bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Expression, oncological and immunological characterizations of BZW1/2 in pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Authors: Ge Jiachen , Mu Senmao , Xiao Erwei , Tian Guangjin , Tao Lianyuan , Li Deyu 
Published: October 2022

Background: Despite the progress in early diagnosis and treatment, prognosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is still poor. Basic leucine zipper and W2 domain-containing protein 1 (BZW1) and protein 2 (BZW2) are attached to the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) superfamily. Recently, BZW1 was identified as an important role in glycolysis of PAAD. However, the comprehensive reports about BZW1/2 in PAAD are not sufficient.Methods: RNA-seq data in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were retrospectively analyzed. We explored the expression of BZW1/2 in PAAD tissues and the associations between BZW1/2 and prognosis. In addition, the potential roles of BZW1/2 in tumor microenvironment (TME) of PAAD were analyzed. Finally, clinicopathological data of 49 patients with PAAD in our institution were collected. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of BZW1/2 in PAAD samples.Results: BZW1 and BZW2 were upregulated in PAAD tissues compared to normal tissues (p &lt; 0.05). The expression of BZW1/2 were not significantly correlated with gender, grade and stage of PAAD (p &gt; 0.05). High expression of BZW2 was an independent predictor for poor prognosis of PAAD (HR 1.834, 95%CI 1.303–2.581, p = 0.001). And a nomogram to predict overall survival (OS) of PAAD was established with a C-index of 0.685. BZW1 and BZW2 expression were positively associated with T cell mediated immune response to tumor cell and Th2 cells in xCell database. Tumor Immune Single-Cell Hub (TISCH) analyses indicated that BZW1 and BZW2 were mainly expressed in B cells and malignant cells. External cohort furtherly validated that high expression of BZW1 and BZW2 were predictors for poor prognosis of PAAD.Conclusion: We found that BZW1 and BZW2 are highly expressed in malignant cells and B cells in the TME of PAAD. BZW2 is an independent predictor for OS of PAAD. BZW1 and BZW2 expression are positively associated with T cell mediated immune response to tumor cell and Th2 cells in PAAD.
Immune-related gene risk score predicting the effect of immunotherapy and prognosis in bladder cancer patients
Authors: Zou Yuantao , Yuan Gangjun , Tan Xingliang , Luo Sihao , Yang Cong , Tang Yi , Wang Yanjun , Yao Kai 
Published: October 2022

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has changed the treatment model of metastatic bladder cancer. However, only approximately 20% of patients benefit from this therapy, and robust biomarkers to predict the effect of immunotherapy are still lacking. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether immune-related genes could be indicators for the prognosis of bladder cancer patients and the effect of immunotherapy.Methods: Based on bladder cancer dataset from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GSE48075, 22 immune microenvironment-related cells were identified by CIBERSORT. After performing a series of bioinformatic and machine learning approaches, we identified distinct tumor microenvironment clusters and three bladder cancer specific immune-related genes (EGFR, OAS1 and MST1R). Then, we constructed immune-related gene risk score (IRGRS) by using the Cox regression method and validated it with the IMvigor210 dataset.Results: IRGRS-high patients had a worse overall survival than IRGRS-low patients, which was consistent with the result in the IMvigor210 dataset. Comprehensive analysis shows that patients with high IRGRS scores are mainly enriched in basal/squamous type (Ba/Sq), and tumor metabolism-related pathways are more Active, with higher TP53 and RB1 gene mutation rates, lower CD4+/CD8+ T cell infiltration, higher M0 macrophage infiltration, and lower immunotherapy efficacy. In contrast, Patients with low IRGRS scores are mainly enriched in the luminal papillary type (LumP), which is associated with the activation of IL-17 and TNF signaling pathways, higher mutation rates of FGFR3 and CDKN1A genes, higher CD4+/CD8+ T cell infiltration content, and The level of M0 macrophage infiltration was relatively low, and the immunotherapy was more probably effective.Conclusion: Our study constructed an IRGRS for bladder cancer and clarified the immune and molecular characteristics of IRGRS-defined subgroups of bladder cancer to investigate the association between IRGRS and its potential implications for prognosis and immunotherapy.
