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Biomedical subjects

Jian Huang

Publications and source records attributed to Jian Huang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Age as a core disease modifier: Distinct clinical, molecular and prognostic landscapes of essential thrombocythaemia in adolescents and young adults.

Essential thrombocythaemia (ET) in adolescents and young adults (AYA, 15-39 years) is a distinct entity with an incompletely defined prognosis. In this multicentre retrospective study, 1728 ET patients from 29 centres across China were stratified into AYA (n = 328) and non-AYA (≥40 years, n = 1400) cohorts. We compared their clinical profiles, genomic landscapes, long-term outcomes and risk factors for progression to post-ET myelofibrosis (MF). AYA patients had fewer cardiovascular risks and lower thrombosis rates, but higher rates of extreme thrombocytosis. Molecularly, AYA patients were enriched for calreticulin (CALR) mutations, whereas Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) predominated in older patients. The burden of non-driver mutations (tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 [TET2], DNA methyltransferase 3A [DNMT3A], ASXL transcriptional regulator 1 [ASXL1], SH2‑B adaptor protein 3 [SH2B3]) was lower in AYA patients. Consequently, AYA patients achieved superior long-term outcomes across all key survival endpoints, including overall, myelofibrosis-free and leukaemia-free survival. Analysis of post-ET MF progression risks identified age-specific patterns: CALR mutations are enriched in younger patients and show an age-specific association with MF progression. AYA-ET constitutes a unique clinicomolecular subtype with a favourable prognosis, supporting age-stratified management. The enrichment of CALR mutations and their specific link to MF progression in young patients underscore the urgent need for targeted therapies against CALR-mutant clones.

adolescents and young adults (AYA)↗

Efficacy and safety of ferric citrate tablets in Chinese patients with hyperphosphatemia undergoing maintenance hemodialysis: a multicenter, randomized, open-label, active-controlled, phase III trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ferric citrate tablets in Chinese patients with hyperphosphatemia undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). METHODS: In this phase III, multicenter, randomized, open-label, non-inferiority trial, patients with hyperphosphatemia on maintenance hemodialysis were randomly assigned to receive either ferric citrate or sevelamer carbonate tablets for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in serum phosphorus levels from baseline to week 12, with a non-inferiority margin of 0.32 mmol/L. Secondary endpoints included changes in serum calcium, intact parathyroid hormone, and safety assessments. RESULTS: A total of 239 patients were randomized to the ferric citrate group (n = 119) or the sevelamer carbonate group (n = 120). The mean change in serum phosphorus levels was -0.70 ± 0.50 mmol/L in the ferric citrate group and -0.61 ± 0.59 mmol/L in the sevelamer carbonate group (least squares mean difference, -0.09 mmol/L; 95% CI, -0.24 to 0.05 mmol/L; non-inferiority margin, 0.32 mmol/L). No significant inter-group differences were found in the percentage of patients achieving target phosphorus levels (49.09% vs. 48.28%, p = 0.902). Ferric citrate significantly improved iron-related parameters and hemoglobin levels. Most treatment-emergent adverse events were mild, with gastrointestinal disorders being the most common. CONCLUSIONS: Ferric citrate tablets were non-inferior to sevelamer carbonate in reducing serum phosphorus levels in hyperphosphatemia patients on maintenance hemodialysis, with the added benefit of improving iron-related anemia and a favorable safety profile.

Adult↗

Increased expression of Ribonucleic acid export 1 (RAE1) gene promotes gastric carcinogenesis and is associated with Hippo signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Ribonucleic acid export 1 (RAE1) autoantibody may have good potential for early detection of gastric cancer (GC). However, the carcinogenicity of RAE1 in GC remains unknown. We aimed to explore the role and the potential mechanism for RAE1 in the carcinogenesis of GC. METHODS: Immunohistochemical assay was applied to analyze the expression of RAE1 in GC and precancerous lesion (PL) tissues and its relationship with clinical characteristics. The effects of RAE1 on proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and cell cycle were explored by constructing RAE1 knockdown and overexpression in GC cells. The effects of RAE1 knockdown on tumor growth were observed in a murine xenograft model. The signaling pathways involved in GC development that may be affected by RAE1 were investigated by transcriptome sequencing and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical expression of RAE1 was significantly higher in early GC patients than in PL and normal tissues, and the RAE1 expression was correlated with clinical stage (P<0.001). In vitro, knockdown of RAE1 inhibited the proliferation and migration of GC cells with promoted apoptosis and arrested cell cycle in the S phase, while overexpression of RAE1 showed the opposite trend. In vivo, knockdown of RAE1 inhibited the growth of subcutaneous graft tumors in mice. Transcriptome sequencing and subsequent analysis of RAE1 knockdown cells revealed that the Hippo signaling pathway was activated by RAE1 knockdown. CONCLUSIONS: RAE1 promotes GC cells proliferation and migration and is associated with the inhibition of the Hippo signaling pathway, and may be a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and treatment of GC.

