Association between serum nickel and oral cancer incidence using propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting

BackgroundThe association between serum nickel (Ni) and oral cancer incidence is unclear and most of the previous studies were observational studies that did not control for confounding factors between groups.ObjectiveTo assess the correlation of serum Ni with oral cancer incidence based on propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW).MethodsA cohort of 456 newly diagnosed oral cancer patients was recruited from the First Hospital of Fujian Medical University during November 2011 to May 2019, and residents ordered their health check-up in hospitals or local community health centers over the same period were selected as a control group, which included a total of 1410 participants. Serum Ni was evaluated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Case-control pairs were selected using a 1:1 PSM (caliper value of 0.02), and the study subjects in the case group and control group were weighted for subsequent analysis by IPTW. The general characteristics of the study subjects were tested for equilibrium before and after matching by chi-square test and standardized mean difference (SMD). This was followed by exploring the potential nonlinear dose-response relationship between serum Ni and oral cancer using restricted cubic splines as well as analyzing the association between serum Ni and oral cancer incidence by conditional logistic regression and weighted logistic regression.ResultsAfter controlling for between-group covariates by PSM and IPTW, the dose-response curves demonstrated that the risk of developing oral cancer tended to decline and then increase with the increasing serum Ni level. The outcome of the analysis using PSM demonstrated that as compared to the control group, the risk of developing oral cancer in the 0.09-16.80 μg·L−1 serum Ni group was negatively correlated with serum Ni level (OR=0.36, 95%CI: 0.24-0.54), whereas the risk of developing oral cancer in the >16.80 μg·L−1 serum Ni group was positively correlated with serum Ni level (OR=5.43, 95%CI: 2.76-10.68). After applying IPTW, a negative association was found between the risk of oral cancer and serum Ni concentration within a serum Ni window ranging from 0.09 to 20.55 μg·L−1 (OR=0.39, 95%CI: 0.29-0.52), while a positive association with an OR and 95%CI of 5.54 (3.62-8.49) for the Ni concentration > 20.55 μg·L−1.ConclusionIn this study, a J-shaped relationship between serum Ni concentration and the risk of developing oral cancer is found, which shows that high serum Ni concentration (>20.55 μg·L−1) may be a risk factor for oral cancer

Association of miR-196a2 and miR-27a polymorphisms with gestational diabetes mellitus susceptibility in a Chinese population

IntroductionMiR-196a2 and miR-27a play a key role in the regulation of the insulin signaling pathway. Previous studies have indicated that miR-27a rs895819 and miR-196a2 rs11614913 have a strong association with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), but very few studies have investigated their role in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).MethodsA total of 500 GDM patients and 502 control subjects were enrolled in this study. Using the SNPscan™ genotyping assay, rs11614913 and rs895819 were genotyped. In the data treatment process, the independent sample t test, logistic regression and chi-square test were used to evaluate the differences in genotype, allele, and haplotype distributions and their associations with GDM risk. One-way ANOVA was conducted to determine the differences in genotype and blood glucose level.ResultsThere were obvious differences in prepregnancy body mass index (pre-BMI), age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and parity between GDM and healthy subjects (P < 0.05). After adjusting for the above factors, the miR-27a rs895819 C allele was still associated with an increased risk of GDM (C vs. T: OR=1.245; 95% CI: 1.011-1.533; P = 0.039) and the TT-CC genotype of rs11614913-rs895819 was related to an increased GDM risk (OR=3.989; 95% CI: 1.309-12.16; P = 0.015). In addition, the haplotype T-C had a positive interaction with GDM (OR=1.376; 95% CI: 1.075-1.790; P=0.018), especially in the 18.5 ≤ pre-BMI < 24 group (OR=1.403; 95% CI: 1.026-1.921; P=0.034). Moreover, the blood glucose level of the rs895819 CC genotype was significantly higher than that of the TT and TC genotypes (P < 0.05). The TT-CC genotype of rs11614913-rs895819 showed that the blood glucose level was significantly higher than that of the other genotypes.DiscussionOur findings suggest that miR-27a rs895819 is associated with increased GDM susceptibility and higher blood glucose levels

Research Status and Trends of Agrobiodiversity and Traditional Knowledge Based on Bibliometric Analysis (1992–Mid-2022)

