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Background: Since the first human infection with H9N2 virus was reported in 1998, the number of cases of H9N2 infection has exceeded one hundred by 2021. However, there is no systematic description of the biological characteristics of H9N2 viruses isolated from humans. Methods: Therefore, this study analyzed the pathogenicity in mice of all available H9N2 viruses isolated from human cases in China from 2013 to 2021. Results: Although most of the H9N2 viruses analyzed showed low or no pathogenicity in mice, the leucine to glutamine substitution at residue 226 (L226Q) in the hemagglutinin (HA) protein rapidly emerged during the adaptation of H9N2 viruses, and was responsible for severe infections and even fatalities. HA amino acid 226Q conferred a remarkable competitive advantage on H9N2 viruses in mice relative to viruses containing 226L, increasing their virulence, infectivity, and replication. Conclusion: Thus, our study demonstrates that the adaptive substitution HA L226Q rapidly acquired by H9N2 viruses during the course of infection in mice contributed to their high pathogenicity.

The continuous evolution of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) of subtype H3 in China and the emergence of human infection with AIV subtype H3N8 highlight their threat to public health. Through surveillance in poultry-associated environments during 2009–2022, we isolated and sequenced 188 H3 AIVs across China. Performing large-scale sequence analysis with publicly available data, we identified 4 sublineages of H3 AIVs established in domestic ducks in China via multiple introductions from wild birds from Eurasia. Using full-genome analysis, we identified 126 distinct genotypes, of which the H3N2 G23 genotype predominated recently. H3N8 G25 viruses, which spilled over from birds to humans, might have been generated by reassortment between H3N2 G23, wild bird H3N8, and poultry H9N2 before February 2021. Mammal-adapted and drug-resistance substitutions occasionally occurred in H3 AIVs. Ongoing surveillance for H3 AIVs and risk assessment are imperative for potential pandemic preparedness.

H4 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have been widely detected in live poultry markets in China. However, the potential public health impact of H4 AIVs remains largely uncertain. Here, we fully analyzed the distribution and phylogenetic relationship of H4 AIVs in China. We obtained 31 isolates of H4 viruses in China during 2009–2022 through surveillance in poultry-associated environments, such as live poultry markets and poultry farms. Genomic sequence analysis together with publicly available data revealed that frequent reassortment and introduction of H4 AIV from wild birds to poultry may have occurred. We identified 62 genotypes among 127 whole genome sequences of H4 viruses in China, indicating that H4 AIVs had great genetic diversity in China. We also investigated molecular markers and found that drug resistance mutations frequently occurred in the M2 protein and a few mutations related to receptor binding and the host signature in H4 AIVs. Our study demonstrates the cross-species transmission potential of H4 AIVs in China and provides some reference significance for its risk assessment.

The recent rise in the frequency of influenza A(H5N6) infections in China has raised serious concerns about whether the risk for human infection has increased. We surveyed epidemiologic, clinical, and genetic data of human infections with A(H5N6) viruses. Severe disease occurred in 93.8% of cases, and the fatality rate was 55.4%. Median patient age was 51 years. Most H5N6 hemagglutinin (HA) genes in human isolates in 2021 originated from subclade 2.3.4.4b; we estimated the time to most recent common ancestor as June 16, 2020. A total of 13 genotypes with HA genes from multiple subclades in clade 2.3.4.4 were identified in human isolates. Of note, 4 new genotypes detected in 2021 were the major causes of increased H5N6 virus infections. Mammalian-adapted mutations were found in HA and internal genes. Although we found no evidence of human-to-human transmission, continuous evolution of H5N6 viruses may increase the risk for human infections.

