PurposeTo replicate previously confirmed telomere-length loci in a Chinese Han population with coronary heart disease (CHD), and investigate these loci and the possibility of and age at onset of CHD.Patients and methods1514 CHD patients and 2470 normal controls were recruited. Medical data including age, sex, body mass index, lipid profiles, history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia were collected from all the participants. Seven previously identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to leucocyte telomere length were genotyped, including rs10936599 in TERC, rs2736100 in TERT, rs7675998 in NAF1, rs9420907 in OBFC1, rs8105767 in ZNF208, rs755017 in RTEL1, and rs11125529 in ACYP2.ResultsNo significant difference in genotype frequencies from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium test was noted for all tested SNPs both in the CHD patients and the normal controls. No polymorphism was observed for rs9420907, and AA genotype was noted in both the CHD patients and the controls. Neither the genotype nor the allele frequencies of rs2736100, rs8105767, rs11125529, and rs2967374 were significantly different between the CHD patients and the normal controls. For rs10936599 and rs755017, statistical difference was found for the allele frequency but not genotype. Distributions of genotype and allele were significantly different between the two groups for rs7675998. The odds ratio for carriers of CHD was 2.127 (95% confidence interval: 1.909–2.370) for the A allele of rs7675998. By one-way analysis of variance test, rs7675998 was associated with the onset age of CHD. CHD patients with the AA genotype of rs7675998 had significantly lower onset age (P<0.05).ConclusionIn a Chinese Han population, NAF1 gene encoding proteins with known function in telomere biology may influence both the possibility of and the age at onset of CHD, as previously reported in European studies.

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MAC30 could play as a potential biomarker for prognosis of GC with platinum-based chemotherapy.

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Side effects of afatinib are a problem in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, little is known about the occurrence of afatinib-induced hypotension. An 81-year-old man with NSCLC had an epidermal growth factor receptor-positive genotype with the p.L861Q mutation in exon 21. He was administered afatinib (40 mg/day) as anticancer therapy. Hypotension occurred twice after afatinib initiation. He suffered from dizziness and nausea. Blood pressure gradually returned to normal after afatinib cessation. Clinicians should be aware of hypotension in patients with NSCLC after afatinib initiation.

Background We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of Activin A levels in serum and pleural effusion on parapneumonic pleural effusion (PPE). Methods We collected serum and pleural effusion from 86 PPE and 37 non-PPE (NPPE) patients. Including Activin A, levels of biomarkers as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. All factors were calculated for association with days after admission. The diagnostic potential of biomarkers on PPE was considered by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results Levels of Activin A in serum and pleural effusion of PPE patients were significantly higher than those of the NPPE patients. Moreover, concentrations of Activin A in pleural effusion showed a more obvious relevant days after admission. ROC curve analysis found that Activin A in pleural effusion had AUCs of 0.899 with 93% sensitivity and 84% specificity for PPE diagnosis. Conclusion Activin A in pleural effusion correlated with disease severity could act to diagnosis PPE.

Backgrounds：Over-expressed meningioma-associated protein (MAC30) was proved to be a biomarker for worse prognosis in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the regulated mechanism of MAC30 in epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and lung cancer invasion is unknown. Methods：Transformed growth factor (TGF-β) was used to induce EMT in A549 cells in vitro. MAC30 siRNA was transfected into cells to silence the gene expression. Real-Time PCR was prepared to assess the levels of MAC30 mRNA. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and Transwell invasion assays were performed to study the proliferation and invasion of A549 cells. Expression of MAC30, EMT-related proteins, Wnt/β-catenin signal and its downstream factors were explored by ELISA. Results: We found enhanced MAC30 expression in A549 cells. MAC30 Knockdown inhibited TGF-β-induced lung cell proliferation and invasion. Furthermore, elevated levels of mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin, vimentin) and decreased levels of epithelial markers E-cadherin in A549 cells with TGF-β incubation were reversed by MAC30 siRNA. Finally, MAC30 knockdown significantly suppressed TGF-β-upregulated protein levels of Wnt/ β-catenin signaling and its downstream genes (surviving, c-myc and cyclin D1). Conclusions: We firstly confirm that MAC30 knockdown limits lung cancer growth and EMT through inhibiting the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Background: IPF is a progressive lung disease, characterized by excessive deposition of ECM. C/EBPβ is involved in the development of pulmonary fibrosis. However, the regulation of C/EBPβ in the context of pulmonary fibrosis is not clear. The study is to identify the C/EBPβ acetylation in IPF．Methods: Lung from six IPF and six control samples were selected in this study. We investigated the expression of C/EBPβ in lungs with Immunochemistry. Moreover, the expression of C/EBPβ mRNA via Real Time-PCR and its protein expression via Western Blot were performed. Meanwhile, the levels of collagen-I and α-SMA as markers of pulmonary fibrosis were also determined by Western Blot. Furthermore, we confirmed the relationship between α-SMA and acetylated C/EBPβ by Co-Immunoprecipitation. Results: We found the elevated C/EBPβ mostly locating in fibroblast foci in lungs of IPF. And the expression of C/EBPβ RNA and protein were obviously increased in IPF (P <0.05), in which the proteins of α-SMA and collagen-I were enhanced (P <0.05). Furthermore, the stronger acetylation of C/EBPβ binging to the α-SMA gene was shown in lung fibrosis (P <0.05). Conclusions: The increased expression of C/EBPβ acetylation associated with α-SMA expression is involved in the development of pulmonary fibrosis.