Background/Aims: Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a heme-containing enzyme catalyzing the initial and rate-limiting steps in the kynurenine pathway, which converts tryptophan into kynurenine. Upregulation of IDO1 decreases tryptophan levels and increases the accumulation of kynurenine and its metabolites. These metabolites can affect the proliferation of T cells. Increasing evidence has shown that IDO1 is highly expressed in various cancer types and associated with poor prognosis of cancer patients. However, the results were inconsistent. Methods: We searched the Web of Science, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library databases to identify studies evaluating the prognostic value of IDO1 in cancer patients. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by using fixed-effects/random-effects models. Results: This systematic review and meta-analysis included 2706 patients from 24 articles. The results indicated a shorter overall survival in patients with high expression of IDO1 (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.56-2.63). Furthermore, disease-free survival was worse in patients with high expression of IDO1 (HR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.46-4.20). Additionally, the pooled odds ratios (ORs) showed that increased IDO1 was significantly associated with tumor differentiation (OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.05-3.12), distant metastasis (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.02-2.06), and poor clinical stage (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.13-3.17). However, no significant correlation was observed of increased IDO1 expression with age, sex, lymph node metastasis, and tumor size. Conclusion: High expression of IDO1 is associated with poor clinical outcomes. IDO1 could serve as a biomarker of prognosis and a potential predictive factor of clinicopathology in various cancers. Further studies should be performed to verify the clinical utility of IDO1 in human solid tumors.

The deposition of callose is a common plant defense response to intruding pathogens and part of the plant's innate immunity. In this study, eight grapevine callose synthase (CalS) genes were identified and characterized. To investigate biological function of CalS in grapevine against the infection of Plasmopara viticola, expression patterns of grapevine CalS family genes were analyzed among resistant/susceptible cultivars. After P. viticola infection, expression of CalS1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 were significantly modified among the grapevine cultivars. For example, the expression of CalS1 and CalS10 were greatly increased in downy mildew (DM)-immune Muscadinia rotundifolia 'Carlos' and 'Noble'. Transient expression assay with promoters of the CalS1 and CalS10 genes confirmed that they were regulated by the oomycete pathogen P. viticola. CalS1 promoter activity was also significantly up-regulated by ABA in DM-immune M. rotundifolia 'Noble', but down-regulated in DM-susceptible Vitis vinifera 'Chardonnay'. The CalS1 promoter, however, was also down-regulated by GA in 'Chardonnay', but not affected in 'Noble'. The promoter activity of CalS10 was significantly up-regulated by GA in 'Chardonnay', but not regulated by ABA at all. It is proposed that CalS1 and CalS10 were involved in grapevine defense against DM disease.

The efficacy and safety of aliskiren combination therapy with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in patients with hypertension and cardiovascular disease remains attractive attention. We searched the Cochrane Central Register, the Clinical Trials Registry, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PubMed for relevant literatures up to January 2017. A total of 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 12222 patients were included in this study, and the combined results indicated that aliskiren in combination therapy with ACEIs or ARBs had remarkable effects in reducing systolic blood pressure (SBP) [weighted mean differences (WMD), -4.20; 95% confidential intervals (CI) -5.44 to -2.97; I2, 29.7%] and diastolic blood pressure (DBP: WMD, -2.09; 95% CI -2.90 to -1.27; I2, 0%) when compared with ACEIs or ARBs monotherapy, but with significantly increased the risk of hyperkalaemia [relative risk (RR), 1.45; 95% CI 1.28 to 1.64; I2,10.6 %] and kidney injury ( RR, 1.92; 95% CI 1.14 to 3.21; I2, 0%). Besides, there was no significant difference in the incidence of major cardiovascular events (RR, 0.95; 95% CI 0.89 to 1.02; I2, 0%) between the combined therapy and ACEIs or ARBs monotherapy. In conclusion, this meta-analysis demonstrated that aliskiren in combination therapy with ACEs/ARBs could control BP effectively, but is associated with increasing risks of hyperkalaemia and kidney injury, and have no benefit in preventing of major cardiovascular events.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and severe complication of cardiac surgery, and related rates of both hospitalization and long-term mortality are increasing. A number of studies have explored the preventive effects of perioperative pharmacological therapy on AKI after cardiac surgery. However, the mechanisms of AKI are multifaceted, and no universal treatment has been confirmed as beneficial. We review and analyze several current perioperative pharmacological therapies for AKI after cardiac surgery to identify promising preventive strategies.

BackgroundThe impact on the timing of renal replacement therapy (RRT) initiation on clinical outcomes for patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) remains controversial.Materials and methodsWe searched the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Global Health, MEDLINE, PubMed, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and Web of Science.ResultsWe included 49 studies involving 9698 patients. Pooled analysis of 5408 critically ill patients with AKI showed that early RRT was significantly associated with reduced mortality compared to late RRT [odds ratio (OR), 0.40; 95% confidential intervals (CI), 0.32 - 0.48; I2, 50.2%]. For 4290 non-critically ill patients with AKI, there was no statistically significant difference in the risk of mortality between early and late RRT (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.79 - 1.45; I2, 73.0%). Early RRT was markedly associated with shortened intensive care units (ICU) length of stay (LOS) and hospital LOS compared to late RRT in both critically ill and non-critically ill patients with AKI.ConclusionsEarly RRT probably reduce the mortality, ICU and hospital LOS in critically ill patients with AKI. Inversely, early RRT in non-critically ill patients with AKI did not decrease the mortality, but shortened the ICU and hospital LOS.