Based on the Kim-Kim-Suzuki (KKS) phase field model coupled with the thermodynamic parameters, the transformation process from columnar dendrites to equiaxed crystals during directional solidification of aluminium alloy was simulated, and the effects of phase field parameters on the growth morphology and dendrite segregation were discussed. Furthermore, considering the effect of the microcosmic flow field, the convection influence gradient term is introduced into KKS formula near the solid-liquid interface, and the phase field model considering flow field was applied to the inherent convective environment of the actual roll casting process, also the multiple dendrites growth behavior of magnesium alloy under the action of microscopic convection was further explored. When coupling calculation of microscopic velocity field and pressure field, the staggered grid method was used to deal with the complex interface. The combined solution of Marker in Cell (MAC) algorithm and phase field discrete calculation was realized. In order to further describe the influence of convection on the solidification process, the roll casting experiments are used to verify the impact growth of multiple dendrites under convection. The results show that the dendrites undergo solute remelting and the dendrites melt into equiaxed crystals, showing the phenomenon of Columnar to Equiaxed Transition (CET).

BackgroundPortal hypertension monitoring is important throughout the natural course of cirrhosis. Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), regarded as the golden standard, is limited by invasiveness and technical difficulties. Portal hypertension is increasingly being assessed non-invasively, and hematological indices, imaging data, and statistical or computational models are studied to surrogate HVPG. This paper discusses the existing non-invasive methods based on measurement principles and reviews the methodological developments in the last 20 years.MethodsFirst, we used VOSviewer to learn the architecture of this field. The publications about the non-invasive assessment of portal hypertension were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). VOSviewer 1.6.17.0 was used to analyze and visualize these publications, including the annual trend, the study hotspots, the significant articles, authors, journals, and organizations in this field. Next, according to the cluster analysis result of the keywords, we further retrieved and classified the related studies to discuss.ResultsA total of 1,088 articles or review articles about our topic were retrieved from WoSCC. From 2000 to 2022, the number of publications is generally growing. “World Journal of Gastroenterology” published the most articles (n = 43), while “Journal of Hepatology” had the highest citations. “Liver fibrosis” published in 2005 was the most influential manuscript. Among the 20,558 cited references of 1,088 retrieved manuscripts, the most cited was a study on liver stiffness measurement from 2007. The highest-yielding country was the United States, followed by China and Italy. “Berzigotti, Annalisa” was the most prolific author and had the most cooperation partners. Four study directions emerged from the keyword clustering: (1) the evaluation based on fibrosis; (2) the evaluation based on hemodynamic factors; (3) the evaluation through elastography; and (4) the evaluation of variceal bleeding.ConclusionThe non-invasive assessment of portal hypertension is mainly based on two principles: fibrosis and hemodynamics. Liver fibrosis is the major initiator of cirrhotic PH, while hemodynamic factors reflect secondary alteration of splanchnic blood flow. Blood tests, US (including DUS and CEUS), CT, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) support the non-invasive assessment of PH by providing both hemodynamic and fibrotic information. Elastography, mainly USE, is the most important method of PH monitoring.

An extensive literature review was conducted primarily to develop a comprehensive understanding of the quantitative behavior of residual stress (RS) distribution in weld joints. Based on prior data, various levels of the peak RS and distribution profiles were applied to a finite element analyses (FEA) model as an initial loading to evaluate the effect of RS on the Mode-I stress intensity factor (SIF), KI. The RS was not found to have a significant effect on the SIF values when the peak RS was less than 300 MPa. The enhanced effect of RS on the KI values was found to be more pronounced at a lower crack ratio, while the analytical form of the RS distribution had a minor effect. The effective boundary corrections function, FResidual, was derived under the effect of RS for 1T CT specimen for various crack geometries of the crack ratio, (a/W) of 0.2, 0.40, 0.50, 0.60, and 0.75, and with peak RS varying from 100 MPa to 600 MPa. The obtained effective function of KI can be employed to quantitatively evaluate the effect of RS on the fatigue performance of welded joints.

