ORiginal Article : PNPLA3 rs738409 Polymorphism Associated with Hepatic Steatosis and Advanced Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus: A Meta-Analysis

( Jia Hao Fan ),( Ming Que Xiang ),( Qing Ling Li ),( Hong Tao Shi ),( Jin Jun Guo ) 대한간학회 2016 Gut and Liver Vol.10 No.3

Background/Aims: The recognition of a correlation between patatin-like phospholipase domain containing-protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 (C>G) and the severity of liver steatosis or fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has not reached a consensus. This meta-analysis sought to investigate with accuracy the association between the PNPLA3 rs738409 (C>G) polymorphism and liver steatosis and advanced fibrosis in CHC patients. Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature search from the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases up to December 31, 2014. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata 12.0 software. Results: The meta-analysis revealed the severity of liver fibrosis was significantly higher in CHC patients with PNPLA3 rs738409 GG in Caucasians (versus CC+CG: OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.57 to 3.35; p<0.05) but not Asian populations. In Caucasians, liver steatosis was also more severe in CHC patients with rs738409 GG (versus CC+CG; OR, 4.33; 95% CI, 2.59 to 7.22; p<0.05). The sensitivity analysis indicated the results of this meta-analysis were stable and no publication bias was detected. Conclusions: PNPLA3 rs738409 (C>G) was associated with the risk of both advanced liver fibrosis and steatosis in patients with CHC, especially among Caucasian populations. (Gut Liver 2016;10:456-463)

Development and Validation of Nomograms to Provide Individualized Predictions of Sur-vival Benefits from Surgery in Patients with Intermediate/Advanced Hepatocel-lular Carcinoma

( Wen-tao Yan ),( Jia-he Wang ),( Ming-da Wang ),( Zheng Wang ),( Bing Quan ),( Ya-hao Zhou ),( Wei-min Gu ),( Hong Wang ),( Ting-hao Chen ),( Tian Yang ) 대한간학회 2018 춘·추계 학술대회 (KASL) Vol.2018 No.1

Aims: According to the BCLC treatment guidelines, surgery does not be recommended for intermediate/advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In real world, however, liver resections are often performed in patients with intermediate/ advanced but resectable HCC, especially in the East. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated multicentric data of 1,325 patients newly diagnosed with intermediate/advanced HCC who underwent curative resection. We randomly divided the subjects into development (n = 875) and validation (n = 450) samples. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were developed and separately validated on the basis of patients’ clinicopathological variables assessed for associations with 1-year recurrence and 3-year mortality. The discriminatory accuracy of these models was compared with conventional tools by analyzing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: He statistical nomograms built based on performance status, Child-Pugh grade, portal hypertension, preoperative alpha-fetoprotein level, tumor rupture, largest tumor diameter, tumor number, macrovascular and microvascular invasion, and satellites had good calibration and discriminatory abilities, with c-indices of 0.70 (1-year recurrence) and 0.68 (3-year survival), respectively. These models showed satisfactory goodness-of-fit and discrimination abilities in the validation cohort (c-index, 0.68 for 1-year recurrence and 0.69 for 3-year survival). The areas under the ROC curve using these nomograms exceeded those of traditional staging systems, indicating superior discriminatory capability (c-indices, 0.60-0.63 and 0.56-0.62, respectively). Conclusions: Our proposed online nomograms, which present graphically postoperative prognostic models for recurrence and survival in patients with intermediate/advanced but resectable HCC, offer valuable guidance to surgeons and hepatologists for individually predicting survival benefits from surgery and planning recurrence surveillance and adjuvant therapy.

