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Background: To determine the role of Midkine (MDK) in non-invasive detection of bladder cancer (Bca) and the relationship with Ki67. Methods: Sixty-five Bca patients and 55 non-Bca patients or healthy volunteers were enrolled and voided urine samples were prospectively obtained on the first day of enrollment. Tissue samples were collected by surgery. MDK and Ki67 expressions were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western Blot (WB). Specificity and sensitivity of MDK mRNA testing in the detection of Bca were determined by Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (ROC). The relationship between MDK and Ki67 was also assessed. Results: MDK was overexpressed in Bca tissues than that in the non-cancer tissues. The specificity and sensitivity for MDK mRNA testing in urine in the identification of Bca was 80% and 72.3%. MDK detected 85.7% of high-grade tumors, 87.5% of muscle-invasive tumors and 79.4% of tumors larger than 3 cm in patients without gross hematuria. Microscopic hematuria may even increase the detection rate of Bca by MDK testing. Furthermore, the correlation of MDK and Ki67 was found positive. Conclusion: MDK was overexpressed in Bca tissues and positively correlated with Ki67. MDK might be a potential biomarker for the detection of Bca, especially for those without gross hematuria but with microscopic hematuria.

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is prone to induce multiple organ damage. The kidney is one of the target organs of SARS-CoV-2, which is susceptible to inducing acute kidney injury (AKI). Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HLJDD) is one of the recommended prescriptions for COVID-19 with severe complications. We used network pharmacology and molecular docking to explore the therapeutic and protective effects of HLJDD on COVID-19-associated AKI. Potential targets related to “HLJDD,” “COVID-19,” and “Acute Kidney Injury/Acute Renal Failure” were identified from several databases. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and screened the core targets according to the degree value. The target genes were then enriched using gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. The bioactive components were docked with the core targets. A total of 65 active compounds, 85 common targets for diseases and drugs were obtained; PPI network analysis showed that the core protein mainly involved JUN, RELA, and AKT1; functional analysis showed that these target genes were mainly involved in lipid and atherosclerosis signaling pathway and IL-17 signal pathway. The results of molecular docking showed that JUN, RELA, and AKT1 had good binding activity with the effective chemical components of HLJDD. In conclusion, HLJDD can be used as a potential therapeutic drug for COVID-19-associated AKI.