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SOmega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) possess anti-inflammatory properties. There is a lack of consensus regarding the effects of omega-3 PUFAs on C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, in cancer patients. Herein, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the effects of omega-3 PUFAs on CRP levels in patients with cancer. PubMed and EMBASE were searched until May 2020 to identify randomized controlled trials that examined the effects of omega-3 PUFA administration on CRP levels in cancer patients. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to determine the differences in omega-3 PUFA administration and control conditions. Seventeen eligible studies involving 916 cancer patients were included in this meta-analysis. Significant heterogeneity was present among individual studies (Pheterogeneity = 0.000; I2 = 74.5%). The overall SMDs of CRP levels between omega-3 PUFA administration and control conditions were 0.628 (95% CI: 0.342-0.914) and 0.456 (95% CI: 0.322-0.590) by the random-effect and fixed-effect models, respectively. Sources of heterogeneity were not found through subgroup and meta-regression analyses. Existing publication bias contributed slightly to the effect size. Omega-3 PUFAs can reduce systemic inflammation, as indicated by CRP levels in cancer patients. The use of omega-3 PUFAs is recommended for cancer patients due to their anti-inflammatory properties.

In this study, we (i) checked for the presence of bacteria in cerebral thrombi in over 95% of the LVO stroke patients using 16S rRNA sequencing, in contrast with periprocedural control samples that are bacteria negative; (ii) visualized clusters of bacterial signals in the thrombi using FISH; and (iii) cultivated Lactobacillus vaginalis , Bacillus cereus , and Kocuria marina in the bacterial culture of the tissue fragment solution of thrombus aspirates. We found excessive enrichment of Proteobacteria in the thrombi, mainly originating from plasma, as indicated with fast expectation-maximization microbial source tracking (FEAST).

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD

NADWe recruited 1,518 participants aged over 18 years old and free of cardiovascular and any type of cancer from the Jidong community from 2019 to 2020. Whole blood NADThe mean age of included 1,518 participants was 43.0 years, and 52.6% of them were men. The average levels of whole blood NADAssociation of whole blood NAD

Purpose The recommendation strength of the guidelines for mechanical thrombectomy among patients with large pre-treatment core infarct is weak. We evaluated the safety and outcome of endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke with diffusion-weighted imaging-Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (DWI-ASPECTS) ≤ 5. Methods Data on acute ischemic stroke patients with DWI-ASPECTS ≤ 5 who underwent endovascular treatment within 6 h, or presented an arterial spin labeling-DWI (ASL-DWI) mismatch within 12 h, at our center were retrospectively collected. We report the clinical characteristics and outcome of every patient, and review the relevant literature. Results Among the 19 patients who were enrolled, all experienced successful reperfusion, and 10 achieved a favorable outcome (modified Rankin scale (mRS) ≤ 2). Two patients presented with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH); both of them had a poor outcome (mRS > 2). Conclusion Acute ischemic stroke patients with large DWI lesions caused by large vessel occlusion can achieve a favorable clinical outcome with endovascular treatment if recanalization is performed within 6 h, or after 6 h in case of an ASL-DWI mismatch. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00234-019-02177-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A proper inflammatory response is critical to the restoration of tissue homeostasis after injury or infection, but how such a response is modulated by the physical properties of the cellular and tissue microenvironments is not fully understood. Here, using H358, HeLa, and HEK293T cells, we report that cell density can modulate inflammatory responses through the Hippo signaling pathway. We found that NF-κΒ activation through the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) is not affected by cell density. However, we also noted that specific NF-κΒ target genes, such as cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), are induced much less at low cell densities than at high cell densities. Mechanistically, we observed that the transcriptional coactivators Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are localized to the nucleus, bind to TEA domain transcription factors (TEADs), recruit histone deacetylase 7 (HDAC7) to the promoter region of COX-2, and repress its transcription at low cell density and that high cell density abrogates this YAP/TAZ-mediated transcriptional repression. Of note, IL-1β stimulation promoted cell migration and invasion mainly through COX-2 induction, but YAP inhibited this induction and thus cell migration and invasion. These results suggest that YAP/TAZ-TEAD interactions can repress COX-2 transcription and thereby mediate cell density-dependent modulation of proinflammatory responses. Our findings highlight that the cellular microenvironment significantly influences inflammatory responses via the Hippo pathway.