Genome-wide identification, characterization and expression of HSP 20 gene family in dove
Authors: Hou Zhe , Li Ang , Huang Changbing 
Published: October 2022

Davidia involucrata is a significant living fossil with high abiotic stress tolerance. Although heat shock protein 20 (HSP20) has already been linked to heat stress, nothing is known about HSP20 family protein activities in D. involucrata. The functional dynamics of the D. involucrata HSP20 (DiHSP20) gene family were identified and characterized using a thorough genome-wide investigation. From the genome of D. involucrata, a total of 42 HSP20 genes were identified, which are distributed across 16 chromosomes. The DiHSP20 proteins were grouped into seven separate subfamilies by our phylogenetic analysis, which was validated by the conserved motif composition and gene structure studies. Segmental duplication events were shown to play a crucial role in the expansion of the DiHSP20 gene family. Synteny analysis revealed that 19 DiHSP20 genes of D. involucrata shared a syntenic connection with Arabidopsis genes, 39 with C. acuminata genes, and just 6 with O. sativa genes. Additionally, heat stress differently enhanced the expression levels of D. involucrata HSP20 genes. After 1 hour of heat treatment, the expression levels of most DiHSP20 genes, particularly DiHSP20-7, DiHSP20-29, DiHSP20-30, DiHSP20-32, and DiHSP20-34, were dramatically increased, suggestted that they might be employed as heat tolerance candidate genes. Overall, these findings add to our knowledge of the HSP20 family genes and provide helpful information for breeding heat stress resistance in D. involucrata.
Bibliometric and visualization analysis of macrophages associated with osteoarthritis from 1991 to 2021
Authors: Yang Zhen , Lin Jianjing , Li Hui , He Zihao , Wang Kai , Lei Liandi , Li Hao , Xing Dan , Lin Jianhao 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundMacrophages significantly contributes to symptomology and structural progression of osteoarthritis (OA) and raise increasing attention in the relative research field. Recent studies have shown that tremendous progress has been made in the research of macrophages associated with osteoarthritis. However, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis is lacking in this research field. This study aimed to introduce the research status as well as hotspots and explore the field of macrophages research in OA from a bibliometric perspective.MethodsThis study collected 1481 records of macrophages associated with osteoarthritis from 1991 to 2021 in the web of science core collection (WoSCC) database. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R package “bibliometrix” software were used to analyze regions, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords to predict the latest trends in macrophages associated with osteoarthritis research.ResultsThe number of publications related to macrophages associated with osteoarthritis is increasing annually. China and the USA, contributing more than 44% of publications, were the main drivers for research in this field. League of European Research Universities was the most active institution and contributed the most publications. Arthritis and Rheumatism is the most popular journal in this field with the largest publications, while Osteoarthritis and Cartilage is the most co-cited journal. Koch AE was the most prolific writer, while Bondeson J was the most commonly co-cited author. “Rheumatology”, “Orthopedics”, and “Immunology” were the most widely well-represented research areas of OA associated macrophages. “Rheumatoid arthritis research”, “clinical symptoms”, “regeneration research”, “mechanism research”, “pathological features”, and “surgery research” are the primary keywords clusters in this field.ConclusionThis is the first bibliometric study comprehensively mapped out the knowledge structure and development trends in the research field of macrophages associated with osteoarthritis in recent 30 years. The results comprehensively summarize and identify the research frontiers which will provide a reference for scholars studying macrophages associated with osteoarthritis.
