scholarly journals Diagnostic Value of Vaginal Microecology, Serum miR-18a, and PD-L1 for Identifying HPV-Positive Cervical Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 153303382199528
Author(s):  
Yumei Zhang ◽  
Sujuan Qiu ◽  
Yueli Guo ◽  
Jiaqin Zhang ◽  
Xiaoqing Wu ◽  
...  

Objective: We aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of the vaginal microecology, serum miR-18a, and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) for human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive cervical cancer. Methods: Eighty-four patients with HPV-positive cervical cancer were assigned to the observation group, 107 HPV-positive patients without cervical cancer were assigned to the positive group, and 191 healthy women were assigned to the control group. Vaginal microecology and serum levels of miR-18a and PD-L1 on the surface of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were compared among the 3 groups. The observation group was further divided into subgroups according to patients’ characteristics for comparison. The diagnostic value of miR-18a and PD-L1 for HPV-positive cervical cancer was investigated. Results: Women in the control group had better vaginal microecology and lower levels of miR-18a and PD-L1 than those in the observation and the positive groups (all P < 0.05). Compared with the positive group, the observation group had similar vaginal microecology (all P > 0.05) but higher levels of miR-18a and PD-L1 (all P < 0.05). Moreover, the patients at stage III had higher levels of miR-18a and PD-L1 than those at stage I and II (all P < 0.05). The values of area under the curve for miR-18a and PD-L1 in the diagnosis of HPV-positive cervical cancer were over 0.8 (all P < 0.001). Conclusion: Patients with HPV-positive cervical cancer have vaginal microbial dysbiosis and high serum levels of miR-18a and PD-L1. miR-18a and PD-L1 have diagnostic value for identifying HPV-positive cervical cancer.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Xigui Ma ◽  
Huiying Xue ◽  
Jixiang Zhong ◽  
Bo Feng ◽  
Yanghua Zuo

Purpose. The present study was aimed at determining the serum levels of actinin-4 (ACTN4) in cervical cancer (CC) and investigating the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum ACTN4 in CC. Materials and Methods. We included 93 CC patients, 52 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) patients, and 70 healthy women. Serum ACTN4 levels were assessed using an ELISA method. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum ACTN4. The survival curves were used to display the overall survival distributions. Results. Serum ACTN4 levels in CC patients were 48.39±13.98 pg/mL which is significantly higher than those in CIN patients (32.72±9.44 pg/mL; P<0.001) and those in healthy controls (30.84±8.08 pg/mL; P<0.001). The ROC analysis demonstrated that the area under the curve (AUC) of ACTN4 was 0.852 (95%CI=0.796–0.908), with sensitivity of 76.3% and specificity of 87.7%. Serum ACTN4 levels were associated with the FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, and lymphovascular space invasion of CC (all P<0.05). The survival curve suggested that high serum ACTN4 levels were related to poor prognosis. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that serum ACTN4 levels may be valuable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CC.


Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1080
Author(s):  
Radu-Stefan Miftode ◽  
Daniela Constantinescu ◽  
Corina Maria Cianga ◽  
Antoniu Octavian Petris ◽  
Amalia-Stefana Timpau ◽  
...  

