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Objective: The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy is still controversial for stage II gastric cancer patients. This study aims to identify prognostic factors to guide individualized treatment for stage II gastric cancer patients.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 1121 stage II gastric cancer patients who underwent D2 radical gastrectomy from 2007 to 2017 in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, FuJian Medical School Affiliated Union Hospital and Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. Propensity score matching was used to ensure that the baseline data were balanced between the adjuvant chemotherapy group and surgery-only group. Kaplan-Meier survival and multivariate Cox regression analyses were carried out to identify independent prognostic factors.Results: In univariate analysis, after propensity score matching, age, tumor location, tumor size, CEA, T stage and N stage were associated with overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis illustrated that age ≥ 60 years old, linitis plastica and T4 were independent risk factors for OS, but lower location and adjuvant chemotherapy were protective factors.Conclusion: Stage II gastric cancer patients with adverse prognostic factors (age ≥ 60, linitis plastica and T4) have poor prognosis. Adjuvant chemotherapy may be more beneficial for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor kinases (NTRKs) are a gene family function as oncogene or tumor suppressor gene in distinct cancers. We aimed to investigate the methylation and expression profiles and prognostic value of NTRKs gene in colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods: An analysis of DNA methylation and expression profiles in CRC patients was performed to explore the critical methylations within NTRKs genes. The methylation marker was validated in a retrospectively collected cohort of 229 CRC patients and tested in other tumor types from TCGA. DNA methylation status was determined by quantitative methylation-specific PCR (QMSP).Results: The profiles in six CRC cohorts showed that NTRKs gene promoter was more frequently methylated in CRC compared to normal mucosa, which was associated with suppressed gene expression. We identified a specific methylated region within NTRK3 promoter targeted by cg27034819 and cg11525479 that best predicted survival outcome in CRC. NTRK3 promoter methylation showed independently predictive value for survival outcome in the validation cohort (P = 0.004, HR 2.688, 95% CI [1.355, 5.333]). Based on this, a nomogram predicting survival outcome was developed with a C-index of 0.705. Furthermore, the addition of NTRK3 promoter methylation improved the performance of currently-used prognostic model (AIC: 516.49 vs 513.91; LR: 39.06 vs 43.64, P = 0.032). Finally, NTRK3 promoter methylation also predicted survival in other tumors, including pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma and stomach adenocarcinoma.Conclusions: This study highlights the essential value of NTRK3 methylation in prognostic evaluation and the potential to improve current prognostic models in CRC and other tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background B-cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) protein, an evolutionarily conserved zinc finger transcription factor, showed to be highly expressed in various human cancers in addition to malignancies in the lymphoid system. This study investigated the role of BCL6 expression in breast cancer and its clinical significance in breast cancer patients. Methods Expression of BCL6 protein was assessed using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in 127 breast cancer patients and 50 patients with breast benign disease as well as in breast cell lines. Expression of BCL6 was restored or knocked down in two breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and T47D) using BCL6 cDNA and siRNA, respectively. The phenotypic change of these breast cancer cell lines was assessed using cell viability MTT, Transwell invasion, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays and in a xenograft mice model. Luciferase reporter gene, immunoblot, and qRT-PCR were used to investigate the molecular events after manipulated BCL6 expression in breast cancer cells. Results BCL6 protein was highly expressed in breast cancer cell lines and tissue specimens and expression of BCL6 protein was associated with disease progression and poor survival of breast cancer patients. In vitro, the forced expression of BCL6 results in increased proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, migration, invasion and survival of breast cancer cell lines, whereas knockdown of BCL6 expression reduced these oncogenic properties of breast cancer cells. Moreover, forced expression of BCL6 increased tumor growth and invasiveness in a nude mouse xenograft model. At the gene level, BCL6 was a target gene of miR-339-5p. Expression of BCL6 induced expression of CXCR4 and cyclinD1 proteins. Conclusions The current study demonstrated the oncogenic property of BCL6 in breast cancer and further study could target BCL6 as a novel potential therapeutic strategy for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessment of inflammatory activity in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) is crucial to the prediction of relapse. