Associations between multiple circulating metals and clinical characteristics in lung adenocarcinoma: a hospital-based pilot study.

Metal exposure has been identified as a risk factor for lung adenocarcinoma, yet the relationship between internal metal exposure and clinical characteristics reflecting tumor development has been underexplored. In this cohort study, we enrolled 285 consecutively admitted lung carcinoma patients and 118 age and sex-matched healthy participants, and determined the metal concentrations in paired plasma and blood cells by using a well-evaluated ICP-MS method. The associations between individual or combined metal exposures and tumor size, location, stage, or lymph node metastasis were evaluated by using univariable tests, logistic regression, restricted cubic spline analysis, weighted quantile sum, and Bayesian kernel machine regression.

Unveiling fatal risk factors: Predicting hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in SFTS patients.

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a zoonotic infectious disease with high mortality, and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is one of the rare fatal complications of SFTS. Early prediction of the occurrence of HLH and the identification of prognostic factors in SFTS patients with HLH are crucial for effective clinical management.

Methods: Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations at admission and laboratory parameters of 272 SFTS patients.

Exposure to Multiple Metals and Cerebral White Matter Hyperintensity in Chinese Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Evidence about the impact of multiple metal exposure on brain neuroimaging metrics remains limited. We aim to investigate the effects of single and mixed metal exposure on white matter hyperintensities (WMHs).

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1183 subjects without stroke history from the META-KLS (Multi-modality Medical Imaging Study Based on Kailuan Study), which is an existing prospective cohort in Tangshan, China.

A validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for simultaneous quantitation of intact IGF-1 and IGF-2 in human serum.

The simultaneous quantification of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) 1 and 2 has demonstrated significant potential for routine diagnostic applications in growth disorders. However, a simplified and rapid assay still remains to be developed. In this study, we established a simple, cost-effective and antibody-free serological assay based on tandem mass spectrometry to simultaneously quantify intact IGF-1 and IGF-2 in human serum.

Topological Nature of Radiation Asymmetry in Bilayer Metagratings.

Manipulating radiation asymmetry of photonic structures is of particular interest in many photonic applications such as directional optical antenna, high efficiency on-chip lasers, and coherent light control. Here, we proposed a term of pseudopolarization to reveal the topological nature of radiation asymmetry in bilayer metagratings. Robust pseudopolarization vortex with an integer topological charge exists in P-symmetry metagrating, allowing for tunable directionality ranging from -1 to 1 in synthetic parameter space.

Inhibitory effect of rosmarinic acid on IgE-trigged mast cell degranulation in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Rosmarinic acid (RA), a polyphenol from edible-medical Lamiaceae herbs, is known to possess a variety of pharmacological activity, like anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and immunoregulation activities.

Methods And Results: Hereon, we investigated the anti-allergic activity of RA on immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated anaphylaxis responses in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 mast cell. RA hindered the morphological changes of IgE-induced degranulated RBL-2H3 cells.

Effects of rosmarinic acid on immune response and intestinal microbiota in ovalbumin-induced intestinal allergy mice.

Background: Rosmarinic acid (RA) is an active polyphenol that is widely found in various edible herbs. This study explored the potential anti-allergic activities and the underlying mechanisms of RA in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced intestinal allergic mice.

Results: Forty female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into five groups: control group, model group (OVA sensitized/challenged), RA-Low group (OVA sensitized/challenged, 30 mg kg RA intervention), RA-Middle group (OVA sensitized/challenged, 90 mg kg RA intervention) and RA-High group (OVA sensitized/challenged, 270 mg kg RA intervention).

Transcriptomic Characterization of Copper-Binding Proteins for Predicting Prognosis in Glioma.

Background: Copper and copper-binding proteins are key components of tumor progression as they play important roles in tumor invasion and migration, but their associations in gliomas remain unclear.

Methods: Transcriptomic datasets of glioblastoma, low-grade glioma, and normal brain cortex were derived from the TCGA and GTEX databases. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of copper-binding proteins were screened and used to construct a prognostic model based on COX and LASSO regression, which was further validated by the CGGA datasets.

Assessment of 13 essential and toxic trace elements in tumor and peritumoral brain tissues from human glioblastoma.

Trace elements within the brain are important for proper neurological function, but their imbalance has been rarely investigated in glioblastoma. This study enrolled a total of 14 patients with glioblastoma, and the tumor and peritumoral brain tissues were collected while undergoing surgery. The concentrations of Mg, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, As, Cd, Tl and Pb were determined using a well-evaluated ICP-MS method.

DIA-MS Based Proteomics Combined with RNA-Seq Data to Unveil the Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Human Glioblastoma.

Mitochondrial dysfunctions underlie the pathogenesis in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Comprehensive proteomic profiling of mitochondria-specific changes in human GBM is still insufficient. This study carried out a DIA-MS based proteomic analysis on the mitochondria isolated from human primary GBM and peritumoral tissue (as paired control), and further compared those findings with the transcriptomic datasets.

Identification of iron metabolism-related genes as diagnostic signatures in sepsis by blood transcriptomic analysis.

Iron metabolism is considered to play the principal role in sepsis, but the key iron metabolism-related genetic signatures are unclear. In this study, we analyzed and identified the genetic signatures related to the iron-metabolism in sepsis by using a bioinformatics analysis of four transcriptomic datasets from the GEO database. A total of 21 differentially expressed iron metabolism-related signatures were identified including 9 transporters, 8 enzymes, and 4 regulatory factors.

Association of whole blood metals/metalloids with severity in sepsis patients: A prospective, single-center, pilot study.

