Dicer, the key enzyme in the RNAi pathway, is misregulated in tumor tissues. The altered expression of Dicer is associated with clinical characteristics in patients with cancer. Liver carcinoma and adjacent non-neoplastic tissues were obtained from 36 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing surgery. Expressions of Dicer mRNA were evaluated using the Real-time reverse transcription-PCR in 36 liver carcinoma tissues and 36 adjacent histologically non-cancerous liver tissues. Dicer mRNA levels were evaluated in relation to age, sex, tumor number, tumor size, tumor stage, and distant metastasis. Dicer mRNA level was significantly lower in malignant tissues than in the corresponding non-neoplastic tissues in 34 of the 36 patients with HCC (94.4%). The Dicer expression level was not associated with clinical characteristics, including age, sex, tumor number, tumor size, tumor stage, or distant metastasis in HCC cases. These results demonstrate that Dicer is significantly down-regulated in HCC, suggesting that reduced expression of Dicer may play an important role during the process of hepatocarcinogenesis.

BackgroundA full evaluation of health conditions is necessary for the effective implementation of public health interventions. However, terms to address the intermediate state between health and disease are lacking, leading the public to overlook this state and thus increasing the risks of developing disease.MethodsA cross-sectional health survey of 1,473 randomly recruited Chinese Han adults of both sexes living in the central region of China. The criteria for diagnosis of subhealth was defined as the presence of ≥ 1 of the following abnormalities: body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2 or waist circumference ≥ 102 cm in men and 88 cm in women; systolic pressure 120–139 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure 80–89 mmHg; serum triglyceride level ≥ 150 mg/dL and/or total cholesterol level ≥ 200 mg/dL and/or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level < 40 mg/dL in men and 50 mg/dL in women; serum glucose level 110–125 mg/dL; estimated glomerular filtration rate 60–89 ml/min/1.73 m2; levels of liver enzymes in liver function tests between 41–59 U/L, or with fatty liver disease but < 33% of affected hepatocytes; levels of oxidative stress biomarkers beyond the reference range of 95%; or problems with both sleep quality and psychological state.ResultsThe prevalences of subhealth and disease in the central region of China were 36.6% and 43.1%, respectively. The prevalence of disease increased from 26.3% in participants aged 20–39 years, to 47.6% and 78.9% for participants aged 40–59 years and those aged 60 years or older, respectively. Compared with participants aged 20–39, the prevalences of health and subhealth in participants aged 60 years or older decreased by 86.7% and 60.3%, respectively. The prevalence of subhealth was increased in association with increases in lifestyle risk scores, while the prevalences of both health and disease were reduced.ConclusionThe prevalences of subhealth and disease are high in central China. Subhealth is associated with high lifestyle risk scores. Both the health care sector and the public should pay more attention to subhealth. Lifestyle modifications and/or psychological interventions are needed to ameliorate these conditions.

Background Recently, many cases of pneumonia in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection have been shown to have varying degrees of intrabronchial mucus plug formation. The clinical, laboratory, radiological characteristics, and treatment of patients with Mycoplasma infection are analyzed in this study. The risk factors for M. pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) mucus plug formation in children are explored, and a risk factor scoring system is established. Methods MPP patients treated with bronchoscopy were retrospectively enrolled in the study from February 2015 to December 2019. The children were divided into a mucus plug group and a control group according to the presence or absence of mucus plug formation. The clinical, laboratory, radiological characteristics, and treatment of the two groups of children were compared. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify the risk factors for MPP mucus plug formation. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the regression model and establish the MPP mucous plug risk factor scoring system. Results A univariate analysis showed that the children in the mucous group were older and had a longer fever duration, longer hospital stay, higher fever peak, more cases of wheezing symptoms and allergies, and azithromycin or corticosteroids were administered later. In addition, neutrophil, C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), D-dimer (DD), sputum MP-DNA copy number, and total immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels were higher, while prealbumin (PA) levels were lower. The ROC curve analysis showed that children with MPP had PA ≤144.5 mg/L, had used corticosteroids during the course of the illness of ≥4.5 days, CRP ≥12.27 mg/L, an LDH ≥ 462.65 U/L, and there was a possibility of intra-airway mucus formation. The independent risk factors were scored according to their odds ratio (OR) value. Among the 255 children with MPP, the high-risk group had 44 (83.02%) mucus plugs out of 53; the middle-risk group had 35 (34.3%) mucus plugs out of 102; and the low-risk group had 11 (11%) mucus plugs out of 100. Conclusions PA levels, timing of corticosteroid use (use in the first few days), CRP levels, and LDH levels were independent risk factors for MPP mucus plug formation. This provides a basis for the early identification of MPP in children combined with mucus plug formation.

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