1642.7 (4)Å3, Z=4]. Its layered framework is attained by the europium atoms connected by the sulfate groups arranged in a helical manner. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Tethered lipid membranes or immobilized lipid vesicles are frequently used as biomimetic systems. In this article, the authors presented a suitable method for efficient immobilization of lipid vesicles onto a broad range of surfaces, enabling analysis by quantitative methods even under rigid, mechanical conditions-bare surfaces such as hydrophilic glass surfaces as well as hydrophobic polymer slides or metal surfaces such as gold. The immobilization of vesicles was based on the electrostatic interaction of zwitterionic or negatively charged lipid vesicles with two types of cationic chemically modified bovine serum albumin (cBSA) blood plasma proteins (cBSA-113 and cBSA-147). Quantitative analysis of protein adsorption was performed as the cBSA coatings were characterized by atomic force microscopy, surface zeta potential measurement, fluorescence microscopy, and surface plasmon spectroscopy, revealing a maximal surface coverage 270-280 ng/cm2 for 0.02 mg/ml cBSA on gold. Small unilamellar vesicles as well as giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) were readily immobilized (∼15 min) on cBSA coated surfaces. GUVs with 5-10 mol% negatively charged 1,2,-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol remained stable in liquid for at least 5 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In assays for incomplete antibody detection, several washing steps are required to remove unbound globulins which may cause false negatives. Here, we present an improved approach employing hydrogel chromatography medium (HCM) in the detection of incomplete antibodies. After a rapid single-step centrifugation, incomplete antibodies, attached to red blood cells (RBCs), were separated from the reaction mixture using HCM and sedimentation. This method obviates the need for multiple centrifugation steps found in conventional Tube-Coombs tests. The HCM-Coombs tests may have a wide range of applications for incomplete antibody detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibodies against human platelets cause a variety of thrombocytopenic disorders, which lead to potentially fatal haemorrhage. Therefore, their prompt detection is mandatory for successful patient treatment. Solid phase red cell adherence (SPRCA) assay allows for platelet antibody detection widely. However, preparation of fresh platelets with HLA-I and human platelet antigens (HPA)1–5,15 genotyped as target cells is inconvenient and fresh platelets have a short shelf life. In this study, the lyophilised human platelets for antibody detection in SPRCA were prepared. Firstly, platelets were resuspended in lyophilisation buffer and freeze-dried. Then the characteristics of lyophilised platelet were analysed. Rehydrated platelets were recovered with a mean rate of 80.91% ± 2.87%, and still retained spherical morphology. Indirect flow cytometry showed that glycoproteins IIb/IIIa, Ia/IIa, Ib/IX, IV, CD109, and HLA class I were present on the surface of the lyophilised platelets at a comparable level to that of fresh platelets. The consistent results obtained with WHO reference reagents containing anti-HPA-1a, anti-HPA-3a, and anti-HPA-5b, as well as clinical samples from the same donors containing anti-HLA antibodies when reacting with lyophilised versus fresh platelets confirmed good antigenicity preservation of platelets after freeze-drying. Further investigation showed that the lyophilised platelets could be stored at 2–8 °C for up to 14 months and the reconstituted suspension was stable for 48 h. Therefore, lyophilised platelets can be a convenient alternative to fresh platelets to use for anti-platelet antibody detection in SPRCA tests. • Performance of lyophilised platelets in SPRCA for anti-platelet antibodies detection. • Antigenicity of main glycoproteins keep well on the surface of lyophilised platelets. • Long storage life and nice stability of lyophilised platelets versus fresh platelets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gold nanoshells (GNSs), consisting of a silica core and a thin gold shell, were self-assembled on the surface of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTES) modified indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. The resulting novel GNSs-coated ITO (GNSs/APTES/ITO) electrode could provide a biocompatible surface for the adsorption of hemoglobin (Hb). The UV-visible (UV–vis) spectra indicated that Hb adsorbed on the GNSs interface retained the native structure. Electrochemical impedance spectra and cyclic voltammetric techniques were employed to evaluate the electrochemical behaviors of Hb, the results demonstrated that GNSs could act as electron tunnels to facilitate electron transfer between Hb and the electrode. Based on the activity of Hb adsorbed on the GNSs/APTES/ITO electrode toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, a mediator-free H2O2 biosensor was constructed, which showed a broad linear range from 5μM to 1mM with a detection limit of 3.4μM (S/N=3). The apparent Michaelis–Menten constant was calculated to be 180μM, suggesting a high affinity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most common form of sensory deprivation and is often unrecognized by patients, inducing not only auditory but also nonauditory symptoms. Data-driven classifier modeling with the combination of neural static and dynamic imaging features could be effectively used to classify SNHL individuals and healthy controls (HCs)., Methods: We conducted hearing evaluation, neurological scale tests and resting-state MRI on 110 SNHL patients and 106 HCs. A total of 1,267 static and dynamic imaging characteristics were extracted from MRI data, and three methods of feature selection were computed, including the Spearman rank correlation test, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and t test as well as LASSO. Linear, polynomial, radial basis functional kernel (RBF) and sigmoid support vector machine (SVM) models were chosen as the classifiers with fivefold cross-validation. The receiver operating characteristic curve, area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated for each model., Results: SNHL subjects had higher hearing thresholds in each frequency, as well as worse performance in cognitive and emotional evaluations, than HCs. After comparison, the selected brain regions using LASSO based on static and dynamic features were consistent with the between-group analysis, including auditory and nonauditory areas. The subsequent AUCs of the four SVM models (linear, polynomial, RBF and sigmoid) were as follows: 0.8075, 0.7340, 0.8462 and 0.8562. The RBF and sigmoid SVM had relatively higher accuracy, sensitivity and specificity., Conclusion: Our research raised attention to static and dynamic alterations underlying hearing deprivation. Machine learning-based models may provide several useful biomarkers for the classification and diagnosis of SNHL., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wu, Yao, Xu, Zhou, Salvi, Ding and Gao.)

