ZE Syndrome

INTRODUCTION: Circular RNA (circRNAs) are a type of non-coding RNA (ncRNAs) with a wealth of functions. Recently, circRNAs have been identified as important regulators of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), owing to their stability and enrichment in exosomes. However, the role of circRNAs in exosomes of tubular epithelial cells in DKD development has not been fully elucidated. METHODS: In our study, microarray technology was used to analyze circRNA expression in cell supernatant exosomes isolated from HK-2 cells with or without high glucose (HG) treatment...

Enterospora epinepheli is an intranuclear microsporidian parasite causing serious emaciative disease in hatchery-bred juvenile groupers (Epinephelus spp.). Rapid and sensitive detection is urgently needed as its chronic infection tends to cause emaciation as well as white faeces syndrome and results in fry mortality. This study established a TaqMan probe-based real-time quantitative PCR assays targeting the small subunit rRNA (SSU) gene of E. epinepheli. The relationship between the standard curve of cycle threshold (Ct) and the logarithmic starting quantity (SQ) was determined as Ct = -3...

Hantaan virus (HTNV) is responsible for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), primarily due to its ability to inhibit host innate immune responses, such as type I interferon (IFN-I). In this study, we conducted a transcriptome analysis to identify host factors regulated by HTNV nucleocapsid protein (NP) and glycoprotein. Our findings demonstrate that NP and Gc proteins inhibit host IFN-I production by manipulating the retinoic acid-induced gene I (RIG-I)-like receptor (RLR) pathways. Further analysis reveals that HTNV NP and Gc proteins target upstream molecules of MAVS, such as RIG-I and MDA-5, with Gc exhibiting stronger inhibition of IFN-I responses than NP...

The titer of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in the human body is an essential reference for evaluating the acquired protective immunity and resistance to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, a fluorescence-quenching lateral flow immunoassay (FQ-LFIA) is established for quantitative detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 NAbs in the sera of individuals who are vaccinated or infected within 10 min. The ultrabright aggregation-induced emission properties encapsulated in nanoparticles, AIE490 NP, are applied in the established FQ-LFIA with gold nanoparticles to achieve a fluorescence "turn-on" competitive immunoassay...

The number of patients with COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is still increasing. In the case of COVID-19 and tuberculosis (TB), the presence of one disease affects the infectious status of the other. Meanwhile, coinfection may result in complications that make treatment more difficult. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning the interaction between TB and COVID-19 are unclear. Accordingly, transcriptome analysis was used to detect the shared pathways and molecular biomarkers in TB and COVID-19, allowing us to determine the complex relationship between COVID-19 and TB...

Heterozygous mutation of CHD7 gene causes a severe developmental disorder called CHARGE syndrome. In order to further explore the expression and function of Chd7 in vivo, we generated a Chd7-P2A-iCreERT2-P2A-tdTomato (in short, Chd7-CT-tdT) knockin mouse line using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The specificity and efficiency of two knockin genetic elements were validated. The Chd7-CT-tdT reporter gene could accurately reflect both the dynamic expression pattern of endogenous Chd7 during neurodevelopment and cell-type specific expression in the brain and eye...

We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) therapy for hemodialysis-dependent patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Thirteen hemodialysis patients infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 from April 3 to May 30, 2022, were recruited. Laboratory parameters and chest CT (computed tomography) imaging were analyzed. The treatment group included six patients who received 150 mg/100 mg of Paxlovid orally once daily for 5 days, whereas the control group included seven patients who received basic treatment...

BACKGROUND: The prognostic benefit of complete revascularization in elderly patients (aged over 75 years) with multi-vessel disease and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is currently unclear. This study aimed to determine the long-term prognostic impact of complete revascularization in this population. METHODS: We conducted this study using data obtained from the BleeMACS (Bleeding complications in a Multicenter registry of patients discharged after an Acute Coronary Syndrome) registry, which was carried out from 2003 to 2014...

BACKGROUND: Burkholderia pseudomallei ( B. pseudomallei ) is a short, straight, medium-sized Gram-negative bacterium that mostly exists alone, without a capsule or spores, has more than three flagella at one end, and actively moves. B. pseudomallei confers high morbidity and mortality, with frequent granulocytopenia in B. pseudomallei sepsis-related deaths. However, mortality may be related to hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) secondary to B. pseudomallei infection. CASE SUMMARY: A 12-year-old female was referred from a local hospital to the pediatric intensive care unit with suspected septic shock and fever, cough, dyspnea, and malaise...