Abstract Background Recurrent infections of animal hosts with avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have posted a persistent threat. It is very important to understand the avian influenza virus distribution and characteristics in environment associated with poultry and wild bird. The aim of this study was to analyze the geographic and seasonal distributions of AIVs in the 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous region (PMA) of China, compare the AIVs prevalence in different collecting sites and sampling types, analyze the diversity of AIVs subtypes in environment. Methods A total of 742 005 environmental samples were collected from environmental samples related to poultry and wild birds in different locations in the mainland of China during 2014–2018. Viral RNA was extracted from the environmental samples. Real-time RT-PCR assays for influenza A, H5, H7 and H9 subtypes were performed on all the samples to identify subtypes of influenza virus. The nucleic acid of influenza A-positive samples were inoculated into embryonated chicken eggs for virus isolation. Whole-genome sequencing was then performed on Illumina platform. SPSS software was used to paired t test for the statistical analysis. ArcGIS was used for drawing map. Graphpad Prism was used to make graph. Results The nucleic acid positivity rate of influenza A, H5, H7 and H9 subtypes displayed the different characteristics of geographic distribution. The nucleic acid positivity rates of influenza A were particularly high (25.96%–45.51%) in eleven provinces covered the Central, Eastern, Southern, Southwest and Northwest of China. The nucleic acid positivity rates of H5 were significantly high (11.42%–13.79%) in two provinces and one municipality covered the Southwest and Central of China. The nucleic acid positivity rates of H7 were up to 4% in five provinces covered the Eastern and Central of China. The nucleic acid positivity rates of H9 were higher (13.07%–2.07%) in eleven PMA covered the Southern, Eastern, Central, Southwest and Northwest of China. The nucleic acid positivity rate of influenza A, H5, H7 and H9 showed the same seasonality. The highest nucleic acid positivity rates of influenza A, H5, H7, H9 subtypes were detected in December and January and lowest from May to September. Significant higher nucleic acid positivity rate of influenza A, H5, H7 and H9 were detected in samples collected from live poultry markets (LPM) (30.42%, 5.59%, 4.26%, 17.78%) and poultry slaughterhouses (22.96%, 4.2%, 2.08%, 12.63%). Environmental samples that were collected from sewage and chopping boards had significantly higher nucleic acid positivity rates for influenza A (36.58% and 33.1%), H5 (10.22% and 7.29%), H7(4.24% and 5.69%)and H9(21.62% and 18.75%). Multiple subtypes of AIVs including nine hemagglutinin (HA) and seven neuraminidase (NA) subtypes were isolated form the environmental samples. The H5, H7, and H9 subtypes accounted for the majority of AIVs in environment. Conclusions In this study, we found the avian influenza viruses characteristics of geographic distribution, seasonality, location, samples types, proved that multiple subtypes of AIVs continuously coexisted in the environment associated with poultry and wild bird, highlighted the need for environmental surveillance in China. Graphic Abstract

MicroRNA (miR/miRNA) expression disorders play a crucial role in the development of gastric cancer (GC). Increasing evidence has indicated that miRNAs participate in the process of numerous cancers. Previous research has demonstrated that miR-300 acts as a cancer-promoting factor or tumor suppressor in a number of tumors. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effects of miR-300 on GC cells remain largely unknown. The present study investigated the effects of miR-300 on GC cells and analyzed its molecular mechanism. First, reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that miR-300 expression was increased in GC tissues and cell lines, with the highest expression observed in human gastric cancer cell line AGS. Subsequent results indicated that fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) was a target of miR-300. FA2H-plasmid inhibited AGS cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. Finally, miR-300 inhibitor reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, whereby these effects were reversed by FA2H-small interfering RNA. Therefore, the data demonstrated that miR-300/FA2H might be a new potential biomarker and therapeutic target for GC treatment.

To establish basic data for identifying the level of mental health care competency of general nurses through verification of the reliability and validity of Competency Assessment Tool-Mental Health in the development of a measurement tool for mental health care competency in Korea.

Abstract Background Patients with acute pancreatitis usually exhibit dyslipidemia and oxidative stress. However, the significance of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level and the HDL-C/LDL-C ratio (H/L ratio) as markers for disease progression remain unknown. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of HDL-C levels, LDL-C levels and the H/L ratio as markers of disease progression in patients admitted to the intensive cate unit with acute pancreatitis. Methods This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary critical care center in China. Plasma HDL-C and LDL-C levels were measured in 166 patients with acute pancreatitis. The associations between HDL-C, LDL-C, H/L ratio, as well as other inflammatory index and mortality, were analyzed. Multivariate cox analysis based on two models was used to determine the independent prognostic factor. Predictive ability of in-hospital mortality for variables was determined using the receiver operating characteristics curves. Results Significantly higher H/L ratios at admission were observed in patients with acute pancreatitis who died compared with survivors (0.93 vs. 0.64, p

Bird infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N6) viruses have been identified since 2014. With very limited occasion, the virus could sporadically spilled over to infect humans. It has been recognized that all human infections were within southern region of Mainland China until the case reported here in Beijing in Aug. 2019. This was the first human case infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N6) virus in northern China. The infection was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR assay. The whole genome sequences were obtained from clinical sample. Genetic characteristics of the virus were identified similar to those of previous avian influenza A(H5N6) viruses, retaining the main features of the avian influenza virus.