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is an accurate tool for assessing inflammatory activity in UC patients. This study aimed to evaluate whether CLE could be used to predict UC relapse reliably. Methods: In total, forty-three patients with documented UC were analyzed in this study. Patients identified as having obvious active inflammation by conventional colonoscopy were excluded. The mucosa of each patient's sigmoid colon and rectum was assessed by CLE before targeted biopsies were taken. The patients were then followed up for at least 12 months to evaluate relapse according to the Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index. The correlation between CLE classification and UC relapse was evaluated. Results: Seventeen of 20 patients with histologically confirmed normal or chronic inflammation were diagnosed as having non-active inflammation by real-time CLE and 22 of 23 patients with histologically confirmed acute inflammation were diagnosed as having active inflammation by CLE. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CLE in real-time diagnosis of active inflammation were 95.7%, 85%, and 90.7%, respectively. The agreement between CLE and conventional histology was excellent (kappa value = 0.812). Two of 18 (11.1%) patients who were classified as having non-active inflammation by CLE relapsed, while 16 of 25 (64%) patients classified as having as active inflammation relapsed. The relapse rate of patients with active inflammation was significantly higher than of those with non-active inflammation (P < 0.001). Conclusions: CLE is comparable to conventional histology in predicting relapse in patients with UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although cardiac troponin I gives excellent accuracy in the identification of myocardial necrosis, it can also be elevated in a series of diseases other than acute coronary syndromes. Case presentation: We present two cases of Chinese patients with a high serum troponin I level after an acute episode of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia with normal coronary arteries via angiography. Conclusion: Abnormal troponin elevations can be seen in patients presenting with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia and angiographically-normal coronary arteries. Caution is advised with the use of invasive assessments such as coronary angiography in the differential diagnosis of patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia and elevated troponin levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) capture technology improves endothelialization rates of sirolimus-eluting stents (SES), but the problem of delayed re- endothelialization, as well as endothelial dysfunction, has still not been overcome. Therefore, we investigated whether the combination coating of hyaluronan-chitosan (HC) and anti-CD34 antibody applied on an SES (HCASES) can promote endothelialization, while reducing neointimal formation and inflammation. Methods: Sirolimus-eluting stents(SES), anti-CD34 antibody stents (GS) and HC-anti-CD34 antibody combined with sirolimus-eluting stents (HCASES) were deployed in 54 normal porcine arteries and harvested for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and histological analysis. The ratio of endothelial coverage above the stents was evaluated by SEM analysis at 7, 14 and 28 days. The percentage of in-stent stenosis was histologically analyzed at 14 and 28 days. Results: SEM analysis at 7 days showed that endothelial strut coverage was increased in the HCASES group (68±7%) compared with that in the SES group (31±4%, p=0.02). At 14 days, stent surface endothelialization, evaluated by SEM, showed a significantly higher extent of endothelial coverage above struts in the GS (95 ± 2%) and the HCASES groups (87±4%) compared with that in the SES group (51±6%, p=0.02). Histological examination showed that the percentage of stenosis in the HCASES group was not significantly different to that of the SES and GS groups (both p> 0.05). At 28 days, there was no difference in the rates of endothelial coverage between the HCASES and GS groups. The HCASES group showed less stenosis than that in the GS group (P < 0.05), but it was not significantly different from the SES group (P=0.068). Conclusions: SEM and histology demonstrated that HCASESs can promote re-endothelialization while enhancing antiproliferative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are many reports about the anti-arrhythmic effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, however, the mechanisms are still not completely delineated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of action potentials and transient outward potassium currents (Ito) of Sprague-Dawley rat ventricular myocytes and the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on action potentials and Ito. Methods: The calcium-tolerant rat ventricular myocytes were isolated by enzyme digestion. Action potentials and Ito of epicardial, mid-cardial and endocardial ventricular myocytes were recorded by whole-cell patch clamp technique. Results: 1. Action potential durations (APDs) were prolonged from epicardial to endocardial ventricular myocytes (P < 0.05). 2. Ito current densities were decreased from epicardial to endocardial ventricular myocytes, which were 59.50 ± 15.99 pA/pF, 29.15 ± 5.53 pA/pF, and 12.29 ± 3.62 pA/pF, respectively at +70 mV test potential (P < 0.05). 