BACKGROUND: Intraindividual differences between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on cystatin C (eGFRcys) and creatinine (eGFRcr) can convey important clinical information regarding the health status. However, the clinical implications of these differences (eGFRdiff) for risk of cognitive decline and motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the longitudinal associations of eGFRdiff with cognitive trajectories and incident MCR. METHODS: Based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we identified two study sub-cohorts: one for cognitive trajectory follow-up (6423 participants; years:2011-2018) and another for incident MCR follow-up (2477 participants; years:2011-2015)...

BACKGROUND: Tirofiban is a nonpeptide glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist used widely in patients subjected to percutaneous coronary intervention. While the usage of tirofiban sets an important clinical benefit, severe thrombocytopenia can occur with use of this agent. CASE PRESENTATION: A 76-year-old Chinese man was admitted with 1-month history of sudden onset of chest tightness. He was diagnosed as having subacute inferior myocardial infarction, and percutaneous coronary intervention was performed...

CONTEXT: The high prevalence of hypothalamic obesity (HO) and dyslipidemia in individuals with craniopharyngioma (CP) following surgery is a cause for increasing concern. However, few studies have explored the lipid profile in pediatric CP patients, with inconsistent findings. In addition, the role of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) replacement remains unclear in these patients. OBJECTIVE: To compare the blood lipid profile among post-operative craniopharyngioma children and adolescents with that among healthy controls and to reveal the effects of rhGH replacement...

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a life-threatening and potentially fatal complication during in vitro fertilization treatment. The levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) are upregulated in human follicular fluid and granulosa-lutein cells (hGL) of OHSS patients and could contribute to the development of OHSS by downregulating steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) expression. However, whether the same is true for the other two members of the TGF-β family, TGF-β2 and -β3, remains unknown...

BACKGROUND: The clinical use of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in the intensive care unit (ICU) has dramatically increased, its impact on long-term prognosis in these patients has not been studied. This study aimed to explore the effect of early-TTE on long-term mortality in patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS in ICU. METHODS: A total of 2833 patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS who had or had not received early-TTE were obtained from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-III) database after imputing missing values by a random forest model, patients were divided into early-TTE group and non-early-TTE group according to whether they received TTE examination in ICU...

INTRODUCTION: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the childhood onset of motor and phonic tics, frequently accompanied by behavioral and psychiatric comorbidities. Existing treatments for tics raise safety concerns. In China, acupuncture has been a widely utilized approach for TS, and one specific traditional acupuncture method, plum-blossom needle therapy (PBNT), has exhibited favorable tolerance among pediatric patients. In this report, we present a case of TS treated using PBNT...

Prenatal exposure to heavy metals causes multiple hazards to fetal growth and development. Epidemiological studies on the association between heavy metals and fetal chromosomal abnormalities (CAs) are lacking. We conducted a nested case-control study in a cohort of high-risk pregnant women in China from September 2018 to June 2021. A total of 387 participants were diagnosed with fetal CAs in the case group and 699 were diagnosed with a normal karyotype in the control group. Amniotic fluid concentrations of 10 metals (barium, cobalt, antimony, manganese, ferrum, copper, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and chromium) were measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry...

Coronavirus disease 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to an unprecedented public health crisis worldwide. Though the host produces interferons (IFNs) and restriction factors to suppress virus infection, SARS-CoV-2 has evolved multiple strategies to inhibit the antiviral responses. Understanding host restriction factors and viral escape mechanisms is conducive to developing effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. Here, we constructed SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (2N) protein- and green fluorescent protein (GFP)-stably expressing cells that were transfected with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) to activate IFN responses...

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is an abundant neurotransmitter in the lungs and other organs. Its discovery dates back to 1970. And VIP gains attention again due to the potential application in COVID-19 after a research wave in the 1980s and 1990s. The diverse biological impacts of VIP extend beyond its usage in COVID-19 treatment, encompassing its involvement in various pulmonary and systemic disorders. This review centers on the function of VIP in various lung diseases, such as pulmonary arterial hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, cystic fibrosis, acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung tumors...

BACKGROUND: Alport syndrome (AS) is an inherited disease of the glomerular basement membrane caused by mutations in genes encoding α3, α4, or α5 chains of type IV collagen. It manifests with hematuria or proteinuria, which is often accompanied by hearing impairments and ocular abnormalities. Histopathologically, AS shows mesangial proliferation and sometimes incidental immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposition. Hematuria or proteinuria is also a common presentation in patients with IgA nephropathy that makes it difficult to differentially diagnose AS and IgA nephropathy solely based on these clinical and pathological features...

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease spreading rapidly worldwide. As it quickly spreads and can cause severe disease, early detection and treatment may reduce mortality. Therefore, the study aims to construct a risk model and a nomogram for predicting the mortality of COVID-19. METHODS: The original data of this study were from the article " Neurologic Syndromes Predict Higher In-Hospital Mortality in COVID-19." The database contained 4,711 multiethnic patients...