Newborn hearing screening is not designed to detect delayed-onset prelingual hearing loss or aminoglycoside-antibiotic-induced ototoxicity. Cases with severe to profound hearing loss have been reported to have been missed by newborn hearing screens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of concurrent hearing and genetic screening in the general population and demonstrate its benefits in practice. Enrolled newborns received concurrent hearing and genetic screens between September 1, 2015 and January 31, 2018. Of the 239,636 eligible infants (median age, 19 months), 548 (0.23%) had prelingual hearing loss. Genetic screening identified 14 hearing loss patients with positive genotypes and 27 patients with inconclusive genotypes who had passed the hearing screens. In addition, the genetic screen identified 0.23% (570/239,636) of the newborns and their family members as at-risk for ototoxicity, which is undetectable by hearing screens. In conclusion, genetic screening complements newborn hearing screening by improving the detection of infants at risk of hereditary hearing loss and ototoxicity, and by informing genotype-based clinical management for affected infants and their family members. Our findings suggest that the practice should be further validated in other populations and rigorous cost-effectiveness analyses are warranted.

Ubiquitin ligase TRAF6, together with ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Ubc13/Uev1, catalyzes processive assembly of unanchored K63-linked polyubiquitin chains for TAK1 activation in the IL-1R/TLR pathways. However, what domain and how it functions to enable TRAF6’s processivity are largely uncharacterized. Here, we find TRAF6 coiled-coil (CC) domain is crucial to enable its processivity. The CC domain mediates TRAF6 oligomerization to ensure efficient long polyubiquitin chain assembly. Mutating or deleting the CC domain impairs TRAF6 oligomerization and processive polyubiquitin chain assembly. Fusion of the CC domain to the E3 ubiquitin ligase CHIP/STUB1 renders the latter capable of NF-κB activation. Moreover, the CC domain, after oligomerization, interacts with Ubc13/Ub~Ubc13, which further contributes to TRAF6 processivity. Point mutations within the CC domain that weaken TRAF6 interaction with Ubc13/Ub~Ubc13 diminish TRAF6 processivity. Our results reveal that the CC oligomerization primes its interaction with Ubc13/Ub~Ubc13 to confer processivity to TRAF6 ubiquitin ligase activity., Ubiquitin ligase TRAF6 catalyzes assembly of free polyubiquitin chains for TAK1 activation in the IL-1R/TLR pathways, but the mechanism underlying its processivity is unclear. Here, the authors show that TRAF6 coiled-coil oligomerization domain primes its interaction with Ubc13/Ub~Ubc13 to confer processivity.

A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies was conducted to clarify the association between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and future risk of all-cause mortality.Eligible studies were identified by searching the PubMed and EMBASE databases up to July 2015. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and their corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the association between OSA and risk of all-cause mortality. Sources of heterogeneity were identified by subgroup and meta-regression analyses.Twelve prospective cohort studies involving 34,382 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled HR of all-cause mortality was 1.262 (95 % CI 1.093-1.431) with significant heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses indicated that the pooled HRs of all-cause mortality in patients with mild, moderate and severe OSA were 0.945 (95 % CI 0.810-1.081), 1.178 (95 % CI 0.978-1.378) and 1.601 (95 % CI 1.298-1.902), respectively. OSA severity could be a possible sources of heterogeneity. Existing publication bias produced a minor contribution to effect size.Severe, but not mild to moderate, OSA is significantly associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality.

Context: Cervical spinal cord infarction is a rare and severe complication of vertebral artery dissection (VAD). We report a case of VAD in an acute stage followed by cervical spinal cord infarction that was treated using direct endovascular tirofiban infusion via digital subtraction angiography (DSA) monitoring. Findings: A 48-year-old man presented with vertigo, neck pain, numbness and weakness in four limbs with subsequent cardiac and respiratory arrest. Neurological examination revealed hypoesthesia below the neck with grade one myodynamia on the right side of the limbs and zero on the left side. The diagnosis of VAD-related cervical spinal infarction was confirmed using DSA imaging and cervical vertebra magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The patient received timely treatment with endovascular tirofiban infusion and achieved good outcome without any sequelae. Conclusion: Endovascular treatment with tirofiban may be a selective choice for cervical spinal cord infarction due to VAD in acute stage and warrants further study.

The role of leptin in the development of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has been identified. However, the effects of OSA treatment using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on serum leptin levels remain controversial. To address this issue, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of CPAP therapy on serum leptin levels in OSA.A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify studies that focused on the effects of CPAP therapy (treatment duration, ≥4 weeks) on the serum leptin levels of OSA patients. Standardised mean difference (SMD) was used to analyse the summary estimates for CPAP therapy.Fifteen studies involving 427 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Results indicate that the overall SMD of the leptin levels before and after CPAP therapy was 0.137 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.002 to 0.272); test for overall effect z=1.99 (P=0.046). Sources of heterogeneity were not found by subgroup and meta-regression analyses. Subgroup analyses showed that differences in OSA severity, baseline body mass index, compliance, CPAP duration and leptin assay did not affect the effectiveness of CPAP therapy.The evidence for the use of CPAP therapy on decrease of leptin levels in OSA patients is low, and stronger evidence is needed.