A real-world retrospective study of safety, efficacy, compliance and cost of combination treatment with rush immunotherapy plus one dose of pretreatment anti-IgE in Chinese children with respiratory allergies
Authors: Zhang Pingping , Bian Sainan , Wang Xibin , Chen Zhuanggui , Yang Lifen , Xiao Feng , Guan Kai 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundThe efficacy of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) in treating pediatric allergy has been clearly demonstrated, however, many patients hesitate to initiate AIT due to weekly hospital visits during the 3-4 months up-dosing phase. Meanwhile, rush immunotherapy (RIT) shortens the duration of the up-dosing phase to 7 days. However, considering that patients receiving RIT are exposed to the allergens during a much shorter period of time and thus may be at a greater risk of systemic reactions, RIT is currently underused, especially in children. This study investigated the utility of combination treatment with RIT plus 1 dose of pretreatment anti-IgE in children with respiratory allergies.MethodsIn this retrospective study, we reviewed records of children with allergic rhinitis (AR) and/or allergic asthma (AA) sensitized to dust mite allergens receiving RIT+1 dose of pretreatment anti-IgE (the RIT group) or conventional immunotherapy (the CIT group) at our hospital from January 2020 to March 2021. Data such as visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, comprehensive symptom and medication score (CSMS), allergy blood test results, adverse reactions, compliance and cost were collected and analyzed.Results40 patients in the RIT group and 81 patients in the CIT group were included in this study. Both treatments were well tolerated and patients in the 2 treatment groups had comparable local and systemic reactions. Compared to CIT, RIT + anti-IgE combination led to significantly faster symptomatic improvement as demonstrated by significantly decreased VAS and CSMS starting as early as 1 month after AIT initiation (P&lt;0.05). Nobody dropped out in the RIT group during the 1 year follow-up, while 11 out of 81 patients in the CIT group dropped out (loss rate 13.5%). Thus, the RIT group had a significantly higher compliance rate than the CIT group (P&lt;0.05). Finally, the 2 treatment regimens had comparable cost per patient per injection (P&gt; 0.05).ConclusionsRIT + 1 dose of pretreatment anti-IgE combination has practical advantages over CIT, including comparable safety, better compliance, and probably a faster onset of clinical efficacy at no additional cost, so it can be an useful regimen for the treatment of Chinese children with respiratory allergies.
In search of immune cellular sources of abnormal cytokines in the blood in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of case-control studies
Authors: Nour-Eldine Wared , Ltaief Samia M. , Abdul Manaph Nimshitha P. , Al-Shammari Abeer R. 
Published: October 2022

Abnormal cytokine levels in circulating blood have been repeatedly reported in autism; however, the underlying cause remains unclear. This systematic review aimed to investigate cytokine levels in peripheral blood compartments and identify their potential immune cellular sources in subjects with autism through comparison with controls. We conducted an electronic database search (PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest Central, Ovid, SAGE Journals, and Wiley Online Library) from inception (no time limits) to July 9, 2020, and identified 75 relevant articles. Our qualitative data synthesis focused on results consistently described in at least three independent studies, and we reported the results according to the PRISMA protocol. We found that compared with controls, in subjects with autism, cytokines IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, and IL-1β increased in the plasma and serum. We also identified monocytes, neutrophils, and CD4+ T cells as potential sources of these elevated cytokines in autism. Cytokines IFN-γ, TGF-β, RANTES, and IL-8 were increased in the plasma/serum of subjects with autism, and IFN-γwas likely produced by CD4+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, although conflicting evidence is present for IFN-γand TGF-β. Other cytokines—IL-13, IL-10, IL-5, and IL-4—were found to be unaltered in the plasma/serum and post-stimulated blood immune cells in autistic individuals as compared with controls. The frequencies of T cells, monocytes, B cells, and NK cells were unchanged in subjects with autism as opposed to controls, suggesting that abnormal cytokines were unlikely due to altered cell numbers but might be due to altered functioning of these cells in autism. Our results support existing studies of abnormal cytokines in autism and provide comprehensive evidence of potential cellular sources of these altered cytokines in the context of autism.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020205224, identifier [CRD42020205224].