Building structure health monitoring is essential for modern buildings, sensors related to building structure health monitoring are often made with microelectrostatic cantilever beam (MECB), and the performance of this kind of devices is often affected by instability, which affects the measurement results and accuracy. Therefore, it is necessary to study the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of the MECB in the process of bending and pull-in. In this paper, based on the energy principle and fluid pressure film damping effect, the dynamic equation mathematical model of MECB is established and then the dynamic characteristics of the pull-in and lift-off voltage of the MECB and the harmonic motion characteristics under the bias voltage are obtained, which provides guidance for the design of the electrostatic driving sensor.

Two major solar eruptions on AR 12673 produced a Forbush decrease (FD) event (reduction of cosmic rays) on 2017 September 8 and ground-level enhancement (GLE; enhancement of cosmic rays) on 2017 September 10. The occurrence of two contrasting cosmic-ray events within 2 days that are associated with two similar X-class solar flares (X9.3 and X8.2) and share the same active region on the Sun provides us a rare opportunity to understand the dominant factors in determining the properties of transient cosmic-ray events. Using a suite of modern-day instruments continuously tracking solar eruptions from the Sun to the Earth with ground-based cosmic-ray detectors, we reveal the complete cause–effect chain of activities for these two events. We conclude that the different consequences on the ground arise from two effects of the eruptions near the Sun: (1) the geometric effect of CMEs and (2) the intensity effect of CME-driven shocks. The first eruption, which originated at the heliographic longitude of W34° on 2017 September 6, had its CME ejecta and CME-driven shock intercept the Earth, leading to the FD event. The second eruption, which occurred on September 10 at W88°, only had its far flank reach the Earth. The peak shock speed of 3344 km s ^−1 of the second eruption, much faster than the 2175 km s ^−1 of the first eruption, is the dominant factor producing the GLE event, even though the first eruption is better connected magnetically to the Earth and has a similar flare. The results indicate that the production of GLE particles can be dominated by fast-enough CME-driven shocks.

Background: The number of geriatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients is increasing every year due to the population’s aging in most of the developed countries. Unfortunately, there is no widely recognized tool for specifically evaluating the prognosis of geriatric TBI patients. We designed this study to compare the prognostic value of different machine learning algorithm-based predictive models for geriatric TBI. Methods: TBI patients aged ≥65 from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-III (MIMIC-III) database were eligible for this study. To develop and validate machine learning algorithm-based prognostic models, included patients were divided into a training set and a testing set, with a ratio of 7:3. The predictive value of different machine learning based models was evaluated by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and F score. Results: A total of 1123 geriatric TBI patients were included, with a mortality of 24.8%. Non-survivors had higher age (82.2 vs. 80.7, p = 0.010) and lower Glasgow Coma Scale (14 vs. 7, p < 0.001) than survivors. The rate of mechanical ventilation was significantly higher (67.6% vs. 25.9%, p < 0.001) in non-survivors while the rate of neurosurgical operation did not differ between survivors and non-survivors (24.3% vs. 23.0%, p = 0.735). Among different machine learning algorithms, Adaboost (AUC: 0.799) and Random Forest (AUC: 0.795) performed slightly better than the logistic regression (AUC: 0.792) on predicting mortality in geriatric TBI patients in the testing set. Conclusion: Adaboost, Random Forest and logistic regression all performed well in predicting mortality of geriatric TBI patients. Prognostication tools utilizing these algorithms are helpful for physicians to evaluate the risk of poor outcomes in geriatric TBI patients and adopt personalized therapeutic options for them.

