MiR-106b promotes cell proliferation via targeting RB in laryngeal carcinoma

MiR-106b is frequently up-regulated in various types of human cancer including laryngeal carcinoma. However the underlying mechanism of miR-106b involved in laryngeal carcinoma remains elusive. Here we showed that reduction of miR-106b induced cell cycle G0/G1 arrest by targeting tumor suppressor RB in human laryngeal carcinoma cells. Further, Introducing RB cDNA without 3'UTR abrogated miR-106b-induced cell proliferation. Finally, there was an inverse relationship between RB and miR-106b expression in laryngeal carcinoma tissues. To our knowledge, these data indicate for the first time that miR-106b directly regulate cell cycle by targeting RB in laryngeal carcinoma and that miR-106b could be potential therapeutic approaches for laryngeal carcinoma

Screening of the LTBP2 gene in 214 Chinese sporadic CYP1B1-negative patients with primary congenital glaucoma

Purpose To identify deleterious mutations in the latent transforming growth factor-β–binding protein 2 (LTBP2) gene in sporadic patients with primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) from a Han Chinese population, which had been excluded for mutations in the CYP1B1 gene. Methods: In this retrospective case–control study, 36 coding exons and adjacent exon–intron boundaries of LTBP2 were amplified with PCR and screened for mutations with Sanger sequencing in DNA samples of 214 sporadic patients with PCG. Sequence variants identified in the patients with PCG were subsequently screened in 100 unaffected control subjects and the unaffected parents of the patients with PCG who had sequence changes in LTBP2. Results: Eight heterozygous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in coding regions of LTBP2 were identified in the patients with PCG. Four of these SNPs were missense changes that resulted in the replacement of amino acids (rs2304707, rs116914994, rs45468895, and rs763035721), two of which (rs2304707 and rs116914994) were also present in the control subjects. No significant differences in the frequencies of the missense SNPs were found between the patients with PCG and the controls. The two missense SNPs, rs45468895 and rs763035721, which were each found in one patient also existed in their unaffected parents, suggesting that these two SNPs were not segregated in these families and are unlikely to be a disease-causative variant. In addition, four synonymous SNPs were detected in the patients with PCG (rs61738025, rs862031, rs199805158, and rs12586758). Conclusions: The results showed that no deleterious mutations were found in coding regions of LTBP2 in patients with PCG, suggesting that it is not a causal gene for PCG in the Han Chinese population

Association of genetic polymorphisms in the interleukin-10 promoter with risk of prostate cancer in Chinese

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recent studies identified an increased risk of prostate cancer (PCa) in Caucasian men harboring polymorphisms of genes involved in innate immunity and inflammation. This study was designed to assess whether single nucleotide polymorphisms in the IL-10 promoter play a role in predisposing individuals to PCa in a Chinese population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We genotyped three SNPs of the <it>IL-10 </it>promoter (-1082A/G, -819T/C and -592A/C) using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in 262 subjects with PCa and 270 age-matched healthy controls. Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were determined by logistic regression for the associations between IL-10 genotypes and haplotypes with the risk of PCa and advanced PCa grade.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No significant differences in allele frequency or genotype distribution were observed for any of the <it>IL-10 </it>SNPs between PCa patients and control subjects. Significantly higher frequencies of -1082G, -819C and -592C allele and GCC haplotype were observed, however, in early stage patients in comparison to advanced PCa patients (for -1082 G, 13.9% vs 6.1%, OR = 2.48, <it>P </it>= 0.005; for -819 C 40.3% vs 30.8%, OR = 1.51, <it>P </it>= 0.043; for -512C, 40.3% vs 30.8%, OR = 1.51, <it>P </it>= 0.043; and for haplotype GCC 11.1%vs 5.1%, OR = 2.66, P = 0.008, respectively).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results identify that <it>IL-10 </it>promoter polymorphisms might not be a risk factor for PCa in Chinese cohorts, but rather incidence of polymorphisms associates with PCa grade, suggesting that IL-10 expression may impact PCa progression.</p

Association between serum osteocalcin level and blood pressure in a Chinese population

Purpose: This observational study investigated the association between serum osteocalcin level and blood pressure in a Chinese population. Materials and methods: A total of 2241 subjects (909 men and 1,332 women; age, 24–78 years) from Shanghai communities were recruited. Subjects were divided into non-hypertensive and hypertensive groups according to diagnosis of hypertension based on the 1999 World Health Organization-International Society of Hypertension Guidelines. Serum osteocalcin levels were measured using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results: Men in the hypertensive group showed lower serum osteocalcin level compared with those in the non-hypertensive group, [16.37 (13.34–20.11) ng/mL versus 17.01 (14.23–20.79) ng/mL, p = .039]. No difference in serum osteocalcin level was found between the two groups of women (p = .675). An inverse association was observed between serum osteocalcin level and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in men (p = .004), but serum osteocalcin level was not associated with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in men (p = .472). No associations were detected between serum osteocalcin level and SBP or DBP in women (SBP: p = .108; DBP: p = .575). A multiple stepwise regression analysis showed an inverse association between serum osteocalcin level and SBP in men after adjusting for age, smoking status, family history of hypertension, and lipid and C-reactive protein levels (standardized β = –0.074, p = .023), but the association disappeared after adjustment for body mass index, waist circumference, blood glucose, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (p = .327). Conclusions: Serum osteocalcin level was not independently associated with blood pressure in a Chinese population