The application of artificial intelligence technology in the medical field has become increasingly prevalent, yet there remains significant room for exploration in its deep implementation. Within the field of orthopedics, which integrates closely with AI due to its extensive data requirements, rotator cuff injuries are a commonly encountered condition in joint motion. One of the most severe complications following rotator cuff repair surgery is the recurrence of tears, which has a significant impact on both patients and healthcare professionals. To address this issue, we utilized the innovative EV-GCN algorithm to train a predictive model. We collected medical records of 1,631 patients who underwent rotator cuff repair surgery at a single center over a span of 5 years. In the end, our model successfully predicted postoperative re-tear before the surgery using 62 preoperative variables with an accuracy of 96.93%, and achieved an accuracy of 79.55% on an independent external dataset of 518 cases from other centers. This model outperforms human doctors in predicting outcomes with high accuracy. Through this methodology and research, our aim is to utilize preoperative prediction models to assist in making informed medical decisions during and after surgery, leading to improved treatment effectiveness. This research method and strategy can be applied to other medical fields, and the research findings can assist in making healthcare decisions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhang, Ke, Zhang, Chen, Weng, Dong, Hao, Liu, Zheng, Li, Ding, Dong and Peng.)

Background: Previous studies have indicated the abnormality of the globus pallidus in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia., Objective: This study aims to explore the microstructure and cerebral perfusion of globus pallidus in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia by using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) approaches., Methods: Thirty-seven neonates were enrolled in this study, which were classified into Bilirubin-Induced Neurologic Dysfunction (BIND) group (hyperbilirubinemia with BIND, n=12), non-BIND group (hyperbilirubinemia without BIND, n=15), and healthy controls (HC) group (n=10). The quantitative values of globus pallidus were calculated from DTI, including the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC), the Fractional Anisotropy (FA), and Volume Ratio (VR) values. Additionally, the relative Cerebral Blood Flow (rCBF) values were obtained from ASL., Results: It was observed that the mean DTI signal of globus pallidus was significantly different among the three groups (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the rCBF of globus pallidus among the three groups (p > 0.05). A positive correlation was also observed between the fractional anisotropy (FA) value and serum bilirubin level (r = 0.561, p = 0.002), while the VR value showed a negative correlation with serum bilirubin level (r=-0.484, p=0.011). The area under the curve (AUC) of FA, VR, and FA and VR combined was 0.897, 0.858, and 0.933, respectively., Conclusion: The alterations of microstructure in globus pallidus, especially FA and VR value, may be valuable and sensitive at the early stage of hyperbilirubinemia encephalopathy, suggesting that early hyperbilirubinemia may lead to cytotoxic edema and decreased permeability of the cell membrane.