Abstract Background Large segmental bone defects can be repaired using the Masquelet technique in conjunction with autologous cancellous bone (ACB). However, ACB harvesting is severely restricted. α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate (α-CSH) is an outstanding bone substitute due to its easy availability, excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and osteoconductivity. However, the resorption rate of α-CSH is too fast to match the rate of new bone formation. The objective of this study was to investigate the bone repair capacity of the Masquelet technique in conjunction with isolated α-CSH or an α-CSH/ACB mix in a rabbit critical-sized defect model. Methods The rabbits (n = 28) were randomized into four groups: sham, isolated α-CSH, α-CSH/ACB mix, and isolated ACB group. A 15-mm critical-sized defect was established in the left radius, followed by filling with polymethyl methacrylate spacer. Six weeks after the first operation, the spacers were removed and the membranous tubes were grafted with isolated α-CSH, isolated ACB, α-CSH/ACB mix, or none. Twelve weeks later, the outcomes were evaluated by manual assessment, radiography, and spiral-CT. The histopathological and morphological changes were examined by H&E staining. The levels of alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining. Results Our results suggest that the bone repair capacity of the α-CSH/ACB mix group was similar to the isolated ACB group, while the isolated α-CSH group was significantly decreased compared to the isolated ACB group. Conclusion These results highlighted a promising strategy in the healing of large segmental bone defect with the Masquelet technique in conjunction with an α-CSH/ACB mix (1:1, w/w) as they possessed the combined effects of sufficient supply and low resorption.

Abstract Background Since 2008, avian influenza surveillance in poultry-related environments has been conducted annually in China. Samples have been collected from environments including live poultry markets, wild bird habitats, slaughterhouses, and poultry farms. Multiple subtypes of avian influenza virus have been identified based on environmental surveillance, and an H1N8 virus was isolated from the drinking water of a live poultry market. Methods Virus isolation was performed by inoculating influenza A-positive specimens into embryonated chicken eggs. Next-generation sequencing was used for whole-genome sequencing. A solid-phase binding assay was performed to test the virus receptor binding specificity. Trypsin dependence plaque formation assays and intravenous pathogenicity index tests were used to evaluate virus pathogenicity in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Different cell lines were chosen for comparison of virus replication capacity. Results According to the phylogenetic trees, the whole gene segments of the virus named A/Environment/Fujian/85144/2014(H1N8) were of Eurasian lineage. The HA, NA, PB1, and M genes showed the highest homology with those of H1N8 or H1N2 subtype viruses isolated from local domestic ducks, while the PB2, PA, NP and NS genes showed high similarity with the genes of H7N9 viruses detected in 2017 and 2018 in the same province. This virus presented an avian receptor binding preference. The plaque formation assay showed that it was a trypsin-dependent virus. The intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) in chickens was 0.02. The growth kinetics of the A/Environment/Fujian/85144/2014(H1N8) virus in different cell lines were similar to those of a human-origin virus, A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1), but lower than those of the control avian-origin and swine-origin viruses. Conclusions The H1N8 virus was identified in avian influenza-related environments in China for the first time and may have served as a gene carrier involved in the evolution of the H7N9 virus in poultry. This work further emphasizes the importance of avian influenza virus surveillance, especially in live poultry markets (LPMs). Active surveillance of avian influenza in LPMs is a major pillar supporting avian influenza control and response.