Contribution of serum FGF21 level to the identification of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and cardiac death

Abstract Aim The relationship between fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and cardiovascular disease has been well established in recent studies. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between FGF21 and left ventricular systolic dysfunction and cardiac death. Methods Two-dimensional echocardiography was used to measure the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to estimate left ventricular systolic function. The optimal cutoff of FGF21 for identifying left ventricular systolic dysfunction at baseline was analyzed via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The identification of different serum levels of FGF21 and their association with cardiac death was analyzed via Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Serum FGF21 level was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, and serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) level was determined by a chemiluminescent immunoassay. Results A total of 253 patients were recruited for this study at baseline. Patients were excluded if they lacked echocardiography or laboratory measurement data, and there were 218 patients enrolled in the final analysis. The average age was 66.32 ± 10.10 years. The optimal cutoff values of FGF21 and NT-pro-BNP for identifying left ventricular systolic dysfunction at baseline were 321.5 pg/mL and 131.3 ng/L, respectively, determined separately via ROC analysis. The areas under the curves were non-significant among FGF21, NT-pro-BNP and FGF21 + NT-pro-BNP as determined by pairwise comparisons. Both a higher serum level of FGF21 and a higher serum level of NT-pro-BNP were independent risk factors for left ventricular systolic dysfunction at baseline (odd ratio (OR) 3.138 [1.037–9.500], P = 0.043, OR 9.207 [2.036–41.643], P = 0.004, separately). Further Kaplan–Meier survival analysis indicated an association between both a higher serum level of FGF21 and a higher serum level of NT-pro-BNP with cardiac death in 5 years [RR 5.000 (1.326–18.861), P = 0.026; RR 9.643 (2.596–35.825), P = 0.009, respectively]. Conclusions Serum FGF21 level was significantly correlated with left ventricular systolic dysfunction at baseline. Patients with higher serum levels of FGF21 tended to suffer greater risks of cardiac death than patients with lower serum levels of FGF21. The identification of FGF21 and its relationship with left ventricular systolic function and cardiac death were non-inferior to NT-pro-BNP

Un niño judío en el equipo: Fútbol e identidad en Pelota de trapo (de Leopoldo Torres Ríos)

Resumen: Este artículo se centra en la representación de Abrahamcito, un niño judío que aparece en la película argentina Pelota de trapo (Leopoldo Torres Ríos, 1948). Se explora la relación que el niño tiene con su padre y los demás niños del vecindario, así como también la manera en que el fútbol como metáfora de integración promueve una alianza superior a cualquier otra. Se demuestra que Abrahamcito, quien hace frente a los ideales de su padre y se une a los otros niños en los juegos de pelota, forja su identidad de pertenencias múltiples en la que integra su identidad étnica judía y su identidad nacional argentina. Abstract: This article focuses on the representation of Abrahamcito, a Jewish boy featured in the Argentine film Ragged Ball (Leopoldo Torres Ríos, 1948). The study explores the boy’s relationship with his father and the neighborhood’s children, as well as the way in which the role of football as a metaphor for integration elicits an alliance superior to any other. It is shown that by contesting his father’s ideals and joining the other boys in football games, Abrahamcito forges his multi-layered identity by integrating his Jewish ethnic identity and his Argentine national identity

Map-Based Cloning, Phylogenetic, and Microsynteny Analyses of <i>ZmMs20</i> Gene Regulating Male Fertility in Maize

Genic male sterility (GMS) mutant is a useful germplasm resource for both theory research and production practice. The identification and characterization of GMS genes, and assessment of male-sterility stability of GMS mutant under different genetic backgrounds in Zea may (maize) have (1) deepened our understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling anther and pollen development, and (2) enabled the development and efficient use of many biotechnology-based male-sterility (BMS) systems for hybrid breeding. Here, we reported a complete GMS mutant (ms20), which displays abnormal anther cuticle and pollen development. Its fertility restorer gene ZmMs20 was found to be a new allele of IPE1 encoding a glucose methanol choline (GMC) oxidoreductase involved in lipid metabolism in anther. Phylogenetic and microsynteny analyses showed that ZmMs20 was conserved among gramineous species, which provide clues for creating GMS materials in other crops. Additionally, among the 17 maize cloned GMS genes, ZmMs20 was found to be similar to the expression patterns of Ms7, Ms26, Ms6021, APV1, and IG1 genes, which will give some clues for deciphering their functional relationships in regulating male fertility. Finally, two functional markers of ZmMs20/ms20 were developed and tested for creating maize ms20 male-sterility lines in 353 genetic backgrounds, and then an artificial maintainer line of ms20 GMS mutation was created by using ZmMs20 gene, ms20 mutant, and BMS system. This work will promote our understanding of functional mechanisms of male fertility and facilitate molecular breeding of ms20 male-sterility lines for hybrid seed production in maize

Meta-analysis with prior studies of the association between rs3918249 and PAC/PACG.

<p>Odds ratio was calculated per each increase in minor allele T. The summary odds ratio was 0.63 (95% CI: 0.45–0.88) for the Caucasian population and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.80–1.03) for the Chinese populations. Significant heterogeneity between the Caucasian and Chinese populations precluded an overall meta-analysis for rs3918249 (<i>Q</i> = 0.04, <i>I</i>^<i>2</i> = 75%). The Bonferroni corrected significance level was set as 0.01 (0.05/5).</p