Gastric cancer (GC)↗

Unraveling 'F' factor: towards a genetic-clinical framework for the musculoskeletal-heart crosstalk in metabolic aging.

BACKGROUND: The rising co-occurrence of cardiometabolic diseases and musculoskeletal degeneration poses a critical challenge to healthy aging, yet the shared biological mechanisms underlying this multimorbidity remain poorly defined. This study aimed to establish an integrative clinical-genetic framework to elucidate the common frailty factor, the 'F' factor, that captures the systemic vulnerability linking cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) and musculoskeletal aging. METHODS: Utilizing the prospective China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) cohort, we developed and validated novel Frailty-Integrated Indices for CMM risk prediction, evaluated with machine learning models interpreted via SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Independently, we applied genomic structural equation modeling (Genomic-SEM) to integrate genome-wide association data from six traits-coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, bone mineral density, frailty, and telomere length-to model a shared latent genetic factor ('F' factor). This was followed by multivariate GWAS, fine-mapping, transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS), gene-based analysis, and functional annotation to prioritize causal genes, pathways, and cell types. RESULTS: Clinically, several Frailty-Integrated Indices significantly improved CMM risk prediction, with the optimal model achieving an AUC of 0.727. Genetically, we modeled a significant shared latent genetic factor ('F' factor), pinpointing novel risk loci and implicating key genes such as APOE and SLC22A3. These genes were enriched in pathways including cellular senescence and cholesterol metabolism and showed specific expression patterns in developmental brain stages and across multi-organ endothelial cells. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide converging evidence for Musculoskeletal&#x2011;Heart crosstalk of metabolic aging and inferred the 'F' factor as a genetic correlate of a transdiagnostic state, which links genetic predisposition to metabolic dysregulation, and systemic functional decline. This work provides a multi-level biological characterization of multimorbidity liability, informing early-risk detection and preventive strategies for complex aging-related comorbidities.

Humans↗

Dysfunction of ATP7B Splicing Variant Caused by Enhanced Interaction With COMMD1 in Wilson Disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The association between Wilson disease and various ATP7B mutations is well-established; however, the molecular mechanism underlying the functional consequence of these mutations, particularly the splicing mutations, remains unclear. This study focused on the ATP7B c.1543+1G>C variant, to reveal a universal pathogenic mechanism of the ATP7B mutants with altered N-terminus. METHODS: The splicing assay and RNA pull-down were performed to explore the mechanism of the aberrant splicing. The ATP7B knockout HuH-7 cell line and Atp7b-/- mice were created, and the functional consequence of the mutant ATP7B were evaluated in&#xa0;vitro and in&#xa0;vivo. RESULTS: The c.1543+1G>C mutation resulted in the skipping of ATP7B exon 3, and the mutant ATP7B showed a loss of trans-Golgi network localization and was degraded via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, facilitated by enhanced interactions with COMMD1. Elevated intercellular copper concentration and reduced survival rate were observed in HuH-7 cells expressing mutant ATP7B. Restoration of wild-type ATP7B in Atp7b-/- mice resulted in a substantial improvement in phenotype, whereas mice treated with mutant ATP7B did not demonstrate equivalent benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Our research investigated the pathogenicity and mechanism of ATP7B c.1543+1G>C variant, with particular focus on its enhanced interaction with COMMD1 as a potential universal mechanism contributing to the dysfunction of various ATP7B variants. These findings provide a foundation for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies that target abnormal splicing events in a range of hereditary diseases, including Wilson disease.

Copper-Transporting ATPases↗

Distinct roles for the RSC and Swi/Snf ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers in DNA double-strand break repair.

The failure of cells to repair damaged DNA can result in genomic instability and cancer. To efficiently repair chromosomal DNA lesions, the repair machinery must gain access to the damaged DNA in the context of chromatin. Here we report that both the RSC and Swi/Snf ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes play key roles in double-strand break (DSB) repair, specifically by homologous recombination (HR). RSC and Swi/Snf are each recruited to an in vivo DSB site but with distinct kinetics. We show that Swi/Snf is required earlier, at or preceding the strand invasion step of HR, while RSC is required following synapsis for completion of the recombinational repair event.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

The posterior probability of linkage allowing for linkage disequilibrium and a new estimate of disequilibrium between a trait and a marker.