Upregulation of microRNA-125b-5p alleviates acute liver failure by regulating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway
Authors: Tao Ya-Chao , Wang Yong-Hong , Wang Meng-Lan , Jiang Wei , Wu Dong-Bo , Chen En-Qiang , Tang Hong 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundAcute liver failure (ALF) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) are the two most common subtypes of liver failure. They are both life-threatening clinical problems with high short-term mortality. Although liver transplantation is an effective therapeutic, its application is limited due to the shortage of donor organs. Given that both ACLF and ALF are driven by excessive inflammation in the initial stage, molecules targeting inflammation may benefit the two conditions. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small endogenous noncoding interfering RNA molecules. Regulation of miRNAs related to inflammation may serve as promising interventions for the treatment of liver failure.AimsTo explore the role and mechanism of miR-125b-5p in the development of liver failure.MethodsSix human liver tissues were categorized into HBV-non-ACLF and HBV-ACLF groups. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) were screened and identified through high-throughput sequencing analysis. Among these DE-miRNAs, miR-125b-5p was selected for further study of its role and mechanism in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-galactosamine (D-GalN) -challenged Huh7 cells and mice in vitro and in vivo.ResultsA total of 75 DE-miRNAs were obtained. Of these DE-miRNAs, miR-125b-5p was the focus of further investigation based on our previous findings and preliminary results. We preliminarily observed that the levels of miR-125b-5p were lower in the HBV-ACLF group than in the HBV-non-ACLF group. Meanwhile, LPS/D-GalN-challenged mice and Huh7 cells both showed decreased miR-125b-5p levels when compared to their untreated control group, suggesting that miR-125b-5p may have a protective role against liver injury, regardless of ACLF or ALF. Subsequent results revealed that miR-125b-5p not only inhibited Huh7 cell apoptosis in vitro but also relieved mouse ALF in vivo with evidence of improved liver histology, decreased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, and reduced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and IL-1β levels. Based on the results of a biological prediction website, microRNA.org, Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) was predicted to be one of the target genes of miR-125b-5p, which was verified by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Western blot results in vitro and in vivo showed that miR-125b-5p could decrease the expression of Keap1 and cleaved caspase-3 while upregulating the expression of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1).ConclusionUpregulation of miR-125b-5p can alleviate acute liver failure by regulating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, and regulation of miR-125b-5p may serve as an alternative intervention for liver failure.
Development and validation of multivariable prediction models of serological response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Osmanodja Bilgin , Stegbauer Johannes , Kantauskaite Marta , Rump Lars Christian , Heinzel Andreas , Reindl-Schwaighofer Roman , Oberbauer Rainer , Benotmane Ilies , Caillard Sophie , Masset Christophe , Kerleau Clarisse , Blancho Gilles , Budde Klemens , Grunow Fritz , Mikhailov Michael , Schrezenmeier Eva , Ronicke Simon 
Published: October 2022

Repeated vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 increases serological response in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) with high interindividual variability. No decision support tool exists to predict SARS-CoV-2 vaccination response to third or fourth vaccination in KTR. We developed, internally and externally validated five different multivariable prediction models of serological response after the third and fourth vaccine dose against SARS-CoV-2 in previously seronegative, COVID-19-naïve KTR. Using 20 candidate predictor variables, we applied statistical and machine learning approaches including logistic regression (LR), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-regularized LR, random forest, and gradient boosted regression trees. For development and internal validation, data from 590 vaccinations were used. External validation was performed in four independent, international validation cohorts comprising 191, 184, 254, and 323 vaccinations, respectively. LASSO-regularized LR performed on the whole development dataset yielded a 20- and 10-variable model, respectively. External validation showed AUC-ROC of 0.840, 0.741, 0.816, and 0.783 for the sparser 10-variable model, yielding an overall performance 0.812. A 10-variable LASSO-regularized LR model predicts vaccination response in KTR with good overall accuracy. Implemented as an online tool, it can guide decisions whether to modulate immunosuppressive therapy before additional active vaccination, or to perform passive immunization to improve protection against COVID-19 in previously seronegative, COVID-19-naïve KTR.
