Review : Epidemiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Asia-Pacific Region

( Ran Xu Zhu ),( Wai Kay Seto ),( Ching Lung Lai ),( Man Fung Yuen ) 대한간학회 2016 Gut and Liver Vol.10 No.3

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the predominant primary liver cancer in many countries and is the third most common cause of cancer-related death in the Asia-Pacific region. The incidence of HCC is higher in men and in those over 40 years old. In the Asia-Pacific region, chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections are the main etiological agents; in particular, chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) is still the major cause in all Asia-Pacific countries except for Japan. Over the past two decades, the incidence of HCC has remained stable in countries in the region except for Singapore and Hong Kong, where the incidence for both sexes is currently decreasing. Chronic hepatitis C infection (CHC) is an important cause of HCC in Japan, representing 70% of HCCs. Over the past several decades, the prevalence of CHC has been increasing in many Asia-Pacific countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and India. Despite advancements in treatment, HCC is still an important health problem because of the associated substantial mortality. An effective surveillance program could offer early diagnosis and hence better treatment options. Antiviral treatment for both CHB and CHC is effective in reducing the incidence of HCC. (Gut Liver 2016;10:332-339)

Molecular Cloning, Identification and Characteristics of a Novel Isoform of Carbamyl Phosphate Synthetase 1 in Human Testis

( Ran Huo ),( Hui Zhu ),( Li Lu ),( Lan Lan Ying ),( Min Xu ),( Zhi Yang Xu ),( Jian Min Li ),( Zuo Min Zhou ),( Jia Hao Sha ) 생화학분자생물학회 2005 BMB Reports Vol.38 No.1

A gene coding a novel isoform of carbamyl phosphate synthetase I (CPSI) was cloned from a human testicular library. As shown by cDNA microarray hybridization, this gene was expressed at a higher level in human adult testes than in fetal testes. The full length of its cDNA was 3831 bp, with a 3149 bp open reading frame, encoding a 1050-amino-acid protein. The cDNA sequence was deposited in the GenBank (AY317138). Sequence analysis showed that it was homologous to the human CPS1 gene. The putative protein contained functional domains composing the intact large subunit of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase, thus indicated it has the capability of arginine biosynthesis. A multiple tissue expression profile showed high expression of this gene in human testis, suggesting the novel alternative splicing form of CPS1 may be correlated with human spermatogenesis.

Comorbidity Relationship to Outcome of Radical Cystectomy in Chinese: a Single Institution Study with the ACE-27 Comorbidity Index

Xuan, Zhu,Zhong, Zhao-Hui,Zhang, Xuan-Zhi,Zhang, Lei,Zhao, Xiao-Kun,Lv, Chen,Xu, Ran,Ren, Wei-Gang,Li, Song-Chao Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.3

To determine the relationship between comorbidity and outcome after radical cystectomy in Chinese patients by using the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation (ACE)-27 index. Two-hundred-and-forty-six patients treated with radical cystectomy at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Hunan Province, China between 2000 and 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Medical records were reviewed for age, gender, delayed time of radical cystectomy, urinary diversion type, pelvic lymphadenectomy status, TNM stage, and pathological grade. Comorbidity information was assessed by the ACE-27 index. The outcome measurement was overall survival. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to determine the association between comorbidity and outcome. The study population consisted of 215 (87.40%) males and 31 (12.60%) females with a mean age of $62{\pm}11$ years. Median duration of follow-up was $47{\pm}31$ months. A total of 151 (61.38%) patents died during follow-up. Of those, 118 (47.97%) had at least one comorbidity. According to the ACE-27 scores, 128 (52.03%) patients had no comorbidity, 79 (32.11%) had mild, 33 (13.41%) had moderate, and 6 (2.45%) had severe comorbidities. Multivariate analysis indicated that moderate (p=0.002) and severe (p<0.001) comorbidity was significantly associated with decreased overall survival. In addition, age ${\geq}70$ years (p=0.002), delayed time of radical cystectomy >12 weeks (p=0.044), pelvic lymphadenectomy status (p=0.014), and TNM stage >T3 (p<0.001) were determined to be independent risk factors of overall survival. Increasing severity of comorbidity statistically correlated with decreased overall survival after radical cystectomy.

