Biomarkers in medicine最新文献

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of long-acting growth hormone (GH) therapy at different doses in children with short stature and to explore its correlation with thyroid function indicators.

Patients & methods: A total of 192 children with short stature were enrolled and divided into three groups according to the treatment regimen. Group A received short-acting GH (daily injection), Group B received low-dose long-acting GH (weekly injection), and Group C received high-dose long-acting GH (weekly injection). Growth velocity (GV), serum bone formation markers (BAP, OC, NT-proCNP), metabolic indicators (FBG, IGF-1, IGF-1/BP3), thyroid hormones (TSH, FT3, FT4), adverse reactions, and treatment adherence were assessed at 3 and 6 months.

Results: After treatment, Groups B and C showed significantly greater GV, BAP, OC, NT-proCNP, and IGF-1 levels than Group A (p < 0.05). Group C exhibited the highest GV, bone metabolism markers, and IGF-1/IGF-1BP3 ratios among the three groups (p < 0.05). Treatment adherence in Groups B and C also exceeded that in Group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Long-acting GH demonstrates superior efficacy and compliance compared with short-acting GH in children with short stature, particularly at higher doses.

Cervical cancer remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in low-income regions, where incidence and fatality rates exceed WHO eradication limits. The miRNAs are emerging as crucial molecular markers in disease diagnostics and therapeutics. Their expression is influenced by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection leading to genomic instability and cervical carcinogenesis. The miRNA-based biomarkers exhibit potential for noninvasive identification in serum, urine, cervical mucus, exosomes, and tissue samples, and they also contribute to chemosensitization and resistance mechanisms. However, their clinical translation is hindered by multiple challenges. This review explores the mechanistic roles of miRNAs in HPV-mediated cervical cancer progression, their implications in diagnosis and therapy, and the barriers limiting their clinical application. Additionally, it outlines strategies to overcome translational hurdles, including combinatorial delivery, structural modifications, nanovehicles based delivery, viral vector systems, paving the way for miRNA-based interventions in cervical cancer management.

Aims: To examine urothelial cancer-associated 1 (UCA1) expression in severe pneumonia children and explore its regulatory role in this condition.

Patients & methods: Seventy-eight healthy children and 84 children with severe pneumonia were included. Serum UCA1 expressions were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The sensitivity and specificity of UCA1 for the diagnosis of severe pneumonia were appraised by the receiver operating characteristic curve. The prognosis and factors affecting the prognosis were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier survival curve and multivariate Cox regression. A luciferase reporter assay assessed the targeting interaction between UCA1 and miR-185-5p.

Results: Serum UCA1 level in patients with severe pneumonia was higher than that in controls. The sensitivity and specificity of UCA1 for severe pneumonia were 82.1% and 85.9%, respectively. Children with high UCA1 expression had lower overall survival than children with low UCA1 expression, and UCA1 and procalcitonin were prognosis risk factors. Cell experiments suggested that inhibition of UCA1 reversed LPS-induced decline in cell viability and increased apoptosis and inflammatory factors. UCA1 directly targeted miR-185-5p in MRC-5 cells.

Conclusions: Abnormal elevated UCA1 demonstrated good clinical diagnostic and prognostic meaning for severe pneumonia. UCA1 May have effects on the regulation of cell function and inflammatory response by combining with miR-185-5p.

Background: Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a severe infectious condition characterized by hepatic parenchymal pus accumulation, posing diagnostic and management challenges despite medical advances. Sepsis ensuing from PLA signifies a critical clinical scenario with notable morbidity and mortality implications.

Methods: A retrospective analysis encompassing 202 PLA patients over five years discerned 79 with sepsis (PLAS group) and 123 without sepsis (PLA group). Baseline characteristics, pathogen distribution, and serum heparin-binding protein (HBP) levels were assessed, alongside statistical analyses including multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results: Significant differences in biliary tract disease prevalence, plasma procalcitonin (PCT), and blood lactate levels were noted between PLAS and PLA groups, suggesting potential sepsis indicators in PLA patients. Klebsiella pneumoniae predominated among cultured pathogens, with no significant difference between septic and non-septic groups. Serum HBP levels were markedly elevated in PLAS patients, exhibiting positive correlations with sepsis severity and serving as an independent sepsis risk factor. ROC analysis demonstrated enhanced diagnostic performance for sepsis when combining serum HBP, PCT, and blood lactate levels.