Background: Inflammation plays a critical role in the progression of atherosclerosis, and hyperglycemia is a common feature in patients with ACS. We investigated the relationship between fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels and the levels of the inflammatory factor, myeloperoxidase (MPO), in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Method: A total of 85 patients with no prior history of diabetes mellitus were recruited. The patients were divided into three groups based on their FPG levels as follows: group A, FPG < 5.6 mmol/l; group B, 5.6 mmol/l ≤ FPG < 6.1 mmol/l; and group C, FPG ≥6.1 mmol/l. The FPG concentrations and plasma MPO levels were determined, coronary angioplasty was performed, and the Gensini scores were used to evaluate the severity of the coronary lesion. The MPO expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with ACS was determined using western blot analysis. Result: The results demonstrated that the levels of FPG were significantly and positively correlated with plasma MPO levels, Gensini scores, high sensitive C reaction protein(hs-CRP)levels, leukocyte and neutrophils count. In multivariate regression analyses the FPG levels were positively correlated with plasma MPO levels, Gensini score and hs-CRP. The plasma MPO levels in the group C [68.68(52.62–91.88) U/L] were significantly higher than in the group A [63.04(26.18–97.75) U/L] and group B [58.22(23.95–89.54) U/L]. The plasma hs-CRP concentrations are also higher in group C [42.28 (0.31–169.40) mg/L] than in the group A [12.51(0.28–176.25) mg/L] and group B [14.7 (0.14–89.68) mg/L]. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that FPG values are positively correlated with plasma MPO levels, suggesting MPO may play a role in the proatherogenesis of high FPG.

We report here a case of nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma with metastasization into the pancreas. A 43-year-old Chinese female patient presented with right nasal obstruction and purulent rhinorrhea that lasted for the past half year and worsened gradually despite antibiotic medical treatment. Physical examination revealed a mass in the right nasal cavity and an enlarged lymph node in the right submandibular region. A PET/CT scan and immunostaining of the resectate led to a diagnosis of nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, clinical stage IIE, and the International Prognostic Index score of 1. The patient received radiotherapy followed by four cycles of the CHOP chemotherapy. A complete remission was achieved, and the patient was disease-free for 9 months. On a subsequent follow-up, abdominal ultrasound scan, enhanced abdominal CT scan, and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy revealed pancreatic metastasis secondary to nasal lymphoma. Radiotherapy (40 Gy) to the whole pancreas was done, followed by two courses of the SMILE regime chemotherapy, leading to a complete remission. At the moment, the patient is undergoing subsequent chemotherapy.

Objectives Our meta-analysis was performed to estimate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy on systemic inflammation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods A comprehensive literature search of PubMed and EMBASE was performed for literature published up to January 2013. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated to estimate the treatment effects of pre- and post-CPAP therapy. Results A total of 35 studies involving 1985 OSA patients were included in the meta-analysis. Each study investigated one or more inflammatory markers: 24 studies on C-reactive protein (CRP), 16 studies on IL-6, 3 studies on IL-8, and 12 studies on tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). The results showed that the SMD (95% confidence interval [CI]) for CRP, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were 0.452 (95% CI, 0.252–0.651), 0.299 (95% CI, 0.001–0.596), 0.645 (95% CI, 0.362–0.929), and 0.478 (95% CI, 0.219–0.736) in pre- and post-CPAP therapy, respectively. The subgroup analyses seemed to support better benefits with therapy duration of ⩾3months and more adequate compliance (⩾4h/night). Conclusions CPAP therapy could partially suppress systemic inflammation in OSA patients, and substantial differences were present among the various inflammatory markers.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with the development of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiovascular diseases. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is an effective treatment for OSA, but the impact of CPAP therapy on CRP levels in patients with OSA remains unclear. To obtain this information, we performed a meta-analysis to determine whether effective CPAP therapy could reduce serum CRP levels.A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify studies that examined the impact of CPAP on serum CRP levels in OSA patients who were treated with CPAP for at least 4 weeks. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to analyze the summary estimates for CPAP therapy.Fourteen self-control design studies involving 1199 patients with OSA met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis indicated that the overall SMD for the CRP levels was 0.64 units (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.40 to 0.88) before and after CPAP therapy; test for overall effect z = 5.27 (P = 0.000). Subgroup analysis showed that evolution of CRP decreased non-significantly in less than 3 months (SMD, 0.26, 95 % CI -0.08 to 0.60, P = 0.138), significantly decreased after 3 months (SMD, 0.68, 95 % CI 0.34 to 1.02, P = 0.000), and further declined after 6 months (SMD, 0.74, 95 % CI 0.43 to 1.05, P = 0.000).The systemic inflammation, as measured by CRP, was present and significantly reduced by effective CPAP therapy in patients with OSA. The use of CRP levels may be clinically recognized as a valuable predictor for OSA treatment monitoring.