Molecular Cloning, Identification and Characteristics of a Novel Isoform of Carbamyl Phosphate Synthetase I in Human Testis

Huo, Ran,Zhu, Hui,Lu, Li,Ying, Lanlan,Xu, Min,Xu, Zhiyang,Li, Jianmin,Zhou, Zuomin,Sha, Jiahao Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biol 2005 Journal of biochemistry and molecular biology Vol.38 No.1

A gene coding a novel isoform of carbamyl phosphate synthetase I (CPS1) was cloned from a human testicular library. As shown by cDNA microarray hybridization, this gene was expressed at a higher level in human adult testes than in fetal testes. The full length of its cDNA was 3831 bp, with a 3149 bp open reading frame, encoding a 1050-amino-acid protein. The cDNA sequence was deposited in the GenBank (AY317138). Sequence analysis showed that it was homologous to the human CPS1 gene. The putative protein contained functional domains composing the intact large subunit of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase, thus indicated it has the capability of arginine biosynthesis. A multiple tissue expression profile showed high expression of this gene in human testis, suggesting the novel alternative splicing form of CPS1 may be correlated with human spermatogenesis.

World Health Organization survey on the level of integration of traditional Chinese medicine in Chinese health system rehabilitation services

Lei Fang,Ran-ran Zhu,Zhen Sang,Xiao-ting Xu,Lin-yun Zheng,Yanwei Xiang,Chaoyang Guo,Zhenrui Li,Stephane Alexandre Espinosa,Qi Zhang,Chunlei Shan 한국한의학연구원 2023 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.12 No.2

Background: To meet the growing global demand for rehabilitation services, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched Rehabilitation 2030. This study was commissioned by the WHO to investigate the integration degree of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Chinese health system rehabilitation services and the demand for TCM rehabilitation in China. Methods: Twenty TCM rehabilitation experts and relevant government administrators were invited to complete the questionnaire between September 2019 and January 2022. The development of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCI) rehabilitation in China was assessed primarily based on six different health system components. Results: 26 policies, regulations, and national strategic plans related to TCI rehabilitation were issued by relevant government departments since 2002; notably, 14 policies related to TCI rehabilitation development were intensively introduced from 2016 to 2021. These policies cover the three main areas of financing, infrastructure development, and service delivery. The National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine's investment in TCM clinical capacity infrastructure and scientific research in 2019–2021 increased by 66% compared to 2010–2012, and the average number of TCM hospitals with rehabilitation departments in 2020 increased by 6.5% compared to 2018. The proportion of community health service centers providing TCM services in primary medical and health institutions has increased by 30.8% over the past 10 years. Conclusion: Long-term continuous policies, substantial financial investment, and expansion of the scope of TCI rehabilitation services in primary care institutions have effectively contributed to the rapid development of TCI rehabilitation. However, human resources and financing mechanisms for TCI rehabilitation need further improvement.

A Putative Histone Deacetylase Modulates the Biosynthesis of Pestalotiollide B and Conidiation in Pestalotiopsis microspora

( Xue Liang Niu ),( Xiao Ran Hao ),( Zhang Yong Hong ),( Long Fei Chen ),( Xi Yu ),( Xu Dong Zhu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2015 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.25 No.5

Fungi of the genus Pestalotiopsis have drawn attention for their capability to produce an array of bioactive secondary metabolites that have potential for drug development. Here, we report the determination of a polyketide derivative compound, pestalotiollide B, in the culture of the saprophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora NK17. Structural information acquired by analyses with a set of spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques suggests that pestalotiollide B has the same skeleton as the penicillide derivatives, dibenzodioxocinones, which are inhibitors of cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP), and as purpactins A and C’, inhibitors of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT). Strain NK17 can make a fairly high yield of pestalotiollide B (i.e., up to 7.22 mg/l) in a constitutive manner in liquid culture. Moreover, we found that a putative histone deacetylase gene, designated as hid1, played a role in the biosynthesis of pestalotiollide B. In the hid1 null mutant, the yield of pestalotiollide B increased approximately 2-fold to 15.90 mg/l. In contrast, deletion of gene hid1 led to a dramatic decrease of conidia production of the fungus. These results suggest that hid1 is a modulator, concerting secondary metabolism and development such as conidiation in P. microspora. Our work may help with the investigation into the biosynthesis of pestalotiollide B and the development for new CETP and ACAT inhibitors.