Background: Acute heart failure (HF) represents an increasingly common and challenging presentation in the emergency room, also inducing a great socio-economic burden. Extensive research was conducted toward finding an ideal biomarker of acute HF, both in terms of sensitivity and specificity, but today practicians’ interest has shifted towards a more realistic multimarker approach. Natriuretic peptides (NPs) currently represent the gold standard for diagnosing HF in routine clinical practice, but novel molecules, such as sST2, emerge as potentially useful biomarkers, providing additional diagnostic and prognostic value. Methods: We conducted a prospective, single-center study that included 120 patients with acute HF and 53 controls with chronic HF. Of these, 13 patients (eight with acute HF, five from the control group) associated the coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19). The diagnosis of HF was confirmed by a complete clinical, biological and echocardiographic approach. Results: The serum levels of all studied biomarkers (sST2, NT-proBNP, cardiac troponin) were significantly higher in the group with acute HF. By area under the curve (AUC) analysis, we noticed that NT-proBNP (AUC: 0.976) still had the best diagnostic performance, closely followed by sST2 (AUC: 0.889). However, sST2 was a significantly better predictor of fatal events, showing positive correlations for both in-hospital and at 1-month mortality rates. Moreover, sST2 was also associated with other markers of poor prognosis, such as the use of inotropes or high lactate levels, but not with left ventricle ejection fraction, age, body mass index or mean arterial pressure. sST2 levels were higher in patients with a positive history of COVID-19 as compared with non-COVID-19 patients, but the differences were statistically significant only within the control group. Bivariate regression showed a positive and linear relationship between NT-proBNP and sST2 (r(120) = 0.20, p < 0.002). Conclusions: we consider that sST2 has certain qualities worth integrating in a future multimarker test kit alongside traditional biomarkers, as it provides similar diagnostic value as NT-proBNP, but is emerging as a more valuable prognostic factor, with a better predictive value of fatal events in patients with acute HF.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1093.1-1093
Author(s):  
G. Pellegrino ◽  
K. Stefanantoni ◽  
F. Facioni ◽  
C. Angelelli ◽  
A. Gigante ◽  
...  

Background:Electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities are described in 25-75% Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) cases and they are associated with other systemic manifestations as well as with a worse prognosis. There is an increasing need for clinical and laboratory biomarkers to ameliorate the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to patients with ECG abnormalities, due to their actual low sensitivity and specificity. Adipokines are circulating proteins that appear dysregulated in SSc and leptin in particular is synthesized in response to inflammatory conditions and seems to play a proinflammatory and pro-fibrotic action in SSc. Interesting, many studies in the last years have underlined its role in the cardiac remodeling mechanisms and in the development of cardiac fibrosis in other chronic diseases.Objectives:Aim of our study is to evaluate the role of leptin in the development of cardiac rhythm disorders (CRD) during SSc. Furthermore, by the analysis of the clinical and demographical parameters of our SSc patients, we tried to define other possible features associated with increased serum leptin concentration.Methods:We included eighty-five SSc patients, fulfilling the 2013 ACR/EULAR classification criteria, attending the Regional Rare Disease Center of Policlinico Umberto I of Rome. Fifty presented significant CRD at non-invasive diagnostic techniques (12 Lead ECG, 24-hour Holter ECG). Demographic, clinical, conventional cardiovascular risk factors were examined; instrumental and laboratory assessments were obtained, together with ECG recordings. Thirty-five SSc patients without pathologic finding at ECG traces, matched for demographic and clinical features, were recruited as the control group. In all cases, after obtaining written informed consent, blood samples were taken to measure serum levels of leptin using an ELISA assay (Life Technologies-Italia).Results:The fifty SSc patients with CRD (mean age 51±15 years; F:M 41:9) had pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in 32 cases (64%) and a BMI >25Kg/m2in 22 (44%) while in the control group of thirty-five SSc patients (mean age 49±16 years; F:M 33:2) PF was found in 15 (43%) and a BMI >25Kg/m2in 9 (35%); We detected significantly higher median values of serum leptin in SSc patients with CRD compared to the control group (12027 pg/ml IQR 12314 versus 6392 pg/ml IQR 7103;p 0,0009). Additionally, SSc patients with a BMI> 25 kg/m2(31 cases) as well as those with PF (47 cases) showed a significantly higher median serum leptin levels compared to those with BMI <25 kg/m2(13161 pg/ml IQR 13610 versus 8187 pg/ml IQR 8255;p 0,0008) and those without PF (11740 pg/ml IQR 11940 versus 7616 pg/ml IQR 7855;p 0,0079).Conclusion:To our knowledge this is the first report on high serum levels of leptin in SSc patients with CRD that also confirms its increase in those cases with a BMI >25 kg/m2and with PF, according to scientific literature data. The role of leptin in the pathogenesis of SSc remains unclear although it is already known its involvement in the development of cardiac fibrosis during other chronic diseases. On the basis of these results we speculate on leptin involvement in the pathogenesis of CRD during SSc, although further studies are needed with larger cohort of patients.References:[1]Vacca A et al. Rheumatology, 2014[2]Tyndall AJ et al. Ann Rheum Dis, 2010[3]Muresan L et al. Iran J Pub Health, 2017[4]Sanna T et al. Indian Pacing Electrophysiol J, 2009[5]Riccieri V et al. Clin Exp Rheumatol, 2011[6]Żółkiewicz J et al. Arch Dermatol Res, 2019[7]Huby AC et al. Circulation, 2015[8]Shulze PC et al. Clin Chim Acta, 2005[9]Van de Hoogen F et al. Arthritis Rheum, 2013[10]Gui X et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2018Disclosure of Interests:Greta Pellegrino: None declared, Katia Stefanantoni Consultant of: ItalfarmacoBoehringer Ingelheim, Fausta Facioni: None declared, Carlotta Angelelli: None declared, Antonietta Gigante: None declared, Roberto Badagliacca: None declared, Carmine Dario Vizza: None declared, Sergio Morelli: None declared, Edoardo Rosato: None declared, Valeria Riccieri: None declared