Cytotoxic potential on human breast and lung cancer cells of the biosynthesized gold nanoparticles from the reduction of chloroauric acid by lactic acid isolated from Lactobacillus acidophilus
Authors: Repotente Elmer Casley , Carreon Angelo Jose , Devanadera Mark Kevin , Esmalla Maria Salvacion , Santiago-Bautista Myla 
Published: October 2022

Chemotherapy side effects, drug resistance, and tumor metastasis hinder the progress of cancer treatments, which has led to cancer patients having a poor prognosis. In recent years, nanoparticles (NPs) have become an emerging trend in drug delivery technology. The biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from lactic acid as probiotic metabolites is a cost-efficient and eco-friendly approach due to the widespread availability and ease of culturing methods. Here, AuNPs were synthesized by reducing chloroauric acid using lactic acid isolated from the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus. Surface characterization of the biosynthesized gold nanoparticles was performed by UV-visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The distinct peak of the AuNPs in the UV-Vis spectra at around 520 nm indicates the nanoscale level of the gold particles. SEM images of the shape of the biosynthesized AuNPs were found to be small, smooth spherical particles with sizes ranging from 6 to 12 nm. AFM results agree with SEM images, showing AuNPs with sizes ranging from 4 to 15 nm. The anticancer activities of the biosynthesized AuNPs have been investigated by cytotoxicity (MTT) and apoptosis (Caspase 3/7) assay in the human breast and lung cancer cells (MCF7 and A549), and control (myoblasts). MTT assay showed AuNPs’ cytotoxic potential on cancer cells (MCF7 and A549) compared to normal cells (myoblasts). Cytotoxicity and apoptosis assay of the synthesized AuNPs exhibit toxicity against human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF7, IC50 of 0.075 mM) and human lung cancer cells (A549, IC50 of 0.07 mM), as shown evidently in the cellular morphology and in the DNA-stained nucleus. Only MCF7 cells exhibited apoptotic events upon AuNP treatment. AuNPs proved to be safe as they are non-toxic against normal cells and myoblasts. Interestingly, the biosynthesized AuNPs were absorbed by the cells and are present in the cytosol, thus demonstrating selectivity toward breast and lung cancer cells used. The study showed the first evidence that AuNPs can be synthesized using lactic acid as a reducing agent and capping agent isolated from the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus. The results suggested potential cancer chemotherapeutic leads and targeted delivery in human breast and lung cancers.
Prognostic value of acute cor pulmonale in COVID-19-related pneumonia: A prospective study
Authors: Beyls Christophe , Martin Nicolas , Booz Thomas , Viart Christophe , Boisgard Solenne , Daumin Camille , Crombet Maxime , Epailly Julien , Huette Pierre , Dupont Hervé , Abou-Arab Osama , Mahjoub Yazine 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundIt is known that acute cor pulmonale (ACP) worsens the prognosis of non-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute respiratory distress syndrome (NC-ARDS). The ACP risk score evaluates the risk of ACP occurrence in mechanically ventilated patients with NC-ARDS. There is less data on the risk factors and prognosis of ACP induced by COVID-19-related pneumonia.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of ACP, assessed by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and clinical factors associated with ACP in a cohort of patients with COVID-19-related pneumonia.Materials and methodsBetween February 2020 and June 2021, patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) at Amiens University Hospital for COVID-19-related pneumonia were assessed by TTE within 48 h of admission. ACP was defined as a right ventricle/left ventricle area ratio of &gt;0.6 associated with septal dyskinesia. The primary outcome was mortality at 30 days.ResultsAmong 146 patients included, 36% (n = 52/156) developed ACP of which 38% (n = 20/52) were non-intubated patients. The classical risk factors of ACP (found in NC-ARDS) such as PaCO2 &gt;48 mmHg, driving pressure &gt;18 mmHg, and PaO2/FiO2 &lt; 150 mmHg were not associated with ACP (all P-values &gt; 0.1). The primary outcome occurred in 32 (22%) patients. More patients died in the ACP group (n = 20/52 (38%) vs. n = 12/94 (13%), P = 0.001). ACP [hazards ratio (HR) = 3.35, 95%CI [1.56–7.18], P = 0.002] and age &gt;65 years (HR = 2.92, 95%CI [1.50–5.66], P = 0.002) were independent risk factors of 30-day mortality.ConclusionACP was a frequent complication in ICU patients admitted for COVID-19-related pneumonia. The 30-day-mortality was 38% in these patients. In COVID-19-related pneumonia, the classical risk factors of ACP did not seem relevant. These results need confirmation in further studies.