The posterior probability of linkage (PPL) statistic has been developed as a method for the rigorous accumulation of evidence for or against linkage allowing for both intra- and inter-sample heterogeneity. To date, the method has assumed linkage equilibrium between alleles at the trait locus and the marker locus. We now generalize the PPL to allow for linkage disequilibrium (LD), by incorporating variable phase probabilities into the underlying linkage likelihood. This enables us to recover the marginal posterior density of the recombination fraction, integrating out nuisance parameters of the trait model, including the locus heterogeneity (admixture) parameter, as well as a vector of LD parameters. The marginal posterior density can then be updated across data subsets or new data as they become available, while allowing parameters of the trait model to vary between data sets. The method applies immediately to general pedigree structures and to markers with multiple alleles. In the case of SNPs, the likelihood is parameterized in terms of the standard single LD parameter D'; and it therefore affords a mechanism for estimation of D' between the marker and the trait, again, without fixing the parameters of the trait model and allowing for updating across data sets. It is even possible to allow for a different associated allele in different populations, while accumulating information regarding the strength of LD. While a computationally efficient implementation for multi-allelic markers is still in progress, we have implemented a version of this new LD-PPL for SNPs and evaluated its performance in nuclear families. Our simulations show that LD-PPLs tend to be larger than PPLs (stronger evidence in favor of linkage/LD) with increased LD level, under a variety of generating models; while in the absence of linkage and LD, LD-PPLs tend to be smaller than PPLs (stronger evidence against linkage). The estimate of D' also behaves well even in relatively small, heterogeneous samples.

Genes, Dominant↗

CFTR DeltaF508 mutation has minimal effect on the gene expression profile of differentiated human airway epithelia.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an epithelial chloride channel regulated by phosphorylation. Most of the disease-associated morbidity is the consequence of chronic lung infection with progressive tissue destruction. As an approach to investigate the cellular effects of CFTR mutations, we used large-scale microarray hybridization to contrast the gene expression profiles of well-differentiated primary cultures of human CF and non-CF airway epithelia grown under resting culture conditions. We surveyed the expression profiles for 10 non-CF and 10 DeltaF508 homozygote samples. Of the 22,283 genes represented on the Affymetrix U133A GeneChip, we found evidence of significant changes in expression in 24 genes by two-sample t-test (P < 0.00001). A second, three-filter method of comparative analysis found no significant differences between the groups. The levels of CFTR mRNA were comparable in both groups. There were no significant differences in the gene expression patterns between male and female CF specimens. There were 18 genes with significant increases and 6 genes with decreases in CF relative to non-CF samples. Although the function of many of the differentially expressed genes is unknown, one transcript that was elevated in CF, the KCl cotransporter (KCC4), is a candidate for further study. Overall, the results indicate that CFTR dysfunction has little direct impact on airway epithelial gene expression in samples grown under these conditions.

Cell Differentiation↗

Rapid and reliable detection and identification of GM events using multiplex PCR coupled with oligonucleotide microarray.

To devise a rapid and reliable method for the detection and identification of genetically modified (GM) events, we developed a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with a DNA microarray system simultaneously aiming at many targets in a single reaction. The system included probes for screening gene, species reference gene, specific gene, construct-specific gene, event-specific gene, and internal and negative control genes. 18S rRNA was combined with species reference genes as internal controls to assess the efficiency of all reactions and to eliminate false negatives. Two sets of the multiplex PCR system were used to amplify four and five targets, respectively. Eight different structure genes could be detected and identified simultaneously for Roundup Ready soybean in a single microarray. The microarray specificity was validated by its ability to discriminate two GM maizes Bt176 and Bt11. The advantages of this method are its high specificity and greatly reduced false-positives and -negatives. The multiplex PCR coupled with microarray technology presented here is a rapid and reliable tool for the simultaneous detection of GM organism ingredients.

Brassica rapa↗

Brønsted acid-catalyzed highly stereoselective arene-ynamide cyclizations. A novel keteniminium Pictet-Spengler cyclization in total syntheses of (+/-)-desbromoarborescidines A and C.

[reaction: see text] A Brønsted acid-catalyzed highly stereoselective arene-ynamide cyclization is described. These reactions constitute a keteniminium variant of Pictet-Spengler cyclizations, leading to efficient synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles and related alkaloids. Total syntheses of desbromoarborescidines A and C are illustrated here as first applications of this methodology.