Open Medicine ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 556-561
Author(s):  
Yuanqiang Lin ◽  
Zhixia Sun ◽  
Hui Wang ◽  
Meihan Liu

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the effect of gastrointestinal function on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in critically ill patients.MethodsFrom August 2012 to June 2016, 160 critically ill patients in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) of our hospital were selected as the research group; patients were divided equally into an observation group and a control group, 80 patients in each group, based on the random draw envelope principle. The control group was given a nasogastric tube for gastric feeding, the observation group was given a dual lumen gastrointestinal enteral device for gastric feeding; the two groups’ enteral nutrition observation time was 7d; any changes in patient condition and prognosis were recorded.ResultsThe pH value of gastric juice in the control group and the observation group was 6.13±1.38 and 4.01±1.83, respectively: the pH for the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (t=4.982, P<0.05). The incidence of VAP in the observation group and the control group was 2.5% and 12.5%, respectively: the VAP for the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). The serum levels of pre-albumin and albumin after feeding in the two groups were significantly higher than before feeding (P<0.05); the serum levels of pre-albumin and albumin in the observation group after feeding were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The mechanical ventilation time and ICU length of stay in the observation group were 9.12±2.13 days and 12.76±1.98 days, respectively, significantly lower than those of the control group of 10.56±2.89 days and 16.33±2.11 days (P<0.05).ConclusionObstacles to gastrointestinal function in critically ill ICU patients are common; enteral gastric feeding by dual lumen gastrointestinal for can improve the patient’s nutritional status, promote and maintain the normal pH value of gastric juice, thereby reducing the incidence of VAP through rehabilitation of patients.


2021 ◽  
pp. jim-2021-001785
Author(s):  
Rasha A Elkholy ◽  
Reham L Younis ◽  
Alzahraa A Allam ◽  
Rasha Youssef Hagag ◽  
Muhammad Tarek Abdel Ghafar

This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of serum and urinary netrin-1 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at different stages of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and to compare its efficacy of estimation in serum with that in the urine. This study was carried out on 135 patients with T2DM and 45 healthy subjects. The patients with diabetes were divided according to urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) into: T2DM with normoalbuminuria, incipient DN with microalbuminuria, and overt DN with macroalbuminuria groups. Serum and urinary levels of netrin-1 were measured by ELISA. The mean levels of serum and urinary netrin-1 were significantly higher in the microalbuminuric and macroalbuminuric patients with DN than those in the normoalbuminuric patients with T2DM, with the highest values detected in macroalbuminuric patients with DN. Urinary netrin-1 level was significantly higher in the normoalbuminuric T2DM group than control group, whereas no significant difference existed regarding serum netrin-1 level. In T2DM groups, the urinary and serum netrin-1 correlated with each other and were independently related to fasting blood glucose, UACR, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of urinary netrin-1 was 0.916 which is significantly higher than that of serum netrin-1 (0.812) for the detection of incipient DN and reached 0.938 on coestimation of both urinary and serum netrin-1. In conclusion, netrin-1 is a potential diagnostic marker for early detection of DN with its estimation in urine has higher accuracy than that of serum.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhifang Chen ◽  
Yuejie Zhu ◽  
Rong Du ◽  
Nannan Pang ◽  
Fengbo Zhang ◽  
...  