Circulating Low Absolute CD4+ T Cell Counts May Predict Poor Prognosis in Extranodal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma Patients Treating with Pegaspargase-Based Chemotherapy

Ya-Ping Zhang,Run Zhang,Hua-Yuan Zhu,Li Wang,Yu-Jie Wu,Jin-Hua Liang,Wen-Yu Shi,Hong Liu,Wei Xu,Jian-Yong Li 대한암학회 2019 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.51 No.1

Purpose Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL) is a rare subtype of non- Hodgkin lymphoma, and asparaginase-based regimens are the best first-line treatments. Data on the role of specific circulating lymphocyte subsets in the progression of ENKTL are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical correlation and distribution of circulating absolute CD4+ T-cell counts (ACD4Cs) in ENKTL. Materials and Methods We retrospectively searched medical records for 70 newly diagnosed ENKTL patients treated with pegaspargase-based regimens. Comparison of ACD4Cs as a continuous parameter in different groups was calculated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results Stage III/IV, B symptoms, elevated lactate dehydrogenase, monocytopenia, high-intermediate and high risk International Prognostic Index (IPI) and Korean Prognostic Index (KPI), high risk Prognostic Index of Natural Killer Lymphoma (PINK), and lower lymphocytes were significantly associated with low ACD4C at diagnosis. With a median follow-up time of 32 months, patients who had an ACD4C < 0.30109/L had a worse OS. Median OS was 11 months and median PFS was 5 months in the low ACD4C cohort. There were significant differences in both OS and PFS between the two cohorts. Moreover, multivariate Cox analysis identified ACD4Cs as an independent predictor for OS and PFS. Conclusion Low ACD4Cs were associated with poorer survival and could act as a negative predictor for ENKTL patients treated with asparaginase-based regimens.

Identification of drug target candidates of the swine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae by construction of protein–protein interaction network

Siqi Li,Zhipeng Su,Chengjun Zhang,Zhuofei Xu,Xiaoping Chang,Jiawen Zhu,Ran Xiao,Lu Li,Rui Zhou 한국유전학회 2018 Genes & Genomics Vol.40 No.8

Porcine pleuropneumonia caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae has led to severe economic losses in the pig industry worldwide. A. pleuropneumoniae displays various levels of antimicrobial resistance, leading to the dire need to identify new drug targets. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network can aid the identification of drug targets by discovering essential proteins during the life of bacteria. The aim of this study is to identify drug target candidates of A. pleuropneumoniae from essential proteins in PPI network. The homologous protein mapping method (HPM) was utilized to construct A. pleuropneumoniae PPI network. Afterwards, the subnetwork centered with H-NS was selected to verify the PPI network using bacterial two-hybrid assays. Drug target candidates were identified from the hub proteins by analyzing the topology of the network using interaction degree and homologous comparison with the pig proteome. An A. pleuropneumoniae PPI network containing 2737 non-redundant interaction pairs among 533 proteins was constructed. These proteins were distributed in 21 COG functional categories and 28 KEGG metabolic pathways. The A. pleuropneumoniae PPI network was scale free and the similar topological tendencies were found when compared with other bacteria PPI network. Furthermore, 56.3% of the H-NS subnetwork interactions were validated. 57 highly connected proteins (hub proteins) were identified from the A. pleuropneumoniae PPI network. Finally, 9 potential drug targets were identified from the hub proteins, with no homologs in swine. This study provides drug target candidates, which are promising for further investigations to explore lead compounds against A. pleuropneumoniae.

Texture Adjustment of Hot-Rolled Fe-1.6wt% Si Non-oriented Electrical Steel Sheet by Annealing Processes

Yufan Wang,Guoqing Zu,Di Zhang,Di Zhang,Weiwei Zhu,Huilan Sun,Bo Wang,Xu Ran 대한금속·재료학회 2022 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.28 No.11

In the present work, the effect of pre-annealing on the recrystallized texture of hot-rolled Fe-1.6 wt% Si non-oriented electricalsteel was investigated. Vickers hardness test, optical microscope, and electron backscatter diffraction were used to investigatethe changes in the average hardness, microstructure, and texture caused by pre-annealing of hot-rolled strips. It was found thatthe texture successively changed from a near-random distribution to {116} < 151 > texture and near-{001} < 140 > texturedepending on pre-annealing treatments. Also, there was almost no effect on the grain size, and the average grain size of thenormalized bands was 125 μm. Besides, the texture and magnetic properties of the final products under different pre-annealingtreatments were also detected. It was found that the sample obtain a strong Cube texture by pre-annealing. Meanwhile, themagnetic properties are also got an improvement by pre-annealing. In a word, this method may provide a possibility to obtainan ideal grain size and texture simultaneously.