3. APDs were gradually prolonged with the increase of DHA concentrations from 1 μmol/L to 100 μmol/L, however, APDs changes were not significant as DHA concentrations were in the range of 0 μmol/L to 1 μmol/L. 4. Ito currents were gradually reduced with the increase of DHA concentrations from 1 μmol/L to 100 μmol/L, and its half-inhibited concentration was 5.3 μmol/L. The results showed that there were regional differences in the distribution of action potentials and Ito in rat epicardial, mid-cardial and endocardial ventricular myocytes. APDs were prolonged and Ito current densities were gradually reduced with the increase of DHA concentrations. Conclusion: The anti-arrhythmia mechanisms of DHA are complex, however, the effects of DHA on action potentials and Ito may be one of the important causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HLA-DRB1 allele polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility, but the results of these previous studies have been inconsistent. The purpose of the present study was to explore whether specific HLA-DRB1 alleles (DRB1*07, DRB1*12, DRB1*15) confer susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: Case-control studies on HLA-DRB1 alleles association with HCC were searched up to January 2010 through a systematic review of the literature. The odds ratios (ORs) of HLA-DRB1 allele distributions in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were analyzed against healthy controls. The meta-analysis software REVMAN 5.0 was applied for investigating heterogeneity among individual studies and for summarizing all the studies. Meta-analysis was performed using fixed-effect or random-effect methods, depending on absence or presence of significant heterogeneity. Results: Eight case-control studies were included in the final analysis. Among the 3 HLA-DRB1 alleles studied, DRB1*07 and DRB1*12 were significantly associated with the risk of HCC in the whole populations (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.08-2.51, P = 0.02 and OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.09-2.32, P = 0.02, respectively). No significant association was established for DRB1*15 allele with HCC in the whole populations. Subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed that DRB1*07, DRB1*12 and DRB1*15 alleles significantly increased the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in Asians (OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.06-4.14, P = 0.03; OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.17-2.57, P = 0.006 and OR = 2.88, 95%CI: 1.77-4.69, P <0.001, respectively). Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis that specific HLA-DRB1 alleles might influence the susceptibility of hepatocellular carcinoma. Large, multi-ethnic confirmatory and well designed studies are needed to determine the host genetic determinants of hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver fibrosis is a key phase that will progress to further injuries such as liver cirrhosis or carcinoma. This study aimed to investigate whether transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) can attenuate liver fibrosis in mice and the underlying mechanisms based on the regulation of macrophage subtypes. Methods: A liver fibrosis model was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of CCl4 twice per week for 70 days, and BM-MSCs were intravenously transplanted twice on the 60th and 70th days. Immunohistology and gene expression of liver fibrosis and macrophage subtypes were analyzed. Mouse RAW264.7 cells and JS1 cells (hepatic stellate cell strain) were also used to explore the underlying mechanisms of the effects of BM-MSCs on liver fibrosis. Results: After transplantation of BM-MSCs, F4/80+CD206+-activated M2 macrophages and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP 13) expression were significantly increased while F4/80+iNOS+-activated M1 macrophages were inhibited in liver tissue. Gene expression of IL-10 was elevated while IL12b, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-6 gene expression were decreased. ΤGF-β1 and collagen-1 secretions were reduced while caspase-3 was increased in JS1 cells treated with BM-MSC-conditioned media. BM-MSCs effectively suppressed the expression of α-SMA, Sirius red, and collagen-1 in the liver, which are positively correlated with fibrosis and induced by CCl4 injection. Conclusions: Taken together, we have provided the first demonstration that BM-MSC transplantation can promote the activation of M2 macrophages expressing MMP13 and inhibition of M1 macrophages to further inhibit hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which play synergistic roles in attenuating liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessment of inflammatory activity in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) is crucial to the prediction of relapse. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is an accurate tool for assessing inflammatory activity in UC patients. This study aimed to evaluate whether CLE could be used to predict UC relapse reliably.Methods: In total, forty-three patients with documented UC were analyzed in this study. Patients identified as having obvious active inflammation by conventional colonoscopy were excluded. The mucosa of each patient's sigmoid colon and rectum was assessed by CLE before targeted biopsies were taken. The patients were then followed up for at least 12 months to evaluate relapse according to the Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index. The correlation between CLE classification and UC relapse was evaluated.Results: Seventeen of 20 patients with histologically confirmed normal or chronic inflammation were diagnosed as having non-active inflammation by real-time CLE and 22 of 23 patients with histologically confirmed acute inflammation were diagnosed as having active inflammation by CLE. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CLE in real-time diagnosis of active inflammation were 95.7%, 85%, and 90.7%, respectively. The agreement between CLE and conventional histology was excellent (kappa value = 0.812). Two of 18 (11.1%) patients who were classified as having non-active inflammation by CLE relapsed, while 16 of 25 (64%) patients classified as having as active inflammation relapsed. The relapse rate of patients with active inflammation was significantly higher than of those with non-active inflammation (P < 0.001).Conclusions: CLE is comparable to conventional histology in predicting relapse in patients with UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: B-cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) protein, an evolutionarily conserved zinc finger transcription factor, showed to be highly expressed in various human cancers in addition to malignancies in the lymphoid system. This study investigated the role of BCL6 expression in breast cancer and its clinical significance in breast cancer patients.Methods: Expression of BCL6 protein was assessed using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in 127 breast cancer patients and 50 patients with breast benign disease as well as in breast cell lines. Expression of BCL6 was restored or knocked down in two breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and T47D) using BCL6 cDNA and siRNA, respectively. The phenotypic change of these breast cancer cell lines was assessed using cell viability MTT, Transwell invasion, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays and in a xenograft mice model. Luciferase reporter gene, immunoblot, and qRT-PCR were used to investigate the molecular events after manipulated BCL6 expression in breast cancer cells.Results: BCL6 protein was highly expressed in breast cancer cell lines and tissue specimens and expression of BCL6 protein was associated with disease progression and poor survival of breast cancer patients. In vitro, the forced expression of BCL6 results in increased proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, migration, invasion and survival of breast cancer cell lines, whereas knockdown of BCL6 expression reduced these oncogenic properties of breast cancer cells. Moreover, forced expression of BCL6 increased tumor growth and invasiveness in a nude mouse xenograft model. At the gene level, BCL6 was a target gene of miR-339-5p. Expression of BCL6 induced expression of CXCR4 and cyclinD1 proteins.Conclusions: The current study demonstrated the oncogenic property of BCL6 in breast cancer and further study could target BCL6 as a novel potential therapeutic strategy for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deciphering the genetic architecture of a species is a good way to understand its evolutionary history, but also to tailor its profile for breeding elite cultivars with desirable traits. Aligning QTLs from diverse population in one map and utilizing it for comparison, but also as a basis for multiple analyses assure a stronger evidence to understand the genetic system related to a given phenotype., Results: In this study, 439 genes involved in fatty acid (FA) and triacylglycerol (TAG) biosyntheses were identified in Brassica napus. B. napus genome showed mixed gene loss and insertion compared to B. rapa and B. oleracea, and C genome had more inserted genes. Identified QTLs for oil (OC-QTLs) and fatty acids (FA-QTLs) from nine reported populations were projected on the physical map of the reference genome "Darmor-bzh" to generate a map. Thus, 335 FA-QTLs and OC-QTLs could be highlighted and 82 QTLs were overlapping. Chromosome C3 contained 22 overlapping QTLs with all trait studied except for C18:3. In total, 218 candidate genes which were potentially involved in FA and TAG were identified in 162 QTLs confidence intervals and some of them might affect many traits. Also, 76 among these candidate genes were found inside 57 overlapping QTLs, and candidate genes for oil content were in majority (61/76 genes). Then, sixteen genes were found in overlapping QTLs involving three populations, and the remaining 60 genes were found in overlapping QTLs of two populations. Interaction network and pathway analysis of these candidate genes indicated ten genes that might have strong influence over the other genes that control fatty acids and oil formation., Conclusion: The present results provided new information for genetic basis of FA and TAG formation in B. napus. A map including QTLs from numerous populations was built, which could serve as reference to study the genome profile of B. napus, and new potential genes emerged which might affect seed oil. New useful tracks were showed for the selection of population or/and selection of interesting genes for breeding improvement purpose.

