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Interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF) is a type of interstitial lung disease (ILD) with immune features that do not meet the diagnostic criteria for specific connective tissue diseases (CTDs). This retrospective case–control study investigated the role of serum B-cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) and interleukin (IL)-17 as biomarkers for IPAF. The differences in serum BAFF, IL-17, and IL-10 were compared among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), IPAF, ILD associated with CTD (CTD-ILD), and healthy controls. The patients were treatment naïve. The correlations of BAFF with IL-10, IL-17, and pulmonary function were analyzed. The classifiable value of BAFF for IPAF was examined. The results showed that the serum levels of BAFF and IL-17 in the IPAF and CTD-ILD groups were higher than in the IPF group. High BAFF levels and high predicted diffusion capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) were independent predictive factors for IPAF vs IPF. In the IPAF and CTD-ILD groups, serum BAFF levels were negatively correlated with predicted values of forced vital capacity (FVC%) and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO%) and positively correlated with serum IL-17 and IL-10 levels. The cutoff value of combined BAFF and IL-17 was 0.704, and the sensitivity and specificity for classifying IPAF were 78.9 and 95.7%, respectively. In conclusion, combining serum BAFF and IL-17 as a biomarker may have classifiable value in differentiating IPAF from other forms of ILD.

Certain miRNAs, called oncomiRs, play a causal role in the onset and maintenance of cancer when overexpressed, thus, representing a potential new class of targets for therapeutic intervention. RNA-cleaving DNAzymes, mainly aimed at mRNA, have shown potential as therapeutic agents for various diseases. However, it's rarely reported that a DNAzyme was used for intracellular miRNA cleavage to suppress cell growth. Herein, we have developed a MnO2 nanosheet-mediated photo-controlled DNAzyme (NPD) for intracellular miRNA cleavage to suppress cell growth. MnO2 nanosheets adsorb photocaged DNAzymes, protect them from enzymatic digestion, and efficiently deliver them into cells. In the presence of intracellular glutathione (GSH), MnO2 nanosheets are reduced to Mn2+ ions, which serve as cofactors of the 8–17 DNAzyme for miRNA cleavage. Once the DNAzyme is activated by light, it can cyclically cleave endogenous miR-21 inside cells, which would suppress cancer cell migration and invasion, and finally induce cancer cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a multifactoral and polygenic disease with high prevalence in Southeast Asia and Southern China. Environmental factors and genetic susceptibility play important roles in NPC pathogenesis. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB) and its inhibitor (IκBα ) conferred consistent risks for NPC. Four putatively functional SNPs (NFκB1: rs28362491del>ins ATTG; NFκB2: rs12769316G>A; IκBα : rs2233406C>T and rs696G>A) were analyzed to evaluate their associations with NPC risk in total 1590 NPC cases and 1979 cancer-free controls. We found that the rs28362491 insATTG variants (ins/del + ins/ins) in NFκB1 conferred an increased risk of NPC (odds ratio [OR]=1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.09–1.55, and P=2.80×10-3) compared with the del/del homozygous genotype. The rs696AA variant in IκBα had an increased risk of NPC (OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.20–1.66, and P=2.28×10-5) by decreasing IκBα expression due to the modulation of microRNA hsa-miR-449a. Furthermore, both adverse genotypes of NFκB/IκBα and their interaction also exerted an increased risk on NPC. Taken together, Our findings indicated that genetic variants in NFκB1 (rs28362491del>ins ATTG) and IκBα (rs696G>A) and their synergistic effect might contribute to NPC predisposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung inflammation is the major pathogenetic feature for both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. The nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB) and its inhibitor (IκB) play crucial roles in inflammatory. Here, we tested the hypothesis that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NFκB/ IκB confer consistent risks for COPD and lung cancer. Four putative functional SNPs ( NFκB1: −94del>insATTG; NFκB2: −2966G>A; IκBα: −826C>T, 2758G>A) were analyzed in southern and validated in eastern Chineses to test their associations with COPD risk in 1,511 COPD patients and 1,677 normal lung function controls, as well as lung cancer risk in 1,559 lung cancer cases and 1,679 cancer-free controls. We found that the −94ins ATTG variants (ins/del + ins/ins) in NFκB1 conferred an increased risk of COPD (OR 1.27, 95 % CI 1.06-1.52) and promoted COPD progression by accelerating annual FEV1 decline ( P = 0.015). The 2758AA variant in IκBα had an increased risk of lung cancer (OR 1.53, 95 % CI 1.30-1.80) by decreasing IκBα expression due to the modulation of microRNA hsa-miR-449a but not hsa-miR-34b. Furthermore, both adverse genotypes exerted effect on increasing lung cancer risk in individuals with pre-existing COPD, while the −94del>insATTG did not in those without pre-existing COPD. However, no significant association with COPD or lung cancer was observed for −2966G>A and −826C>T. Our data suggested a common susceptible mechanism of inflammation in lung induced by genetic variants in NFκB1 (−94del>ins ATTG) or IκBα (2758G>A) to predict risk of COPD or lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the transmission and adaptation of the Chinese sectarian religion in Vietnam, focusing on the collection of scriptures in the Institute of Han-Nom Studies. The author identifies in the collection original Xian-tian-dao scriptures which were circulating among the Guangdong and Fujian immigrants and various versions of Vietnam adaptation which were circulating among Vietnamese's religionists, social reformers and nationalists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain miRNAs, called oncomiRs, play a causal role in the onset and maintenance of cancer when overexpressed, thus, representing a potential new class of targets for therapeutic intervention. RNA-cleaving DNAzymes, mainly aimed at mRNA, have shown potential as therapeutic agents for various diseases. However, it's rarely reported that a DNAzyme was used for intracellular miRNA cleavage to suppress cell growth. Herein, we have developed a MnO 2 nanosheet-mediated photo-controlled DNAzyme (NPD) for intracellular miRNA cleavage to suppress cell growth. MnO 2 nanosheets adsorb photocaged DNAzymes, protect them from enzymatic digestion, and efficiently deliver them into cells. In the presence of intracellular glutathione (GSH), MnO 2 nanosheets are reduced to Mn 2+ ions, which serve as cofactors of the 8-17 DNAzyme for miRNA cleavage. Once the DNAzyme is activated by light, it can cyclically cleave endogenous miR-21 inside cells, which would suppress cancer cell migration and invasion, and finally induce cancer cell apoptosis.

Objective: To evaluate the clfB typing method in discriminating the ST239 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from patients under nosocomial infection in Tianjin first central hospital so as to access the clinical risk factors and outcomes of the MRSA nosocomial infection from ICU and non-ICU departments., Methods: Forty-two stains of MRSA with known SCCmec type were chosen in both ICU (n = 35) and non-ICU (n = 7) wards, from 2006 to 2012, of which MLST genotype was ST239. Clinical risk factors and rates on drug resistant to MRSA were counted, respectively., Results: All the isolates of MRSA belonged to the same lineage 3 and 6 haplotypes, based on clfB variable-number tandom repeats typing. Thirty-five isolates from ICU belonged to 6 haplotypes, among which clfB3-52, 3-52E, 3-50, 3-52C, 3-50A and 3-50E were accouted for 42.9%, 37.1%, 8.6%, 5.7%, 2.9% and 2.9%, respectively. Seven isolates from non-ICU belonged to 3 haplotypes, in which 3-52, 3-52E and 3-50 were accouted for 42.8%, 28.6%, 28.6%, respectively. When clfB typing was combined with SCCmec typing in use, results showed that the index of discrimination as 0.767, better than clfB (ID = 0.688) or SCCmec (ID = 0.303) used alone. SCCmec III -clfB3-52E seemed as the major clone among the 10 haplotypes of clfB/SCCmec typing, which was accounted for 40.4% . There were significant differences on the length of hospitalization (P < 0.005) and the duration of antibiotics use (P < 0.05) between ICU and non-ICU., Conclusion: The clfB typing method which was based on variable-numbers of tandom repeats showed powerful ability of resolution. It could also be combined with MLST and SCCmec typing to be used in local epidemiological investigations.