This study is to investigate the role of regulatory B (Breg) cells in cervical cancer. In total, 70 cases of cervical cancer, 52 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 40 normal controls were enrolled. The percentage of Breg cells was detected by flow cytometry. Serum levels of IL-10 were measured by ELISA. The correlation between Breg cells and the clinical characterizations of cervical cancer was analyzed. The inhibition effect of Breg cells on CD8+ T cells was tested by blocking IL-10 in vitro. The percentage of CD19+CD5+CD1d+ Breg cells and the level of IL-10 of patients with cervical cancer or CIN were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). And the postoperative levels of Breg cells and IL-10 were significantly lower than the preoperative levels (P<0.05). Breg cells and the IL-10 level were positively correlated in cervical cancer patients (r=0.516). In addition, the Breg cell percentage was closely related to the FIGO stages, lymph node metastasis, tumor differentiation, HPV infection, and the tumor metastasis of cervical cancer (P<0.05). The Breg cell percentage was negatively correlated with CD8+ T cells of cervical cancer patients (r=‐0.669). The level of IL-10 in the culture supernatant of Bregs treated with CpG was significantly higher than that of non-Bregs (P<0.05). After coculture with Bregs, the quantity of CD8+ T cells to secrete perforin and Granzyme B was significantly decreased, and this effect was reversed after blocking IL-10 by a specific antibody. Breg cells are elevated in cervical cancer and associated with disease progression and metastasis. Moreover, they can inhibit the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe Bonfim Freitas ◽  
Sandra Souza Lima ◽  
Rosimar Neris Martins Feitosa ◽  
Vânia Nakauth Azevedo ◽  
Marluísa de O. Guimarães Ishak ◽  
...  

Objective.This study investigated possible associations between the TNFα-308G/A, IFN+874A/T, IL-6-174C/G, IL-10-1082A/G, and TGFβ-509C/T polymorphisms with HIV-1 infection, in addition to correlation of the polymorphisms with clinical markers of AIDS progression, such as levels of CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes and plasma viral load.Methods.A total of 216 individuals who were infected with HIV-1 and on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 294 individuals from the uninfected control group were analyzed.Results.All individuals evaluated were negative for total anti-HBc, anti-HCV, anti-T. pallidum, and anti-HTLV-1/2. The polymorphisms were identified by PCR-RFLP. Individuals presenting the IFN+874A allele as well as the AA genotype were more frequent in the HIV-1 infected group compared to the control group (P<0.05), in addition to having lower levels of CD4+ T lymphocytes. The CD8+ T lymphocytes count was significantly lower in individuals with the IL-10-1082 GG genotype. The TGFβ-509TT genotype was associated with higher plasma viral load.Conclusions.The results suggest that the presence of the IFN+874A allele confers susceptibility to HIV-1 infection and a decrease in the number of CD4+ T lymphocytes. In addition, the genotype associated with high serum levels of TGFβmay be associated with an increase in plasma viral load.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Hui Lin ◽  
Lingxiang Jiang ◽  
Yiqun Ren ◽  
Fen Sheng ◽  
Luxi Wang ◽  
...  