This study concerns the effects of microwave on health because they pervade diverse fields of our lives. The brain has been recognized as one of the organs that is most vulnerable to microwave radiation. Therefore, in this article, we reviewed recent studies that have explored the effects of microwave radiation on the brain, especially the hippocampus, including analyses of epidemiology, morphology, electroencephalograms, learning and memory abilities and the mechanisms underlying brain dysfunction. However, the problem with these studies is that different parameters, such as the frequency, modulation, and power density of the radiation and the irradiation time, were used to evaluate microwave radiation between studies. As a result, the existing data exhibit poor reproducibility and comparability. To determine the specific dose-effect relationship between microwave radiation and its biological effects, more intensive studies must be performed.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate whether body mass index (BMI) is a prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination., Methods: This is a retrospective study consisting of 518 patients with a histological diagnosis of gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination seen at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University and Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between January 2010 and April 2014. Patients were followed until December 2015. Chi-square test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to compare the clinicopathological variables and prognosis., Results: Univariate analyses showed that significant prognostic factors included palliative gastrectomy (p < 0.001), tumor size (p < 0.001), tumor location (p = 0.011), peritoneal seeding grade (p < 0.001), ascites (p = 0.001), serum CEA level (p = 0.002), serum CA19-9 level (p = 0.033), palliative chemotherapy (p < 0.001), and BMI group (p < 0.001). For patients with palliative chemotherapy, univariate analysis revealed that palliative gastrectomy (p < 0.001), tumor size (p = 0.002), tumor location (p = 0.024), peritoneal seeding grade (p = 0.008), serum CEA level (p = 0.041), and BMI group (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that BMI was an independent prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination, especially in patients who received palliative chemotherapy., Conclusions: BMI is a prognostic factor for patients who have gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination, especially in those who received palliative chemotherapy.

Background: Yield of rapeseed is determined by three components: silique number, seed number per silique and thousand seed weight. Seed number per silique and thousand seed weight are influenced by silique length, seed density, silique breadth, silique thickness and silique volume. Some QTLs for silique traits have been reported in B. napus, however, no studies have focused on the six agronomic traits (seed number per silique, silique length, silique breadth, silique thickness, seed density and silique volume) simultaneously, and the genetic determinism of such complex traits have not been fully elucidated., Results: In this study, the six silique traits were evaluated using 348 lines of a doubled haploid population, the KN population. The results showed that 2, 4, 1, 1 and 2 QTLs explaining > 10 % of phenotypic variation were obtained for silique length, silique breadth, silique thickness, seed number per silique and silique volume, respectively. Notably, three major effect QTLs (cqSB-C6-1, cqSB-C6-2 and cqSV-C6-3) were identified in at least three environments, and 17 unique QTLs controlling at least two traits were obtained. A high-density consensus map containing 1225 markers was constructed for QTL comparison by combining the KN map with other five published maps. The comparative results revealed that 14, 13 and 11 QTLs for silique breadth, silique thickness and silique volume might be the potential new QTLs because few QTLs for these traits were reported in B. napus. In addition, potential new QTLs for silique length (11), seed number per silique (6) and seed density (5) were also identified. Twenty-five candidate genes underlying 27 QTLs for silique related traits were obtained., Conclusions: This study constructed QTL analysis in B. napus, and obtained 60 consensus QTLs for six silique related traits. The potential new QTLs will enhance our understanding of the genetic control of silique traits, and the stable QTLs provided the targets for improving seed yield in future. These findings provided comprehensive insights into the genetic network affecting silique traits at QTL level in B. napus.