Polyvinylidene Fluoride Electrospun Fibers Loaded TiO2 for Photocatalytic Degradation and Oil/Water Separation

Fei Sun,Hai-Tao Ren,Shih-Yu Huang,Ting-Ting Li,Hao-Kai Peng,Qi Lin,Ching-Wen Lou,Jia-Horng Lin 한국섬유공학회 2020 Fibers and polymers Vol.21 No.7

In this study, electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based nanofibrous membranes embedding TiO2 wereprepared and used for photocatalytic degradation and oil/water separation. The nanofibrous membranes were characterizedby scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electronic microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermal performance analysis, and oil/water separation analysis. Andthe degradation of rhodamine B dye was also investigated. Results showed that the fiber diameter and thermal stability of themembranes decreased with the increasing of TiO2. Meanwhile, the fiber surface roughness and specific surface areaincreased. The analysis of TEM, XRD and FTIR indicated that TiO2 existed in the PVDF membranes. When the TiO2 contentwas 12 %, the fiber diameter of the membranes was about 110 nm, and the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B dyeefficiency was up to 97 %. The reaction rate constant was 0.02057 min-1. At 0.01 MPa vacuum, oil separated from watereffectively, which proves that separation can be easily conducted with a low energy cost. Thus, the prepared membranes havea very high application prospect in the purification of reclaimed water and separation of oil and water.

Mitochondrial citrate accumulation drives alveolar epithelial cell necroptosis in lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury

Yang Hui-Hui,Jiang Hui-Ling,Tao Jia-Hao,Zhang Chen-Yu,Xiong Jian-Bing,Yang Jin-Tong,Liu Yu-Biao,Zhong Wen-Jing,Guan Xin-Xin,Duan Jia-Xi,Zhang Yan-Feng,Liu Shao-Kun,Jiang Jian-Xin,Zhou Yong,Guan Cha-Xi 생화학분자생물학회 2022 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.54 No.-

Necroptosis is the major cause of death in alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) during acute lung injury (ALI). Here, we report a previously unrecognized mechanism for necroptosis. We found an accumulation of mitochondrial citrate (citratemt) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated AECs because of the downregulation of Idh3α and citrate carrier (CIC, also known as Slc25a1). shRNA- or inhibitor–mediated inhibition of Idh3α and Slc25a1 induced citratemt accumulation and necroptosis in vitro. Mice with AEC-specific Idh3α and Slc25a1 deficiency exhibited exacerbated lung injury and AEC necroptosis. Interestingly, the overexpression of Idh3α and Slc25a1 decreased citratemt levels and rescued AECs from necroptosis. Mechanistically, citratemt accumulation induced mitochondrial fission and excessive mitophagy in AECs. Furthermore, citratemt directly interacted with FUN14 domain-containing protein 1 (FUNDC1) and promoted the interaction of FUNDC1 with dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1), leading to excessive mitophagy-mediated necroptosis and thereby initiating and promoting ALI. Importantly, necroptosis induced by citratemt accumulation was inhibited in FUNDC1-knockout AECs. We show that citratemt accumulation is a novel target for protection against ALI involving necroptosis.

Preoperative Prealbumin Level as an Independent Predictor of Long-Term Prognosis after Curative Liver Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (a Multicenter Study of 1,483 Patients)

( Ju-dong Li ),( Xin-fei Xu ),( Jiong-jie Yu ),( Jia-he Wang ),( Li- Yang Sun ),( Wen-tao Yan ),( Bing Quan ),( Jian-hong Zhong ),( Yi-sheng Huang ),( Ya-hao Zhou ),( Ting-hao Chen ),( Hong Wang ),( W 대한간학회 2018 춘·추계 학술대회 (KASL) Vol.2018 No.1

Aims: Serum prealbumin is more sensitive to profile nutritional status and liver function than albumin, which could hardly be affected by infusion supplement. This study aims: to identify the relationship between preoperative prealbumin level and the long-term prognosis after curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Patients undergone HCC curative resection between 2001 and 2014 at six institutions in China were enrolled. By using 170 mg/dl as cut-off value of serum prealbumin level, these patients were divided into the low and normal preoperative prealbumin groups. The overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed and compared. Univariable and multivariable Cox-regression analyses were performed to identify predictive factors of OS and RFS. Results: Among 1,483 patients, 437 (29.5%) had a low prealbumin level within a week before surgery. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS and RFS rates of patients in the low prealbumin group were 83.8, 57.0, and 31.1%, and 67.0, 39.8, and19.9%, respectively, which was significantly poorer than those in the normal group (93.0, 75.5, and 42.6%, and 77.0, 56.4, and 28.4%, both P<0.001). Multivariable analyses revealed that preoperative prealbumin level, but not albumin level, was an independent predictor of OS (HR, 1.789; 95% CI: 1.544 -2.072, P<0.001) and RFS (HR, 1.420; 95% CI: 232-1.636, P<0.001). Conclusions: Preoperative prealbumin level is useful for predicting long-term prognosis in patients undergoing liver resection for HCC. Prealbumin may be suitable to displace albumin, yielding to an updated Child-Pugh grade for accessing liver function.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Common Red Apollo, Parnassius epaphus (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae: Parnassiinae)