Abstract Background Since H7N9 influenza A virus (H7N9) was first reported in 2013, five waves of outbreaks have occurred, posing a huge threat to human health. In preparation for a potential H7N9 epidemic, it is essential to evaluate the efficacy of anti-H7N9 drugs with an appropriate model. Methods Well-differentiated pseudostratified human airway epithelium (HAE) cells were grown at the air–liquid interface, and the H7N9 cell tropism and cytopathic effect were detected by immunostaining and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The H7N9 replication kinetics and anti-H7N9 effect of recombinant human α2b (rhIFN-α2b) and rhIFN-λ1 were compared with different cell lines. The H7N9 viral load and interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression were quantified by real-time PCR assays. Results H7N9 could infect both ciliated and non-ciliated cells within the three-dimensional (3D) HAE cell culture, which reduced the number of cilia and damaged the airways. The H7N9 replication kinetics differed between traditional cells and 3D HAE cells. Interferon had antiviral activity against H7N9 and alleviated epithelial cell lesions; the antiviral activity of rhIFN-α2b was slightly better than that of rhIFN-λ1. In normal cells, rhIFN-α2b induced a greater amount of ISG expression (MX1, OAS1, IFITM3, and ISG15) compared with rhIFN-λ1, but in 3D HAE cells, this trend was reversed. Conclusions Both rhIFN-α2b and rhIFN-λ1 had antiviral activity against H7N9, and this protection was related to the induction of ISGs. The 3D cell culture model is suitable for evaluating interferon antiviral activity because it can demonstrate realistic in vivo-like effects.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after surgery. Because of unpredictable and variable age-dependent physical decline, the incidence, risk factor of postsurgical AKI and the predictive power of estimated glomerular filtration rate prior to surgery (eGFRpreSurg) has not been fully elucidated in very elderly patients. Methods: All discharged patients aged ≥80 years without chronic kidney disease who underwent surgery prior to intensive care unit (ICU) admission from 2017 through 2018 were included. Clinical, biological and surgical data were recorded. Mean of outpatient creatinine values from the year prior to ICU admission was used as the baseline value to determine the occurrence of AKI. Postoperative AKI was diagnosed according to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria. Results: Among 243 very elderly postoperative patients admitted during the study period, 48 had AKI during their ICU stay. The occurrence of postsurgical AKI was associated with longer ventilation times (p

Background: Patients with Cushing's disease (CD) with hypercortisolism have an increased risk of opportunistic infection. However, most CD patients exposed to infections are diagnostic latency, leading to a poor prognosis. Methods: Six patients in our hospital and an additional six patients in the literature were included in this study. Clinical information of CD patients with pulmonary Cryptococcus neoformans are reviewed. Results: The average baseline total cortisol and ACTH in serum at 8 am of all the patients was 44.85 μg/dL (normal range 4.0–22.3 μg/dL) and 200.3 pg/mL (normal range 0–46 pg/mL), respectively. Lymphopenia was found in 2 out of 6 patients in our hospital. The pulmonary radiologic findings included nodules (4/12), masses with or without a cavity (5/12), infiltration (5/12), and consolidation (4/12). The diagnosis of C. neoformans was established by lung pathology results (7/12), microorganism culture (3/12), and serum cryptococcal polysaccharide antigen (4/12). Lung lobectomy was performed in two patients who had a nodule in one lung lobe. Antifungal drugs were administered, including amphotericin-B (7/12), fluconazole (4/12), flucytosine (2/12) and liposomal amphotericin (1/12). Additional therapies for CD included trans-sphenoidal pituitary adenoma surgery (9/12), adrenalectomy (1/12) and ketoconazole (2/12). Seven patients survived, and five patients died. Conclusion: Pulmonary C. neoformans is an uncommon but fatal opportunistic infection in CD patients. Pulmonary nodules or masses should be aggressively investigated to exclude the C. neoformans among CD patients. The infiltration lesions in chest CT scan and lymphopenia are associated with poor prognosis. Keywords: Cushing's disease, Lung, Cryptococcus neoformans

Background/Aims: Preeclampsia (PE) is a gestational disorder defined as hypertension and proteinuria, which is deemed a major cause of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression patterns of placental laminin (LN)-α5 expression in normal and PE pregnancies, as well as evaluating the effects of LN-α5 on trophoblast proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion. Methods: LN-α5 expression levels were examined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and further confirmed by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. Cell invasion was assessed by matrigel-based transwell assay. LN-α5 DNA methylation in placentas was determined by bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP). Results: LN-α5 expression levels in PE placentas were significantly lower than that of normal pregnancies. Deficiency in LN-α5 expression resulted in decreased trophoblast proliferation and invasion but increased cell apoptosis, meanwhile, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was impaired by LN-α5 silencing. LN-α5 promoter methylation didn’t show significant difference between PE and normal placentas. Conclusion: LN-α5 downregulation is associated with PE placenta and impairs trophoblast viability and invasiveness, which could be a causative factor of PE pathogenesis.