Background: CD36 deficiency is closely associated with fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia, platelet transfusion refractoriness, and other hemorrhage disorders, particularly in Asian and African populations. There is a clinical need for rapid and high-throughput methods of platelet CD36 (pCD36) phenotyping to improve the availability of CD36 typing of donors and assist clinical blood transfusions for patients with anti-CD36 antibodies. Such methods can also support the establishment of databases of pCD36-negative phenotypes., Study Design and Methods: A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for CD36 phenotyping of human platelets was developed using anti-CD36 monoclonal antibodies. The reliability of the assay was evaluated by calculating the intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation (CV). A total of 1,691 anticoagulant whole blood samples from healthy blood donors were randomly selected. PCD36 expression was measured using a sandwich ELISA. PCD36 deficiency was confirmed by flow cytometry (FC). Mutations underlying pCD36 deficiency were identified using polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT)., Results: The sandwich ELISA for pCD36 phenotyping had high reliability (intra-assay CV, 2.1-4.8%; inter-assay CV, 2.3-5.2%). The sandwich ELISA was used to screen for CD36 expression on platelets isolated from 1,691 healthy blood donors. Of these, 36 samples were pCD36-negative. FC demonstrated absence of CD36 expression on monocytes in three of the 36 cases. In the present study population, the frequency of CD36 deficiency was 2.13% (36/1,691), of which 0.18% (3/1,691) was type I deficiency and 1.95% (33/1,691) was type II deficiency. In addition, we used PCR-SBT to characterize the gene mutations in exons 3-14 of the CD36 gene in 27 cases of CD36 deficiency and discovered 10 types of mutations in 13 pCD36-negative samples., Conclusion: The present study describes the development and characterization of a highly reliable sandwich ELISA for high-throughput screening for pCD36 expression. This novel method is feasible for clinical applications and provides a useful tool for the establishment of databases of pCD36-negative phenotype donors., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Aims: The aim of this study is to provide a detailed description of cases combining bridging patch repair with artificial ligament "internal brace" reinforcement to treat irreparable massive rotator cuff tears, and report the preliminary results., Methods: This is a retrospective review of patients with irreparable massive rotator cuff tears undergoing fascia lata autograft bridging repair with artificial ligament "internal brace" reinforcement technique between January 2017 and May 2018. Inclusion criteria were: patients treated arthroscopically for an incompletely reparable massive rotator cuff tear (dimension > 5 cm or two tendons fully torn), stage 0 to 4 supraspinatus fatty degeneration on MRI according to the Goutallier grading system, and an intact or reparable infraspinatus and/or subscapularis tendon of radiological classification Hamada 0 to 4. The surgical technique comprised two components: first, superior capsular reconstruction using an artificial ligament as an "internal brace" protective device for a fascia lata patch. The second was fascia lata autograft bridging repair for the torn supraspinatus. In all, 26 patients with a mean age 63.4 years (SD 6.2) were included., Results: All patients underwent more than two years of follow-up (mean 33.5 months (24 to 45)). All clinical scores were also improved at two-year follow-up (mean visual analogue scale 0.7 (SD 0.5) vs 6.1 (SD 1.2); p < 0.001; mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score 93.5 (SD 5.3) vs 42.5 (SD 10.8); p < 0.001; mean University of California, Los Angeles score, 31.7 (SD 3.7) vs 12.0 (SD 3.1); p < 0.001; and mean Constant-Murley score 88.7 (SD 3.5) vs 43.3 (SD 10.9); p < 0.001), and 24 of 26 fascia lata grafts were fully healed on MRI (92%). One patient had haematoma formation at the harvesting side of the fascia lata at two days postoperatively., Conclusion: The fascia lata autograft bridging repair combined with artificial ligament internal brace reinforcement technique achieved good functional outcomes, with a high rate of graft healing at two-year follow-up. Although the short-term results are promising, further studies with a greater number of patients would provide clearer results. Cite this article: Bone Joint J  2021;103-B(10):1619-1626.

Background: Osteoporosis is one of the most commonly diagnosed age-related bone diseases worldwide, and it is also one of the leading causes of fracture. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical molecular regulators that are involved in the bone re-modelling processes, and the circulating miRNAs were stable in the peripheral blood. Thus, to detect the level of miRNAs in plasma of osteoporotic patients may be an efficient, repeatable, and inexpensive method for the early diagnosis and evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of osteoporosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential diagnostic value of miR-100 in plasma of patients with osteoporosis., Methods: A total of 120 osteoporotic patients were recruited and 120 healthy individuals were also included as the control group. The plasma of the participants was collected and the RNAs were extracted. The expressions of miR-100 in different clinical samples were examined using the RT-qPCR method. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) was drawn to determine the diagnostic value of miR-100 for osteoporosis. Next, the correlation between the plasma levels of miR-100 and T-scores of the patients were evaluated and, finally, the correlation between the plasma level of miR-100 and the expression levels of 25OH-D2 and 25OH-D3 were analyzed., Results: miR-100 was significantly increased in plasma of patients with osteoporosis in comparison with healthy individuals; moreover, results of ROC analysis indicated that plasma level of miR-100 is a sensitive biomarker that could distinguish osteoporosis patients from healthy controls (AUC, 0.8916, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.8468 to 0.9364). Furthermore, miR-100 was found to be negatively correlated with both vBMD (r = -0.3117, p = 0.0005) and Lumbar Spine L2-L4 T-score in patients with osteoporosis (r = -0.2929, p = 0.012). Finally, the plasma level of miR-100 was negatively correlated with the levels of 25OH-D2 (r = -0.3002, p = 0.0008) and 25OH-D3 (r = -0.3105, p = 0.0006) of the osteoporotic patients., Conclusions: miR-100 was abnormally increased in the plasma of osteoporotic patients, suggesting that circulating miR-100 could serve as potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment osteoporosis.

