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Objective: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of miR-146a and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) in myasthenia gravis (MG) patient serum., Methods: The serum of 52 patients with MG and 60 healthy individuals was collected in our hospital. The expression of miR-146a and TRAF6 in serum was measured by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Comparison among serum miR-146a and TRAF6 mRNA group clinical characteristics and assorted expressions was done with the correlation among the two groups evaluated. Logistics regression was used to analyze the effect of miR-146a and TRAF6 mRNA on MG development with the ROC curve applied for an investigation into the diagnostic role of miR-146a and TRAF6 mRNA expression in MG development., Results: miR-146a and TRAF6 mRNA were significantly increased in the patients with MG compared with the healthy controls. Significant differences were identified in respiratory muscle endurance, muscle weakness level, vital capacity, and maximal voluntary ventilation between the two groups. Additionally, correlation analysis has discovered a positive correlation between miR-146a and TRAF mRNA expression in patients with MG. miR-146a and TRAF6 mRNA are independent MG occurrence factors exhibited by multivariate analysis while areas under ROC curve (AUCs) of miR-146a and TRAF6 mRNA in MG diagnosis were established by ROC curve analysis with results being 0.782 and 0.703, correspondingly., Conclusion: miR-146a and TRAF6 mRNA are highly expressed in MG patients and can affect MG occurrence. miR-146a is a suitable candidate marker for diagnosing MG., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Mei Yan et al.)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancy tumors with insidious onset, rapid development and metastasis, and poor prognosis. Therefore, it is necessary to understand molecular mechanisms of HCC and identify clinically useful biomarkers for it. This study aimed to investigate the role of retinoblastoma binding protein 5 (RBBP5) in HCC. The expression level of RBBP5 was examined by immunohistochemistry and western blot. The effect of RBBP5 on cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, and drug sensitivity was analyzed. RBBP5 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cells. High RBBP5 expression was significantly associated with elevated level of AFP, advanced TNM stage, high Ki-67 expression, larger tumor size, and poor prognosis. Knockdown of RBBP5 significantly inhibited proliferation of HCC cells through cell cycle arrest. In addition, inhibition of RBBP5 increased the sensitivity of HCC cells to doxorubicin. In conclusion, our findings suggest that RBBP5 plays an important role in the progression of HCC and may serve as a novel biomarker and potential therapeutic target for HCC.