Objective. To analyze the expression of miR-127 in the serum of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and to explore its correlation with the severity of ARDS patients and its value as a molecular marker for diagnosis of ARDS. Methods. 70 patients with ARDS admitted to our hospital from September 2017 to September 2019 were selected as the observation group, and 60 healthy persons with physical examination were collected as the control group. RT-PCR was used to detect the serum miR-127 levels of all subjects, and the serum miR-127 levels of the observation group and control group were compared. The oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2) of ARDS patients was recorded and divided into three subgroups: mild group, moderate group, and severe group. Serum miR-127 levels of patients in the mild group, moderate group, and severe group were compared. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the relationship between serum miR-127 levels and the severity of ARDS patients. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was drawn, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of miR-127 in patients with ARDS. Results. The serum level of miR-127 (10.15 ± 1.03) in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (3.09 ± 0.62). And in the three subgroups of mild, moderate, and severe, the serum miR-127 level in the moderate group (10.43 ± 0.71) and the severe group miR-127 level (11.05 ± 1.26) were significantly higher than those in the mild group level (9.38 ± 1.24). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the serum miR-127 level was negatively correlated with PaO2/FiO2 (r = −0.715, P < 0.05 ), that is, the serum miR-127 level was positively correlated with the severity of ARDS patients. The area under the curve (AUC) of the diagnostic value of serum miR-127 for ARDS was 0.732 (95% CI 0.607–0.858). When the optimal cutoff value was 0.380, the sensitivity was 59.1% and the specificity was 78.6%, which suggested that miR-127 can be used as a marker for ARDS diagnosis. Conclusion. There is an increase in miR-127 levels in the serum of ARDS patients. The serum miR-127 level is positively correlated with the severity of ARDS. The higher the level of miR-127, the worse the condition of ARDS, which is positively correlated with the severity of the condition. It suggests that the serum miR-127 level is an important indicator for evaluating the severity of ARDS patients. It can be used as a molecular marker for clinical diagnosis of ARDS.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiaowen Bu ◽  
Heng-ying Wu ◽  
San-feng Wang ◽  
Jian Ma ◽  
Wen Lei ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundAberrant Septin9 methylation in cervical cancer has been rarely studied. In this study we aimed to identify its diagnostic value of cervical cancer in cervical scrapings, and its predictive potential in plasma for pelvic nodal metastasis of cervical cancer.MethodsThe statuses of methylated Septin9 in fresh cervical lesions were first evaluated by using quantitative methylation-specific PCR(qMS-PCR). Subsequently 248 samples of cervical scrapings were collected to explore Septin9 methylation in different severities of cervical lesions; and the relationship between Septin9 methylation in plasma and pelvic nodal metastasis of cervical cancer was further evaluated.ResultsMethylated Septin9 was detected in all cancerous tissues, but not in cervicitis controls (P < 0.0001). The degrees of Septin9 methylation increased with growing severity of cervical lesions in cervical scrapings (P < 0.0001). Methylation analysis of Septin9 demonstrated a satisfactory specificity and area under the curve(AUC) in cervical cancer detection, at an equivalent sensitivity relative to any other test. And methylated Septin9 also yielded a high specificity and AUC in detecting high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion or cervical cancer(≥ HSIL). Plasma-based Septin9 methylation had a high discriminatory power in predicting pelvic nodal metastasis, with an optimal specificity of 81.48%; additionally an increasing sensitivity from 50% to nearly 80% was found when combined with squamous cell carcinoma antigen(SCC-Ag). ConclusionsIn conclusion, we demonstrated methylated Septin9 to be an innovative diagnostic biomarker for cervical cancer in cervical scrapings and its non-invasive predictive potential in plasma for pelvic nodal metastasis of cervical cancer.


2013 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Görkem Mungan ◽  
Murat Can ◽  
Sibel Kiran ◽  
Serefden Açikgöz ◽  
Berrak Güven

Several studies suggest that coal miners are under risk of severe health problems such as cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, renal, hematological and musculoskeletal disorders. However, there are limited data on biochemical changes in underground workers. In our study we aimed to evaluate the association between serum homocysteine (Hcy), vitamin B12, cystatin C and folate levels in the blood of underground coal miners. Eighty one coal miners who work as underground or surface workers were recruited into our study. The study population was divided into two groups: the surface worker group (control group, n=33) and the underground worker group (n=48). The folate, vitamin B12, Hcy, cystatin C levels and body mass indexes (BMI) of both groups were measured and compared. Serum folate, Hcy and vitamin B12 levels were measured with a competitive chemiluminescence immunassay. Serum levels of cystatin C were determined by the latex particle-enhanced turbidimetric method using a cystatin C kit. Urea values were measured with a kinetic method on an automated analyzer. There were no statistically significant differences between the underground workers and surface workers in the urea, cystatin C and vitamin B12 levels. High serum Hcy levels and low folate levels were found in underground workers compared with those in surface workers. The correlation between Hcy and folate levels was also statistically significant. Similarly, there was also a significant correlation between Hcy and vitamin B12, and between Hcy and cystatin C levels. Elevated Hcy levels may be associated with underground working but further research is necessary to understand the relation between elevated Hcy and increased prevalence of health problems in coal miners.


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