To explore the characteristics and application of mismatch negativity in hyperbilirubinemia neonates.Eighty-six neonates with hyperbilirubinemia divided into low and high groups according to the bilirubin concentration of 342 micromol/L and 15 normal neonates for control group were measured with MMN and ABR. All subjects were enrolled and compared between the three groups,and followed up to 42 days old.There were significantly different between the 3 groups of MMN latency(P0.01), and the average MMN latency was significantly shorter in the control group than in the hyperbilirubinemia groups(P0. 05), and there are significantly but not closely positive correlation between the bilirubin concentration and the latency, the amplitudes of MMN remained similar between the 3 groups(P0.05). The wave V latencies and III-IV, I-V interwave intervals of the ABR were significantly different and prolonged during test in comparison with the control group (P0.05). But there were similar between the hyperbilirubinemia groups. The threshold of ABR in high group are significantly higher than the low group. During the follow up,the average MMN latency and the ABR wave latencies and interwave intervals except for interwave latency I-Ill , were significantly shorter.Hyperbilirubinemia are toxic to the hearing pathway and may affect the speech recognition of neonates. The higher of the bilirubin concentration,the higher risk of impairments to the auditory system, but most of the impairments are reversible. MMN,as an objective measure of the central auditory discrimination function and central auditory development are available. Compared with ABR, MMN is more sensitive in the evaluation of the central auditory function; If the application of MMN combined with ABR in the neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, a more comprehensive method in the auditory system evaluation can be obtained.

To investigate the effect of soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor (sEHi) tAUCB on the function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in EPCs in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).Mononuclear cells, from the peripheral blood of CHD patients, were isolated by ficoll density gradient centrifugation and cultured. After 7 days of culture in vitro, EPCs were identified by double staining and flow cytometry. EPCs were then stimulated by 0, 10(-6), 10(-5), and 10(-4) mol/L of tAUCB for 24 h. Migration assay was performed in transwell chamber and tube formation assay was performed by Matrigel-Matrix in vitro model. The expression of VEGF in EPCs was measured by Western blot. EPCs from age and gender matched healthy subjects were also cultured as controls.The migration and tube formation activities of EPCs from CHD patients were obviously damaged compared with those from healthy controls (P0.05). The tAUCB could dose-dependently increase the migration and tube formation activities and increase the expression of VEGF in EPCs compared with those from CHD patients without treatment. The 10(-6) mol/L tAUCB increased those activities of EPCs and the expression of VEGF with statistical difference.sEHi can positively modulate the function of EPCs from CHD patients, suggesting the potential predictive significance of sEHi in the therapy of CHD.

BACKGROUND: Anabolic steroids are known to improve body composition and muscle strength in healthy people. However, whether anabolic steroids improve the physical condition and function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains undetermined. A meta-analysis was conducted to review the current evidence regarding the effects of anabolic steroids on COPD patients. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of PubMed and EMBASE was performed to identify randomised controlled trials that examine the effects of anabolic steroids on COPD patients. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to determine differences between anabolic steroid administration and control conditions. RESULTS: Eight eligible studies involving 273 COPD patients were identified in this meta-analysis. Significant improvements were found in body weight (0.956 kg), fat-free mass (1.606 kg), St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire total score (-6.336) and symptom score (-12.148). The apparent improvements in maximal inspiratory pressure (2.740 cmH2O) and maximal expiratory pressure (12.679 cmH2O) were not significant. The effects on handgrip strength, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), predicted FEV1 percent, PaO2, PaCO2 and six-min walk distance were negative, with WMDs of -0.245 kg, -0.096 L/sec, -1.996% of predicted, -1.648 cmHg, -0.039 cmHg and -16.102 meters, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Limited evidence available from the published literature suggests that the benefit of anabolic steroids on COPD patients cannot be denied. However, further studies are needed to identify the specific benefits and adverse effects of anabolic steroids on COPD patients and to determine the optimal populations and regimes of anabolic steroids in COPD patients.