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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. The aim of the present study was to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and enriched pathways in lung cancer by bioinformatics analysis, and to provide potential targets for diagnosis and treatment. Valid microarray data of 31 pairs of lung cancer tissues and matched normal samples (GSE19804) were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Significance analysis of the gene expression profile was used to identify DEGs between cancer tissues and normal tissues, and a total of 1,970 DEGs, which were significantly enriched in biological processes, were screened. Through the Gene Ontology function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, 77 KEGG pathways associated with lung cancer were identified, among which the Toll-like receptor pathway was observed to be important. Protein-protein interaction network analysis extracted 1,770 nodes and 10,667 edges, and identified 10 genes with key roles in lung cancer with highest degrees, hub centrality and betweenness. Additionally, the module analysis of protein-protein interactions revealed that 'chemokine signaling pathway', 'cell cycle' and 'pathways in cancer' had a close association with lung cancer. In conclusion, the identified DEGs, particularly the hub genes, strengthen the understanding of the development and progression of lung cancer, and certain genes (including advanced glycosylation end-product specific receptor and epidermal growth factor receptor) may be used as candidate target molecules to diagnose, monitor and treat lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal dysfunction is a common complication of sepsis. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of sepsis with renal insufficiency are crucial for improving patient outcomes. Diagnostic markers can help identify patients at risk for sepsis and AKI, allowing for early intervention and potentially preventing the development of severe complications. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression difference of urinary microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in elderly patients with sepsis and secondary renal insufficiency, and to evaluate their diagnostic value in these patients. In the present study, RNA was extracted from urine samples of elderly sepsis-related acute renal damage patients and the expression profiles of several miRNAs were analyzed. In order to evaluate the expression profile of several miRNAs, urine samples from elderly patients with acute renal damage brought on by sepsis were obtained. RNA extraction and sequencing were then performed on the samples. Furthermore, multiple bioinformatics methods were used to analyze miRNA profiles, including differential expression analysis, and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis of different miRNA target genes, to further explore miRNAs that are suitable for utilization as biomarkers. A total of four miRNAs, including hsa-miR-31-5p, hsa-miR-151a-3p, hsa-miR-142-5p and hsa-miR-16-5p, were identified as potential biological markers and were further confirmed in sepsis using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The results of the present study demonstrated that the four urinary miRNAs were differentially expressed and may serve as specific markers for prediction of secondary acute kidney injury in elderly patients with sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Icaritin on the proliferation and decidualization of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs). A total of 20 specimens of endometrium were collected during hysterectomy at the Gynecology Department of Shenzhen Nanshan People's Hospital (Shenzhen, China) between August 2014 and December 2015. The endometrium was digested with high concentrations of collagenase and DNase and filtered with meshes, and then the glandular epithelial and stromal cells were separated by the adhesion purification method. The purity of stromal cells was identified by vimetin and cytokeratin 7 immunostaining. The estradiol + progesterone (E2+P4) and/or cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) were added to induce an in vitro decidualization model, which was used to analyze the effect of Icaritin on the decidualization ability of the human ESCs. The decidualization markers of human ESCs, prolactin (PRL) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1), was analyzed by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction measurements of the mRNA levels, PRL immunostaining and ELISA analysis of the IGFBP-1 protein levels in the cells or cell culture supernatant separately. The results demonstrated that treatment with E2+P4 and/or cAMP for 96 h was able to induce decidualization in ESCs, and that the cells demonstrated polygon-shaped epithelioid changes. The cell nuclei revealed multinuclear changes, and the cells were also observed to be large and round in shape. The PRL expression and upregulated IGFBP-1 mRNA and protein levels in the E2+P4+cAMP treatment group indicated successful decidualization of the in vitro model. However, the addition of Icaritin inhibited the expression of PRL and IGFBP-1 mRNA, as well as IGFBP-1 protein in the induced ESCs compared with groups without Icaritin. These results suggest that Icaritin was able to inhibit the expression of decidualization-related genes in ESCs in vitro. However, the exact mechanisms require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]