Purpose: Deregulation of immune checkpoint molecules by tumor cells is related to immune escape. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the appearance of B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) and its ligand herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM) with the prognosis in gastric cancer patients., Patients and Methods: A total of 136 patients with curative gastrectomy were included. The expression of BTLA and HVEM was detected by immunohistochemistry, and its correlation with the clinical significance of gastric cancer was further analyzed., Results: The positivity of BTLA and HVEM was detected in 74.3% (101/136) and 89.0% (121/136) of the gastric cancer specimens, respectively. A high expression of BTLA and HVEM was detected, respectively, in 28.7% (39/136) and 44.9% (61/136) of the specimens. Characteristics analysis showed that the high expression of BTLA was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis ( P =0.030). Similarly, the high expression of HVEM was also significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis ( P =0.007) and depth of invasion ( P =0.011). In addition, there was a positive correlation between the expression of BTLA and HVEM in gastric cancer specimens ( r =0.245, P =0.004). Univariate analysis revealed that the high expression of BTLA and HVEM was associated with overall survival of patients along with tumor size, Borrmann type, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, and histological grade ( P <0.05). Multivariate analysis established that the high expression of HVEM ( P =0.010), depth of invasion ( P =0.001), lymph node metastasis ( P <0.001), and histological grade ( P =0.027) were independent prognostic factors associated with overall survival in patients with gastric cancer., Conclusion: The increased BTLA and HVEM levels correlate with the development and poor prognosis of gastric cancer. HVEM is an important prognostic indicator, and BTLA/HVEM pathway is considered to be a promising candidate for immunotherapy of gastric cancer., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

An interface of gold nanoshells (GNSs) was constructed on the surface of the 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) modified ITO glass substrates by a simple self-assemble method to form the GNSs-coated ITO electrode. UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and cyclic voltammetry were used to characterize the GNSs interface architectures. SEM and UV-vis spectroscopy showed that an interconnected and stable GNSs interface was formed on the APTES modified ITO glass substrate. The cytochrome b562 (Cyt b562) was selected to observe electron transfer reactions of redox protein at the GNSs-coated ITO electrodes. Quasi-reversible electrochemistry of Cyt b562 was obtained and its electrochemical behaviors were discussed.

We present here a facile route to the incorporation of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with desired sizes into three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) matrixes. Our route combined the first attachment of small GNPs to the silica colloidal crystal templates as precursors and their subsequent controlled growth by the in-situ chemical reduction method. The desired enlargement of GNPs was acquired via their alternating and repeated exposure to solutions of auric salts and reducing agent NH(3)OH. Such gold-decorated silica templates were also converted into self-sustained polystyrene (PS) macroporous films with GNPs embedded in their wall structures. The growth of gold seeds can be easily followed by their UV-vis absorbance spectra. The route provides an alternative way to incorporate GNPs with predetermined sizes into 3DOM matrixes without destroying their ordered structures. A highlight of our approach is that it obviates the need for the preformation of various-sized GNPs, which is an indispensable step in many other approaches.

We compared the optical properties of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in various solvents with those of strawberry-like composite particles (Au/SiO2) consisting of a silica core and single attached GNPs. The results show that Au/SiO2 without any surfactant could regenerate well optical properties of individual GNPs in alcoholic solvents. By the electrophoretic light-scattering measurements, the high dispersibility of Au/SiO2 composite particles dispersed in alcoholic solvents has been demonstrated. In addition, using Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory, we proposed a possible mechanism to qualitatively account for the dispersibility of Au/SiO2 in organic solvents such as alcoholic solvents and cyclohexane, which may provide an opportunity to manipulate optical signals of single nanoparticle in organic solvents.