Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell (BMSC)-Derived Exosomal miR-168-5p Inhibits Proliferation and Chemotherapy Resistance in Gastric Cancer by Downregulation of Cyclin D1 and P Glycoprotein

miR-168-5p is indicated as an upstream effector of the tumor suppressor signal pathway in ovarian cancer and bladder cancer, but the role in gastric cancer (GC) remains unknown. This study aims to reveal the expression and significance of miR-168-5p in GC. RT-qPCR analysis was used to detect the expression of miR-168-5p in GC tissues and plasma, and the relationship of miR-168-5p and CCND1 was evaluated. GC cells were co-cultured with BMSCs or transfected with miR-168-5p mimic. CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were conducted to assess the effect of miR-168-5p in GC and the interaction between BMSCs and cancer cell progression. Animal experiment was established to explore the in vivo effect of miR-168-5p. miR-168-5p is poorly expressed in gastric cancer cells and the plasma of patients with gastric cancer. BMSC co-culture is similar to miR-168-5p mimic induced miR-168-5p expression increase. miR-168-5p overexpression decreased the proliferative, invasive and migratory capacities of GC cells, and promoted apoptosis. Mechanically, miR-168-5p targeted and decreased the expression of CCND1. Additionally, the low miR-168-5p expression in GC was closely related to poor prognosis and malignant transformation. BMSC exosomes carrying miR-168-5p suppress cell progression in GC when inhibiting the expression of CCND1 and P glycoprotein, which indicates potential diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-168-5p and helps the development of miR-168-5p-based treatment for drug-resistant GC.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of presepsin and procalcitonin in non-infectious organ failure, sepsis, and septic shock: a prospective observational study according to the Sepsis-3 definitions

Background We investigated the diagnostic and prognostic value of presepsin among patients with organ failure, including sepsis, in accordance with the Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). Methods This prospective observational study included 420 patients divided into three groups: non-infectious organ failure (n = 142), sepsis (n = 141), and septic shock (n = 137). Optimal cut-off values of presepsin to discriminate between the three groups were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. We determined the optimal cut-off value of presepsin levels to predict mortality associated with sepsis and performed Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis according to the cut-off value. Cox proportional hazards model was performed to determine the risk factors for 30-day mortality. Results Presepsin levels were significantly higher in sepsis than in non-infectious organ failure cases (p < 0.001) and significantly higher in patients with septic shock than in those with sepsis (p = 0.002). The optimal cut-off value of the presepsin level to discriminate between sepsis and non-infectious organ failure was 582 pg/mL (p < 0.001) and between sepsis and septic shock was 1285 pg/mL (p < 0.001). The optimal cut-off value of the presepsin level for predicting the 30-day mortality was 821 pg/mL (p = 0.005) for patients with sepsis. Patients with higher presepsin levels (≥ 821 pg/mL) had significantly higher mortality rates than those with lower presepsin levels (< 821 pg/mL) (log-rank test; p = 0.004). In the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, presepsin could predict the 30-day mortality in sepsis cases (hazard ratio, 1.003; 95% confidence interval 1.001–1.005; p = 0.042). Conclusions Presepsin levels could effectively differentiate sepsis from non-infectious organ failure and could help clinicians identify patients with sepsis with poor prognosis. Presepsin was an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality among patients with sepsis and septic shock.

Review: Serum Biomarkers of Lung Fibrosis in Interstitial Pneumonia with Autoimmune Features—What Do We Already Know?

Interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF) belongs to a group of diseases called interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), which are disorders of a varied prognosis and course. Finding sufficiently specific and sensitive biomarkers would enable the progression to be predicted, the natural history to be monitored and patients to be stratified according to their treatment. To assess the significance of pulmonary fibrosis biomarkers studied thus far, we searched the PubMed, Medline and Cochrane Library databases for papers published between January 2015 and June 2021. We focused on circulating biomarkers. A primary review of the databases identified 38 articles of potential interest. Overall, seven articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. This review aims to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of molecules such as KL-6, SP-A, SP-D, circulating fibrocytes, CCL2, CXCL13, CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11. All of these biomarkers have previously been studied in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD). IPAF is a disorder of a heterogeneous nature. It explains the lack of coherent observations in terms of correlations with functional parameters. There is still no meta-analysis of pulmonary fibrosis biomarkers in IPAF. This is mainly due to the heterogeneity of the methodology and groups analysed in the research. More research in this area is needed.

The Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Plasma Galectin 3 in HFrEF Related to the Etiology of Heart Failure

Aim: The aim of present study is to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of plasma galectin 3 (Gal-3) for HF originating from different causes.Methods: We investigated the plasma levels and expression of Gal-3 in cardiac tissues in two transgenic (TG) strains of mice with cardiomyocyte-restricted overexpression of either β2- adrenergic receptor (β2- AR TG) or Mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (Mst1-TG) in the present study. Additionally, 166 patients suffering from heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in two hospitals within the Shaanxi province were examined in this study. All these patients were treated according to the Chinese HF guidelines of 2014; subsequently, they were followed up for 50 months, and we analyzed the prediction value of baseline Gal-3 to endpoints in these patients.Results: Gal-3 was localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus of cardiomyocytes, often formed aggregates in Mst1-TG mice. Extracellular Gal-3 staining was uncommon in Mst1-TG hearts. However, in β2-AR TG mice, although Gal-3 was also expressed in myocardial cells, it was more highly expressed in interstitial cells (e.g., fibroblasts and macrophages). Plasma Gal-3 was comparable between nTG and Mst1-TG mice. However, plasma Gal-3 was higher in β2-AR TG mice than in nTG mice. In the cohort of HFrEF patients, the median plasma Gal-3 concentration was 158.42 pg/mL. All participants were divided into two groups according to Gal-3 levels. Patients with Gal-3 concentrations above the median were older, and had lower plasma hemoglobin, but higher plasma creatinine, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1), left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVESD), left ventricular end-systolic volumes (LVESV) and end-diastolic, as well as left ventricular end-diastolic volumes (LVEDV). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that Gal-3 was positively correlated with TIMP-1 (r = 0.396, P &lt; 0.001), LVESV (r = 0.181, P = 0.020) and LVEDV (r = 0.190, P = 0.015). The 50-month clinical follow-up revealed 43 deaths, 97 unplanned re-hospitalizations, and 111 composite endpoint events. Cox analysis demonstrated that although Gal-3 did not provide any prognostic value in either total-HF subjects or coronary-heart-disease (CHD) patients, it did provide prognostic value in non-CHD patients.Conclusion: Although plasma Gal-3 is associated with TIMP-1 and echocardiographic parameters, the diagnostic and prognostic value of Gal-3 in HFrEF is determined by the etiology of HF.

Skin manifestations of COVID-19

The infection caused by the recently identified SARS-CoV-2, dubbed coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), has become a pandemic. With exponential growth of morbidity among the people around the world, the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 are becoming clearer and description of new disease symptoms descriptions is emerging. The sufficient amount of descriptions of various skin manifestations in patients with COVID-19 has appeared, however they are characterized by great heterogeneity. The pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of skin rashes in patients with COVID-19 are currently unknown, however, hypotheses have been put forward that they have an overactive immune response, activation of the complement system and microvascular damage. Based on the published literature data and our own experience, the following characteristic types of skin rashes can be distinguished among the skin manifestations of this viral disease: urticaria, confluent, papulovesicular exanthema, acral rashes similar to frostbite, livedo reticularis and purpura. Possible development of skin lesions against the background of the development of COVID-19 provides the need to inform dermatologists about the features of the skin manifestations of this disease, as well as to study further these symptoms of COVID-19 to determine their diagnostic and prognostic value.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of a diffusion-weighted image of the liver with magnetic resonance imaging in patients with alcoholic liver disease

The aim of the study was to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of a diffusion-weighted image of the liver with magnetic resonance imaging in patients with alcoholic liver disease.Material and methods. A total of 113 patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) were examined. Among them, 65 (57.5%) are men and 48 (42.5%) are women. The mean age of patients is 46.3 ± 5.2 years. The structure of the instrumental algorithm for examining patients was presented: ultrasound of the abdominal cavity organs with clinical elastography – 98 (86.7%) patients, MRI of the liver with the mandatory inclusion of the DWI liver sequence in the protocol (n = 113). The b-factor values of 100/600/1000 were used for the liver DWI sequence. Liver biopsy was chosen as the reference method in 65 (57.5%) patients.Results. The patients were monitored for 12 months. At the first stage, the qualitative characteristics of the liver DWI sequence were assessed: no or there is a diffusion limitation. At the second stage, the quantitative indicators of the DWI sequence were assessed in the form of calculating the measured diffusion index and coefficient. In order to standardize the technique of liver DWI on MRI in patients with ALD, the results were compared with the data of clinical elastography (p < 0.01) and liver biopsy (p < 0.05). Upon admission and monitoring of patients (after 1, 3, 6, 9 months), a high correlation was found in the assessment of comparing the quantitative indicators of DWI with clinical elastography (r = 0.873) and an average correlation with biopsy data (r = 0.715).Conclusions. There was a high correlation between the limitation of liver diffusion on MRI and negative clinical and laboratory dynamics (r = 0.889) and in the absence of limitation of diffusion in the liver and positive clinical and laboratory dynamics (r = 0.885). DWI of the liver on MRI in patients with ALD has a high diagnostic and prognostic value in assessing abnormal abstinence regimen (AUROC = 0.903 (95% CI 0.871–0.911)). Diagnostic and prognostic significance of the developed criteria for DWI of the liver at MRI in patients with ABD at admission: for a qualitative assessment AUROC = 0.844 (95% CI 0.801–0.869), quantitative – AUROC = 0.908 (95% CI 0.875–0.911); with dynamic observation: for a qualitative assessment AUROC = 0.939 (95% CI 0.901–0.955), quantitative – AUROC = 0.919 (95% CI 0.871–0.931).