Traditional knowledge is a favored research area in agrobiodiversity conservation at home and abroad, and plays a vital role in the sustainable use of ecosystems, livelihood support, and food security. In this paper, the WoS Core Collection was used as the data source to statistically analyze the literature on the topic of agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge research. The results show the following: (1) The number of articles published in agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge research has been increasing annually. (2) The United States is the most influential country in this field of research, and other leading countries include India, Mexico, Germany, and Italy. (3) The existing research is mainly in the field of natural science, and the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine is the most crucial journal in terms of the number of articles published. (4) Neither authors nor institutional collaboration networks have formed a close transnational collaboration network. (5) Popular research in this area includes the conservation of local varieties, agricultural landscape changes, livelihood support, and agroforestry systems. (6) In addition to the ongoing focus on natural ecological aspects of research, future research will focus more on cultural and social benefits. Finally, we propose to enhance the exploration of quantitative analysis research methods, strengthen interdisciplinary research exchanges, expand the breadth of disciplinary research, strengthen stakeholder cooperation, and promote the construction of relevant policies and regulations

MiRNA-17 encoded by the miR-17-92 cluster increases the potential for steatosis in hepatoma cells by targeting CYP7A1

Abstract Background The miRNA cluster miR-17-92 is known to act as an oncogene in various cancers. Members of this cluster were also found to be involved in some other pathological process, such as steatosis, which is a pivotal event in the initiation and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to explore whether miR-17, one of the most functional miRNAs in the miR-17-92 family, participates in the process of steatosis in hepatoma cells. Methods We developed both a miR-17-expressing transgenic mouse model and a miR-17-expressing HepG2 cell model, the latter was established via stable transfection. Real-time PCR and western blot were applied to measure the expression levels of miR-17 and the potential target gene CYP7A1. The luciferase assay was used to confirm direct binding of miR-17 and CYP7A1. The oleic acid induction assay and Oil-Red-O staining were performed to support the determination of steatotic changes in HepG2 cell. Results Extensive steatotic changes were observed in the livers of transgenic mice. Fewer were seen in the wild-type animals. CYP7A1 was confirmed as a target gene of miR-17, and the expression of CYP7A1 was found to be negatively regulated in both the transgenic mice liver cells and the miR-17-expressing HepG2 cells. CYP7A1 was found to participate in miR-17-induced steatosis, as its repressed expression in miR-17 HepG2 cells exacerbated steatotic change. Re-introduction of CYP7A1 into miR-17 HepG2 cell partially alleviated steatosis. Conclusions miR-17 is a novel regulator of CYP7A1 signaling in hepatic lipid metabolism, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach for fatty liver

Additional file 5: of MiRNA-17 encoded by the miR-17-92 cluster increases the potential for steatosis in hepatoma cells by targeting CYP7A1

Figure S3. Luciferase activity changed in mouse psiCHECK-CYP7A1 and miR-17 co-transfection but not for psiCHECK-CYP7A1 mutant. (JPG 120 kb

Additional file 1: of MiRNA-17 encoded by the miR-17-92 cluster increases the potential for steatosis in hepatoma cells by targeting CYP7A1

Figure S1. Expression of miR-17 increases in transgenic mice compared with wild-type mice. (JPG 599 kb

Additional file 2: of MiRNA-17 encoded by the miR-17-92 cluster increases the potential for steatosis in hepatoma cells by targeting CYP7A1

Figure S4. miR-17 expression level was stable in miR-17 transgenic mice. (JPG 829 kb

Additional file 5: of MiRNA-17 encoded by the miR-17-92 cluster increases the potential for steatosis in hepatoma cells by targeting CYP7A1

Figure S3. Luciferase activity changed in mouse psiCHECK-CYP7A1 and miR-17 co-transfection but not for psiCHECK-CYP7A1 mutant. (JPG 120 kb

Additional file 3: of MiRNA-17 encoded by the miR-17-92 cluster increases the potential for steatosis in hepatoma cells by targeting CYP7A1

Figure S2. A – CYP7A1 is predicted to be a target of miR-17 in humans. B – CYP7A1 is predicted to be a target of miR-17 in mice. (JPG 87 kb