Catalysis↗

Th2 predominance and CD8+ memory T cell depletion in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

UNLABELLED: The immune spectrum of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is poorly understood. To define the dynamics of the immune spectrum in SARS, serum levels of cytokines, chemokines, immunoglobulins, complement and specific antibodies against SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and phenotypes of peripheral lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry in 95 SARS-infected patients. Results showed that interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) were continuously up-regulated during the entirety of SARS. Regulated on activation normally T cell-expressed and secreted (RANTES) levels were decreased, while monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) was elevated in acute patients. Immunoglobulins and complement were elevated during the first month of SARS. Both serum-positive rates and titers of specific IgM and IgG antibodies responding to SARS-CoV peaked at days 41-60 from the onset of SARS. CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes decreased significantly in acute-phase. CD3+CD8+CD45RO+ T lymphocytes were decreased by 36.78% in the convalescent patients. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV seemed to elicit effective humoral immunity but inhibited cellular immunity, especially CD8+ memory T lymphocytes over time. Prolonged overproduction of IL-10 and TGF-beta may play an important role in the disease.

Adolescent↗

A robust two-way semi-linear model for normalization of cDNA microarray data.

BACKGROUND: Normalization is a basic step in microarray data analysis. A proper normalization procedure ensures that the intensity ratios provide meaningful measures of relative expression values. METHODS: We propose a robust semiparametric method in a two-way semi-linear model (TW-SLM) for normalization of cDNA microarray data. This method does not make the usual assumptions underlying some of the existing methods. For example, it does not assume that: (i) the percentage of differentially expressed genes is small; or (ii) the numbers of up- and down-regulated genes are about the same, as required in the LOWESS normalization method. We conduct simulation studies to evaluate the proposed method and use a real data set from a specially designed microarray experiment to compare the performance of the proposed method with that of the LOWESS normalization approach. RESULTS: The simulation results show that the proposed method performs better than the LOWESS normalization method in terms of mean square errors for estimated gene effects. The results of analysis of the real data set also show that the proposed method yields more consistent results between the direct and the indirect comparisons and also can detect more differentially expressed genes than the LOWESS method. CONCLUSIONS: Our simulation studies and the real data example indicate that the proposed robust TW-SLM method works at least as well as the LOWESS method and works better when the underlying assumptions for the LOWESS method are not satisfied. Therefore, it is a powerful alternative to the existing normalization methods.

Algorithms↗

Laparoscopic radical cystectomy with orthotopic ileal neobladder: report of 33 cases.

BACKGROUND: The laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) with orthotopic ileal neobladder is now applied to treat invasive bladder cancer, however, it has not been well codified and illustrated. We describe in this paper a technique step by step that we have developed in 33 patients and achieved excellent results. METHODS: The surgical procedure can be divided into eight steps: laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy and mobilization of the distal ureters; exposing Denonvillier's space and the posterior aspect of prostate; exposing retropubic space and anterior surface of the bladder; dividing the lateral pedicles of the bladder and the prostate; dividing the apex of the prostate; extracorporeal formation of the ileal pouch; extracorporeal implantation of the ureters; and laparoscopic urethra-neobladder anastomosis. This operation was performed in 33 patients, 29 males and 4 females, with muscle invasive bladder cancer between December 2002 and September 2004. RESULTS: The operating time was 5.5-8.5 hours with an average of 6.5 hours; the estimated blood loss was 200-1000 ml with an average of 460 ml. The surgical margins of the bladder specimen were negative in all patients. There was no evidence of local recurrence at follow-up of 1-21 months in all the patients. However lymph node metastases were found in one case at 9 months postoperatively. Most of patients achieved urine control 1 to 3 months after surgery. The daytime continence rate was 94% (31 cases) and nighttime continence rate was 88% (29 cases). Urodynamic evaluation was performed between 3 and 6 months postoperatively for all cases. The mean value of neobladder capacity was (296 +/- 37) ml. The mean value of maximum flow rate was (18.7 +/- 7.1) ml/s. The mean residual urine volume was (32 +/- 19) ml. In all cases, excretory urography at 1 to 2 months postoperatively demonstrated slightly dilated upper urinary tracts without ureteral obstruction, which resolved at follow up. Cystography showed neobladders being similar in shapes to normal. Two small ureteral nipples with intermittently efflux of urine were observed at cystoscopy in most patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 6 of 33 patients (18%), including pouch leakage in 2 cases, pelvic infection in 1, partial small bowel obstruction in 2 and neobladder-vaginal fistula in 1. CONCLUSIONS: The LRC with orthotopic ileal neobladder is a feasible option for bladder cancer when radical cystectomy is indicated. The extracorporeal formation of the ileal pouch and ureteral implantation through a small lower midline incision can simplify the complexity of the procedures, shorten the duration of surgery and reduce the medical expenses.

Adult↗

Quantification of activation patterns during ventricular fibrillation in open-chest porcine left ventricle and septum.