Yun-liangWang,Yan-hong Chen,Chen-chen Xia,Xue-qin Xia,Rui-song Tao,Jia-sheng Hao 한국응용곤충학회 2015 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.18 No.2

The complete mitochondrial genome of Parnassius epaphus (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae: Parnassiinae) was 15, 458 bp in length, harboring typical 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transferRNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs) and a non-coding control region (AT-rich region), with an 81.4% A + T content. The gene orientation and arrangement are the same as those of other sequenced lepidopterans. All PCGs startwith the typical ATN codon, with the exception of the COI gene that utilizes CGA as its initial codon. In addition, all PCGs terminate at the common stop codon TAA or TAG, except for the COII genewhich uses single T as its stop codon. All tRNAs possess the typical clover-leaf structure, except for tRNAser(AGN), inwhich the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm forms a simple loop. The predicted lrRNA and srRNA secondary structures harbor six domainswith 49 helices and three domains with 33 helices, respectively. In total, P. epaphus mitogenome harbors 12 intergenic spacers. The 122 bp longest one located between tRNAser(AGN) and tRNAGlu is characterized by the multiple duplications of TTTTTCTTTTT and TTTATCTATTTCTTTmotifs, and this sequence is the largest intergenic spacer among all butterflies detected to date. The 496 bp AT-rich region is located between srRNA and tRNAMet, containing some conserved structural characteristic of lepidopterans, such as the motif ATAGA followed by an 18-bp poly-T stretch, a microsatellite-like (AT)9 element preceded by the ATTTA motif. Moreover, two tRNA-like sequences (tRNATrp-like, tRNALeu(UUR)-like) and two sequence stretches potential to form stem-loop structures are also found in the AT-rich region.

Staged Improvement in Awareness of Disease for Elderly Cancer Patients in Southern China

Li, Xing,Dong, Min,Wen, Jing-Yun,Wei, Li,Ma, Xiao-Kun,Xing, Yan-Fang,Deng, Yun,Chen, Zhan-Hong,Chen, Jie,Ruan, Dan-Yun,Lin, Ze-Xiao,Wang, Tian-Tian,Wu, Dong-Hao,Liu, Xu,Hu, Hai-Tao,Lin, Jia-Yu,Li, Zhu Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.15

Background: In mainland China, awareness of disease of elderly cancer patients largely relies on the patients' families. We developed a staged procedure to improve their awareness of disease. Materials and Methods: Participants were 224 elderly cancer patients from 9 leading hospitals across Southern China. A questionnaire was given to the oncologists in charge of each patient to evaluate the interaction between family and patients, patient awareness of their disease and participation in medical decision-making. After first cycles of treatment, increased information of disease was given to patients with cooperation of the family. Then patient awareness of their disease and participation in medical decision-making was documented. Results: Among the 224 cancer elderly patients, 26 (11.6%) made decisions by themselves and 125 (55.8%) delegated their rights of decision-making to their family. Subordinate family members tended to play a passive role in decision-making significantly. Patients participating more in medical decision-making tended to know more about their disease. However, in contrast to the awareness of disease, patient awareness of violation of medical recommendations was reversely associated with their participation in medical decision-making. Improvement in awareness of diagnosis, stages and prognosis was achieved in about 20% elderly cancer patients. About 5% participated more actively in medical decision-making. Conclusions: Chinese elderly cancer patient awareness of disease and participation in medical decision-making is limited and relies on their family status. The staged procedure we developed to improve patient awareness of disease proved effective.