Objective: Evidence supports an important role for miR-203 in the regulation of the proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate cancer (PCa) cells. However, the exact mechanisms of miR-203 in PCa are not entirely clear., Methods: We examined the expression of miR-203 in prostate cancer tissues, adjacent normal tissues, PCa cell lines and normal prostate epithelial cells by qRT-PCR. Then, the effects of miR-203 or Rap1A on proliferation, adhesion and invasion of PCa cells were assayed using CKK-8, adhesion analysis, and transwell invasion assays. Luciferase reporter assay was performed to assess miR-203 binding to Rap1A mRNA. Tumor growth was assessed by subcutaneous inoculation of cells into BALB/c nude mice., Results: Here, we confirmed that the expression of miR-203 was significantly downregulated in prostate cancer specimens compared with matched adjacent normal prostate specimens. Mechanistic dissection revealed that miR-203 mediated cell proliferation, adhesion and invasion in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo, as evidenced by reduced RAC1, p-PAK1, and p-MEK1 expression. In addition, we identified Rap1A as a direct target suppressed by miR-203, and there was an inverse relationship between the expression of miR-203 and Rap1A in PCa. Knockdown of Rap1A phenocopied the effects of miR-203 on PCa cell growth and invasion. Furthermore, Rap1A over-expression in PCa cells partially reversed the effects of miR-203-expression on cell adhesion and invasion., Conclusions: These findings provide further evidence that a crucial role for miR-203 in inhibiting metastasis of PCa through the suppression of Rap1A expression.

Background: Human replication factor C4 (RFC4) is involved in DNA replication as a clamp loader and is aberrantly regulated across a range of cancers. The current study aimed to investigate the function of RFC4 in colorectal cancer (CRC)., Methods: The mRNA levels of RFC4 were assessed in 30 paired primary CRC tissues and matched normal colonic tissues by quantitative PCR. The protein expression levels of RFC4 were evaluated by western blotting (n = 16) and immunohistochemistry (IHC; n = 49), respectively. Clinicopathological features and survival data were correlated with the expression of RFC4 by IHC analysis in a tissue microarray comprising 331 surgically resected CRC. The impact of RFC4 on cell proliferation and the cell cycle was assessed using CRC cell lines., Results: RFC4 expression was significantly increased in CRC specimens as compared to adjacent normal colonic tissues (P <0.05). High levels of RFC4, determined on a tissue microarray, were significantly associated with differentiation, an advanced stage by the Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging system, and a poor prognosis, as compared to low levels of expression (P <0.05). However, in multivariate analysis, RFC4 was not an independent predictor of poor survival for CRC. In vitro studies, the loss of RFC4 suppressed CRC cell proliferation and induced S-phase cell cycle arrest., Conclusion: RFC4 is frequently overexpressed in CRC, and is associated with tumor progression and worse survival outcome. This might be attributed to the regulation of CRC cell proliferation and cell cycle arrest by RFC4.

Background: Although cardiac troponin I gives excellent accuracy in the identification of myocardial necrosis, it can also be elevated in a series of diseases other than acute coronary syndromes., Case Presentation: We present two cases of Chinese patients with a high serum troponin I level after an acute episode of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia with normal coronary arteries via angiography., Conclusion: Abnormal troponin elevations can be seen in patients presenting with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia and angiographically-normal coronary arteries. Caution is advised with the use of invasive assessments such as coronary angiography in the differential diagnosis of patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia and elevated troponin levels.