BACKGROUND: A single stationary mother rotor has been hypothesized to be responsible for maintenance of ventricular fibrillation (VF) in the guinea pig. Previous studies have pointed to the ventricular septum as a possible location for a mother rotor in the pig heart. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a mother rotor is located in the septum. METHODS: In seven open-chest pigs, we mapped the first 20 seconds of electrically induced VF simultaneously from the posterior left ventricle (LV) and right side of the septum with two electrical arrays. Each array contained 504 electrodes (21 x 24) spaced 2 mm apart in the LV and 1.5 mm apart in the septum. RESULTS: The percentage of VF wavefronts that formed reentrant circuits was significantly lower in the septum (1% +/- 1% [mean +/- SD]) than in the LV (2% +/- 1%). The peak frequency during VF also was significantly smaller in the septum (8.6 Hz +/- 3.0 Hz) than in the LV (10.4 Hz +/- 3.4 Hz). The mean direction of spread of activation of VF wavefronts was away from the region where the posterior LV free wall intersects the posterior septum in both the LV and septum. CONCLUSIONS: The lower incidence of reentry and lower peak frequency in the mapped region of the septum than in the LV indicate that a mother rotor is not present in swine on the RV side of the septum. The mean directions of the VF activation sequences in the LV and septum suggest that if a mother rotor is present during the first 20 seconds of VF, it exists where the posterior LV free wall joins the septum, the region where the posterior papillary muscle inserts.

Animals↗

Imaging a single-electron quantum dot.

Images of a single-electron quantum dot were obtained in the Coulomb blockade regime at liquid He temperatures using a cooled scanning probe microscope (SPM). The charged SPM tip shifts the lowest energy level in the dot and creates a ring in the image corresponding to a peak in the Coulomb-blockade conductance. Fits to the line shape of the ring determine the tip-induced shift of the energy of the electron state in the dot. SPM manipulation of electrons in quantum dots promises to be useful in understanding, building, and manipulating circuits for quantum information processing.

Arsenicals↗

Regional variation in capture of fibrillating swine left ventricle during electrical stimulation.

INTRODUCTION: While it has been shown that electrical stimulation can capture a region of myocardium during ventricular fibrillation (VF), the ideal location to stimulate to maximize capture of the fibrillating in vivo left ventricle (LV) is not known. We previously demonstrated a mean directionality to the propagation of VF wavefronts in swine from posterior to anterior LV. We hypothesized that this directionality of VF wavefronts would affect capture of the LV epicardium while stimulating during VF. METHODS AND RESULTS: In seven open-chest swine, during different VF episodes, electrical stimulation was performed singly or simultaneously from two lines of 26 epicardial electrodes, one on the posterior LV adjacent to the posterior descending coronary artery and another on the anterior LV adjacent to the left anterior descending coronary artery. Mapping was performed between the line of stimulating electrodes with 768 recording electrodes 2-mm apart. The incidence and extent of epicardium captured by stimulation through the lines of stimulating electrodes were determined in the mapped region. Capture occurred during 67% of 78 VF episodes. Capture from the posterior LV line was achieved in 88% of the episodes and from the anterior LV line in 44% of the episodes (P = 0.001). The maximum amount of myocardium captured was also much greater for stimulating from the posterior as compared to the anterior LV line (232 +/- 168 mm(2) vs 64 +/- 124 mm(2), P = 0.003). A significant part of the variability in capture was related to the direction of the mean VF wavefront velocity vector in each animal (r = 0.84, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Electrical stimulation from the posterior LV resulted in a greater incidence and extent of LV capture than stimulation from the anterior LV. A significant component of the variability in capture is related to the mean direction of VF wavefronts.

Animals↗

Tipping the scales: the effect of literacy on obese patients' knowledge and readiness to lose weight.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between the literacy level of overweight/obese patients and their weight-loss knowledge, attitudes, and readiness. METHODS: Structured patient interviews and a literacy screening instrument were administered in two primary care clinics at a university-based public hospital. RESULTS: A convenience sample of 210 overweight or obese adult outpatients (body mass index > or =25 kg/m2 or > or =30 kg/m2, respectively) were enrolled. Mean respondent age was 52 years; 74% were female, and 76% were black. Two thirds of patients read below a 9th grade level. Half of patients across all literacy levels reported currently attempting weight loss. There was a significant relation between literacy level and weight-loss knowledge, attitudes, and readiness (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with low literacy were significantly less likely to understand the adverse health consequences of obesity and the need to lose weight and to report being ready to lose weight. Patient education and counseling for weight loss should be tailored for patients with low literacy skills.

Adult↗