Background: Trace metals/metalloids were important for the biological functions of both the eukaryotic host and the microorganism. Their concentrations and variations may associate with the critical illness in sepsis, which still needs to be investigated.

Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study on the patients with sepsis admitted to Tongji hospital (Wuhan, China) from Jul 01 to Dec 31, 2021.

Quantitative analysis of catecholamines and their metabolites in 491 patients with adrenal tumors: a retrospective single-center cohort study.

Background: Adrenal tumors, including benign cortical adenoma (BCA) and pheochromocytoma (PCC) or paraganglioma (PGL), have been more frequently detected during imaging examinations in recent years. However, the associated clinical or laboratory characteristics, especially on the Chinese population, still need to be investigated.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 491 patients pathologically diagnosed with adrenal tumors, from Jan 19, 2018 to Dec 17, 2019, at a tertiary referral hospital in Wuhan of China.

Thrombocytopenia and increased risk of adverse outcome in COVID-19 patients.

Background: Thrombocytopenia was common in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients during the infection, while the role of thrombocytopenia in COVID-19 pathogenesis and its relationship with systemic host response remained obscure. The study aimed to systematically evaluate the relationship between thrombocytopenia in COVID-19 patients and clinical, haematological and biochemical markers of the disease as well as adverse outcomes.

Methods: To assess the relationship between abnormal platelet levels and disease progression, a multi-center retrospective cohort study was conducted.

Prolonged viral shedding of SARS-CoV-2 and related factors in symptomatic COVID-19 patients: a prospective study.

Background: The temporal relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and antibody production and clinical progression remained obscure. The aim of this study was to describe the viral kinetics of symptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and identify factors that might contribute to prolonged viral shedding.

Methods: Symptomatic COVID-19 patients were enrolled in two hospitals in Wuhan, China, from whom the respiratory samples were collected and measured for viral loads consecutively by reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay.

Neurological manifestations in COVID-19 patients and their application in predicting fatal disease: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: To explore the development of central nervous system (CNS) symptoms and clinical application in predicting the clinical outcomes of SARS-COV-2 patients.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on the hospitalized patients with SARS-COV-2 recruited from four hospitals in Hubei Province, China from 18 January to 10 March 2020. The patients with CNS symptoms were determined.

The differential demographic pattern of coronavirus disease 2019 fatality outside Hubei and from six hospitals in Hubei, China: a descriptive analysis.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has been largely controlled in China, to the point where case fatality rate (CFR) data can be comprehensively evaluated.

Methods: Data on confirmed patients, with a final outcome reported as of 29 March 2020, were obtained from official websites and other internet sources. The hospitalized CFR (HCFR) was estimated, epidemiological features described, and risk factors for a fatal outcome identified.

Clinical Performance of SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM Tests Using an Automated Chemiluminescent Assay.

Serology tests for viral antibodies provide an important tool to support nucleic acid testing for diagnosis of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is useful for documenting previous exposures to SARS-CoV-2, the etiological agent of COVID-19. The sensitivities of the chemiluminescent SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM immunoassay were assessed by using serum samples collected from 728 patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The specificity was evaluated on a panel of 60 serum samples from non-COVID-19 patients with high levels of rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibody, or antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), mycoplasma pneumonia, human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, influenza A or influenza B.

Associations of essential and toxic metals/metalloids in whole blood with both disease severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19.

The variations and dynamics of essential and toxic metal(loid)s in patients with COVID-19 may associate with the progression and fatal outcome of the disease, which still remains to investigate. In the present study, a retrospective analysis was performed in a cohort of 306 confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to Tongji hospital (Wuhan, China) from February 10 to March 15, 2020. Whole blood levels of essential and/or toxic metal(loid)s were analyzed, including magnesium, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, thallium, and lead according to the disease severity and outcome.

Urinary trace elements in association with disease severity and outcome in patients with COVID-19.

Background: The dynamics of urinary trace elements in patients with COVID-19 still remains to be investigated.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed on a cohort of 138 confirmed COVID-19 patients for their urinary levels of essential and/or toxic metals including chromium, manganese, copper, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, mercury, thallium and lead according to the different disease severity (severe or non-severe) and outcome (recovered or deceased).

Results: Urinary concentrations of chromium, manganese, copper, selenium, cadmium, mercury and lead after creatinine adjustment were found to be higher in severe patients than the non-severe cases with COVID-19.

Proteomic characteristics of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in critical COVID-19 patients.

Up to 10-20% of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) develop a severe pulmonary disease due to immune dysfunction and cytokine dysregulation. However, the extracellular proteomic characteristics in respiratory tract of these critical COVID-19 patients still remain to be investigated. In the present study, we performed a quantitative proteomic analysis of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from patients with critical COVID-19 and from non-COVID-19 controls.

Longitudinal Profile of Laboratory Parameters and Their Application in the Prediction for Fatal Outcome Among Patients Infected With SARS-CoV-2: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experience a wide clinical spectrum, with over 2% developing fatal outcome. The prognostic factors for fatal outcome remain sparsely investigated.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed in a cohort of patients with confirmed COVID-19 in one designated hospital in Wuhan, China, from 17 January-5 March 2020.

Assessment of 12 Essential and Toxic Elements in Whole Blood of Pregnant and Non-pregnant Women Living in Wuhan of China.

Exposures to toxic trace elements and deficiencies of essential elements during pregnancy are associated to various birth complications. Assessment of the trace elements in pregnant women living in specific areas is important for biomonitoring. A total of 196 healthy pregnant women absent of pregnancy complications living in Wuhan of China and 210 healthy non-pregnant women were enrolled.