Background: The function and kinetics of some herpsvirus UL16 gene have been reported. But there was no any report of duck enteritis virus (DEV) UL16 gene., Findings: The kinetics of DEV UL16 gene was examined in DEV CHv infected duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs) by establishment of real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay (qRT-PCR) and western-blotting. In this study, UL16 mRNA was transcript at a low level from 0-18 h post-infection (p.i), and peaked at 36 h p.i. It can't be detected in the presence of acyclovir (ACV). Besides, western-blotting analysis showed that UL16 gene expressed as an apparent 40-KDa in DEV infected cell lysate from 12 h p.i, and rose to peak level at 48 h p.i consistent with the qRT-PCR result., Conclusions: These results provided the first evidence of the kinetics of DEV UL16 gene. DEV UL16 gene was a late gene and dependent on viral DNA synthesis.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of short (~22 nt) noncoding RNAs that specifically regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. miRNA precursors (pre-miRNAs), which are imperfect stem loop structures of ~70 nt, are processed into mature miRNAs by cellular RNases III. To date, thousands of miRNAs have been identified in different organisms. Several viruses have been reported to encode miRNAs., Findings: Here, we extended the analysis of miRNA-encoding potential to the Anatid herpesvirus 1 (AHV-1). Using computational approaches, we found that AHV-1 putatively encodes 12 mature miRNAs. We then compared the 12 mature miRNAs candidates with the all known miRNAs of the herpesvirus family. Interestingly, the "seed sequences" (nt 2 to 8) of 2 miRNAs were predicted to have the high conservation in position and/or sequence with the 2 miRNAs of Marek's disease virus type 1 (MDV-1). Additionally, we searched the targets from viral mRNAs., Conclusions: Using computational approaches, we found that AHV-1 putatively encodes 12 mature miRNAs and 2 miRNAs have the high conservation with the 2 miRNAs of MDV-1. The result suggested that AHV-1 and MDV-1 should have closed evolutionary relation, which provides a valuable evidence of classification of AHV-1. Additionally, seven viral gene targets were found, which suggested that AHV-1 miRNAs could affect its own gene expression.

Background: Previous studies have indicated that the UL16 protein and its homologs from herpesvirus were conserved and played similar roles in viral DNA packaging, virion assembly, budding, and egress. However, there was no report on the UL16 gene product of duck enteritis virus (DEV). In this study, we analyzed the amino acid sequence of UL16 using bioinformatics tools and expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3) induced by isopropy1-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The recombinant protein was produced, purified using a Ni-NTA column and used to generate the polyclonal antibody against UL16. The intracellular distribution of the DEV UL16 product was carried out using indirect immunofluorescence assay., Results: In our study, UL16 gene of DEV was composed of 1089 nucleotides, which encoded 362 amino acids. Multiple sequence alignment suggested that the UL16 gene was highly conserved in herpesvirus family. The UL16 gene was cloned into a pET prokaryotic expression vector and transformed into Escherichia coli Rossetta (DE3) induced by IPTG. A 60kDa fusion protein band corresponding to the predicted size was produced on the SDS-PAGE, purified using a Ni-NTA column. Anti-UL16 polyclonal sera was prepared by immunizing rabbits, and reacted with a band in the IPTG induced cell lysates with an apparent molecular mass of 60 kDa. In vivo expression of the UL16 protein in DEV infected duck embryo fibroblast cells (DEFs) was localized mostly around perinuclear cytoplasmic area and in cytosol using indirect immunofluorescence assay., Conclusions: The UL16 gene of DEV was successfully cloned, expressed and detected in DEV infected DEFs for the first time. The UL16 protein localized mostly around perinuclear cytoplasmic area and in cytosol in DEV infected DEFs. DEV UL16 shared high similarity with UL16 family members, indicating that DEV UL16 many has similar function with its homologs. All these results may provide some insight for further research about full characterizations and functions of the DEV UL16.