Conclusion: Serum HBP provides diagnostic and prognostic value for sepsis in PLA patients, and its combination with established biomarkers improves early detection and management.

Objective: To evaluate the association between microRNA (miRNA) polymorphisms and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility through meta-analysis.

Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science for case-control studies examining five miRNA polymorphisms: miR-146a rs2910164, miR-499 rs3746444, miR-196a2 rs11614913, miR-155 rs767649, and miR-149 rs2292832. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effects models.

Results: Twenty-three studies comprising 4,303 RA patients and 5,337 controls were included. Significant associations were identified for three polymorphisms. MiR-499 rs3746444 demonstrated increased RA risk across multiple genetic models (allelic, recessive, and homozygote). MiR-146a rs2910164 showed population-specific effects, conferring protection in Arabs (OR = 0.666, 95% CI = 0.520-0.853, p = 0.001) but not in Asian or European populations. The miR-149 rs2292832 A allele exhibited strong protective effects (OR = 0.314, 95% CI = 0.215-0.458, p < 0.001). No significant associations were observed for miR-196a2 rs11614913 or miR-155 rs767649 polymorphisms.

Conclusions: This meta-analysis demonstrates that miRNA polymorphisms exhibit variable associations with RA susceptibility. MiR-499 rs3746444 increases risk, while miR-146a rs2910164 and miR-149 rs2292832 provide protection, with ethnic-specific effects for miR-146a rs2910164.

Aim: In the present study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic importance of the De Ritis ratio [Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)/Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)] in predicting higher international normalized ratio in patients on warfarin treatment.

Patients and methods: Patients who were followed up for warfarin use at the Training and Research Hospital, between September 2023 and September 2024, were included in this study, consecutively and retrospectively.

Results: The study included a total of 357 consecutive patients, who were divided into three groups according to INR values: Group 1: Those with INR below 2, Group 2: Those with INR between 2 and 3.5, Group 3: INR values above 3.5. The median ages of the patients were 62 years (range, 22 to 88), 61 years (range, 24 to 87), and 61 years (range, 40 to 87), respectively (p = 0.833). There were significant differences between the groups regarding lymphocyte values (median: 2.1 × 10³/µL vs 2.1 × 10³/µL vs 1.6 × 10³/µL, respectively) and De Ritis ratio (median 1.03 vs 1.15 vs 1.92) (p = 0.005, and p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: We demonstrated a significant correlation between a high De Ritis ratio and high INR values. In light of this finding, a high De Ritis ratio may be indicative of elevated INR values for us.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, with rising incidence and mortality rates, posing clinical treatment challenges.

Objective: To analyze the prognostic significance of serum immune HER2 and ERα36 biomarkers in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer subtypes.

Methods: Sixty-one estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cases from Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University (2016-2023) were analyzed. The qPCR was used to detect the expression level of ERα36 mRNA in the sample, and ELISA was used to detect the expression of HER2 in the sample. Associations between biomarker expression, clinicopathological features, and prognosis were evaluated.

Results: ERα36 mRNA expression was higher in breast cancer tissues than in adjacent tissues (p < 0.05). High ERα36 expression was associated with menopause (77.78%) and lymph node metastasis (75.00%) (p < 0.05). HER2 positivity correlated with menopause (55.56%) and lymph node metastasis (56.00%) (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in age, reproductive history, family history, clinical stage, histologic grade, or T stage (p > 0.05). OS rates showed no significant difference, but PFS rates varied significantly (p < 0.05). Patients with high ERα36 expression in HER2-positive cases had the poorest prognosis (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: ERα36 and HER2 are valuable prognostic biomarkers, with their co-expression linked to increased lymph node metastasis and poorer survival outcomes.