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Objective To explore whether there was an increased secretion of cystatin C (Cys C) in twin pregnancy. Methods Patients with a total of 281 singleton pregnancies (including 38 patients with preeclampsia) and 72 twin pregnancies, as well as 42 patients who were not pregnant, were included in this study. We tested levels of serum Cys C, creatinine, and uric acid, along with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), in different groups. Results The levels of serum Cys C in all 3 trimesters for women with twin pregnancy were much higher than those in the corresponding trimesters for women with singleton pregnancy. However, we observed little change in eGFR in the corresponding trimesters. Cys C/eGFR in the second and third trimester of twin pregnancy increased, compared with the corresponding trimesters of women with singleton pregnancy. Levels of serum Cys C were higher in the third trimester in women with twin pregnancy than that in patients with preeclampsia. Also, Cys C/eGFR in the third trimester of twin pregnancy was close to the level observed in patients with preeclampsia. Conclusions Increased secretion of Cys C could contribute to the elevated serum Cys C levels that we observed in twin pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroquinone (HQ), one of the most significant metabolic activation products of benzene in an organism, can cause hematological toxicity, such as acute myeloid leukemia. It is a clear carcinogen that can cause changes in the disorder of cell cycle and cell growth. However, its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. E4 transcription factor 1 (E4F1), an important transcription factor, participating in the regulation of cell cycle may be related to the occurrence of tumor. Here, we examined the HQ‐induced malignant transformed TK6 cells (TK6‐HT) to illustrate the role of E4F1 in carcinogenesis. The present study showed that both the expressions of E4F1 messenger RNA and protein increased obviously in TK6‐HT, preliminarily indicating that E4F1 is associated with HQ‐induced carcinogenesis. To further explore the role of E4F1, we established E4F1 silencing TK6‐HT (pLVX‐shE4F1) and its control cells (pLVX‐shNC) using lentiviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference expression plasmid vector pLVX‐shRNA. Flow cytometry and cell counting kit‐8 assay were used to determine the effects of E4F1 silencing on cell cycle and cell growth, respectively. E4F1 silencing inhibited cell growth in TK6‐HT. The results from flow cytometry indicated that the inhibitory effect on cell growth may be the results of the E4F1 silencing–induced accumulation in G2/M compared with TK6‐HT‐shNC. Meanwhile, levels of DNA damage (γ‐H2AX), proteins of Rb and phosphorylated Rb, and reactive oxygen species were increased in TK6‐HT‐shRNA2 cells, which is the critical reason of cell‐cycle arrest. In conclusion, E4F1 silencing inhibits the cell growth through cell‐cycle arrest in malignant transformed cells induced by HQ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cytoskeleton plays an important role in platinum resistance in ovarian cancer. Tropomodulin 3 (TMOD3) is critical in the development of many tumors, but its role in the drug resistance of ovarian cancer remains unexplored. By analyzing data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) databases, this study compared TMOD3 expression in ovarian cancer and normal tissues, and examined the expression of TMOD3 after platinum treatment in platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant ovarian cancers. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess the effect of TMOD3 on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in ovarian cancer patients. microRNAs (miRNAs) targeting TMOD3 were predicted using TargetScan and analyzed using the TCGA database. Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) and an integrated repository portal for tumor-immune system interactions (TISIDB) were used to determine the relationship between TMOD3 expression and immune infiltration. TMOD3 coexpression networks in ovarian cancer were explored using LinkedOmics, the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING), and The Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) Bioinformatics. The results showed that TMOD3 was highly expressed in ovarian cancer and was associated with the grading, staging, and metastasis of ovarian cancer. TMOD3 expression was significantly reduced in platinum-treated ovarian cancer cells and patients. However, TMOD3 expression was higher in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cells and tissues compared to platinum-sensitive ones. Higher TMOD3 expression was significantly associated with lower OS and PFS in ovarian cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation is likely responsible for high TMOD3 expression in ovarian cancer and platinum-resistant ovarian tissues. The expression of TMOD3 mRNA was associated with immune infiltration in ovarian cancer. These findings indicate that TMOD3 is highly expressed in ovarian cancer and is closely associated with platinum resistance and immune infiltration.

Objective To explore the value of double labeling of P16/ki67, E6/E7 mRNA of human papillomavirus (HPV) and combined detection in shunt diagnosis of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) by thin-layer cervical cytology (TCT). Methods The study enrolled 239 patients who underwent colposcopy and biopsy within 4 weeks after primary TCT diagnosis. The remaining cytological samples were double-labeled with P16/ki67 immunocytochemical staining and the HPV E6/E7 mRNA was detected by Panther automatic HPV E6/E7 mRNA detection system. Using SPSS22.0 software, the positive rates of P16/ki67 double-labeling, HPV E6/E7 mRNA and combined detection were analyzed in different cervical lesions, and the positive rates in the same cervical lesions were compared horizontally to evaluate the efficiency of double labeling of P16/ki67, HPV E6/E7 and combined detection in the diagnosis of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and above lesions. Results The diagnostic results of HE staining for the 239 cases of LSIL were 71 cases of chronic cervicitis (29.71%), 143 cases of LSIL (59.83%), 22 cases of HSIL (9.20%) and 3 cases of cervical cancer (1.26%). There were 46 cases of P16 + ki67 + lesions (19.25%), 41 cases of ki67 + P16 - lesions (17.15%), 33 cases of ki67 - P16 + lesions (13.81%) and 119 cases of P16-ki67- lesions (49.79%). The positive rates of P16/ki67 double-labeling, HPV E6/E7 mRNA and combined detection increased with the severity of cervical lesions. The positive rate of combined detection was the highest in the HSIL lesions, which was higher than that of P16/ki67 double-labeling and HPV E6/E7 mRNA detection. The sensitivity of combined detection was higher than that of P16/ki67 double-labeling and HPV E6/E7 mRNA detection. The Youden index of joint detection was 0.7850. Conclusion The combined detection of P16/ki67 double labeling, HPV E6/E7 mRNA and HPV E6/E7 mRNA had a certain clinical value in the management of cell LSIL shunt diagnosis. The combined detection significantly improved the sensitivity and Youden index of HSIL and above lesions, while maintaining a high specificity and coincidence rate.

Objective: The aim of this study was to optimize the testing methods for seed quality, and to provide a basis for establishing seed testing criterion and quality standard of Amomum villosum., Method: Referring to the International Seed Testing Rules made by ISTA and Rules for agricultural seed testing, the seed quality of A. villosum from different collection areas was measured., Result: The samples weight of A. villosum for purity analysis were at least 500 g and for test were at least 50 g. Verification of genuineness was assayed by seed appearance comparing and weight of per hundred seeds was determined, the moisture content test was carried out by high temperature drying method (3 hours). The seeds were stored in wet sand for 20 days and then dipping in the 100 mg x L(-1) GA3 for 30 days before germination, seeds on filter papers germinated at 30/20 degrees C. The first germination-counting time was the 15th day of the test and the final time was the 50th day. Seed viability was tested by TTC method., Conclusion: The seed testing methods for quality items of A. villosum, including sampling, purity analysis, verification of genuineness, weight, moisture content, percentage germination and seed viability of A. villosum had been initially established.