Association between Plasma Leptin Level and Systemic Inflammatory Markers in Patients with Aggressive Periodontitis

Background:

Increasing evidence supports an association between periodontitis and systemic diseases. Leptin is involved both in the energy metabolism and inflammatory processes and is suggested to be a link between periodontal infection and systemic health. The present study aimed to evaluate the peripheral leptin concentration in patients with aggressive periodontitis (AgP) and to explore the relationship between leptin and systemic inflammation.

Methods:

Ninety patients with AgP visiting the Clinic of the Periodontology Department, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology between July 2001 and May 2006, and 44 healthy controls (staff and student volunteers in the same institute) were recruited. Plasma levels of leptin and inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to analyze the association between plasma leptin level and other variables.

Results:

Plasma leptin level of AgP group was significantly higher than that of the control group (19.7 ± 4.4 ng/ml vs. 7.5 ± 1.3 ng/ml, P < 0.01). After controlling for age, gender, and body mass index, positive correlation was observed between plasma leptin concentration and log-transformed levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and CRP), and the partial correlation coefficients ranged from 0.199 to 0.376 (P < 0.05). Log-transformed IL-1β and IL-6 levels entered the final regression model (standardized β were 0.422 and 0.461 respectively, P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

Elevated plasma leptin concentration may be associated with increased systemic levels of inflammatory markers in AgP patients.     

当代大学生心目中“家”的心理结构解析

目的探讨当代大学生心目中"家"的心理结构。方法分层随机选取246名大学生,采用语词联想法,以"家"一词为刺激,让被试进行自由联想;之后分层随机选取另外326名大学生,让其对"家"的内涵的问卷进行评定,采用探索性因素分析的方法对当代大学生心目中"家"的心理结构进行建构。结果大学生心目中"家"的概念是一个多层次的心理结构系统,包含五个因素:1幸福与温暖;2家人与亲情;3安全与依靠;4责任与奉献;5憧憬与奋斗。5个因素的方差贡献率分别为:20.27%,12.72%,10.63%,7.16%,6.67%,累计方差贡献率为57.44%。结论当代大学生心目中"家"的形象是正面积极的,充满幸福感的,"家"的情感意义在大学生心目中占据核心地位。     

X-ray Raman scattering study of MgSiO3 glass at high pressure: implication for triclustered MgSiO3 melt in Earth's mantle

Silicate melts at the top of the transition zone and the core-mantle boundary have significant influences on the dynamics and properties of Earth's interior. MgSiO3-rich silicate melts were among the primary components of the magma ocean and thus played essential roles in the chemical differentiation of the early Earth. Diverse macroscopic properties of silicate melts in Earth's interior, such as density, viscosity, and crystal-melt partitioning, depend on their electronic and short-range local structures at high pressures and temperatures. Despite essential roles of silicate melts in many geophysical and geodynamic problems, little is known about their nature under the conditions of Earth's interior, including the densification mechanisms and the atomistic origins of the macroscopic properties at high pressures. Here, we have probed local electronic structures of MgSiO3 glass (as a precursor to Mg-silicate melts), using high-pressure x-ray Raman spectroscopy up to 39 GPa, in which high-pressure oxygen K-edge features suggest the formation of tricluster oxygens (oxygen coordinated with three Si frameworks; 3O) between 12 and 20 GPa. Our results indicate that the densification in MgSiO3 melt is thus likely to be accompanied with the formation of triculster, in addition to a reduction in nonbridging oxygens. The pressure-induced increase in the fraction of oxygen triclusters >20 GPa would result in enhanced density, viscosity, and crystal-melt partitioning, and reduced element diffusivity in the MgSiO3 melt toward deeper part of the Earth's lower mantle.     

Autochthonous Dengue Fever,Tokyo, Japan, 2014

After 70 years with no confirmed autochthonous cases of dengue fever in Japan, 19 cases were reported during August–September 2014. Dengue virus serotype 1 was detected in 18 patients. Phylogenetic analysis of the envelope protein genome sequence from 3 patients revealed 100% identity with the strain from the first patient (2014) in Japan.     

Gene–gene interaction of CFH,ARMS2, and ARMS2/HTRA1 on the risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in Chinese population

Purpose

To evaluate the association and interaction of five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in three genes (CFH, ARMS2, and ARMS2/HTRA1) with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in Chinese population.

Methods

A total of 300 nAMD and 300 PCV patients and 301 normal subjects participated in the present study. The allelic variants of rs800292, rs2274700, rs3750847, rs3793917, and rs1065489 were determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Gene–gene interactions were evaluated by the data mining approach multifactor-dimensionality reduction (MDR) method.

Results

The risk alleles of CFH rs800292, rs2274700, ARMS2 rs3057847, and ARMS2/HTRA1 rs3793917 showed significant difference between nAMD or PCV patients and controls (all P<0.01). The homozygosity of risk alleles for rs800292, rs2274700, rs3750847, and rs3793917 were significantly different between nAMD patients and controls (all P<0.01), and predisposed to PCV patients (all P<0.01). After cross-validation consistency (CVC) and permutation tests, the two-locus model rs2274700_rs3750847 has a balanced accuracy of 64.37% in predicting nAMD disease risk. The one-marker model, rs3750847, and two-locus model rs2274700_rs3750847 has a balanced accuracy of 66.07% and 65.89% in predicting PCV disease risk, respectively. Furthermore, CFH rs1065489 did not show significant association with nAMD (P>0.01), but was strongly associated with PCV in Chinese patients (P<0.001).

Conclusions

In this study, we found that the interaction of ARMS2 and ARMS2/HTRA1 is significantly associated with nAMD, and the interaction of CFH and ARMS2 is pronounced in PCV development in Chinese population.     

Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 expression correlates with response to preoperative radiotherapy and clinical outcome in rectal cancer

Our recent study showed the important role of special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 (SATB1) in the progression of human rectal cancer. However, the value of SATB1 in response to radiotherapy (RT) for rectal cancer hasn''t been reported so far. Here, SATB1 was determined using immunohistochemistry in normal mucosa, biopsy, primary cancer, and lymph node metastasis from 132 rectal cancer patients: 66 with and 66 without preoperative RT before surgery. The effect of SATB1 knockdown on radiosensitivity was assessed by proliferation-based assay and clonogenic assay. The results showed that SATB1 increased from normal mucosa to primary cancer, whereas it decreased from primary cancer to metastasis in non-RT patients. SATB1 decreased in primary cancers after RT. In RT patients, positive SATB1 was independently associated with decreased response to preoperative RT, early time to metastasis, and worse survival. SATB1 negatively correlated with ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and pRb2/p130, and positively with Ki-67 and Survivin in RT patients, and their potential interaction through different canonical pathways was identified in network ideogram. Taken together, our findings disclose for the first time that radiation decreases SATB1 expression and sensitizes cancer cells to confer clinical benefit of patients, suggesting that SATB1 is predictive of response to preoperative RT and clinical outcome in rectal cancer.     

Cell membrane gp96 facilitates HER2 dimerization and serves as a novel target in breast cancer

HER2 receptor dimerization is a critical step in the HER2 activation process. Here, we demonstrated that heat shock protein gp96 on cell membrane interacts with HER2, facilitates HER2 dimerization and promotes cell proliferation. Cell membrane gp96 levels were observed to correlate with HER2 phosphorylation in primary breast tumors. Finally, we provide evidence that targeting gp96 with a specific monoclonal antibody led to decreased cell growth and increased apoptosis in vitro, and suppression of tumor growth in vivo. Our work represents a new therapeutic strategy for inhibiting HER2 signaling in cancer.