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Previous studies have demonstrated that integrins are involved in the aetiology of asthma. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the integrin β3 (ITGB3) gene are significantly associated with asthma in Western populations. Given the important roles of environmental exposures in the development of asthma, we evaluated the associations between six SNPs in ITGB3 and asthma in Chinese Han children. A total of 321 unrelated Chinese children with asthma and 315 healthy children were recruited for the study. SNP genotyping was performed by high-resolution melting analysis (HRM). The selected SNPs were well genotyped by HRM, and SNP rs3809865 in the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of ITGB3 was found to be strongly associated with asthma (adjusted p = 0.004). The minor allele of rs3809865 showed a protective effect against asthma (OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.43–0.8). The seed regions of two miRNAs (hsa-mir-124 and hsa-mir-506) were predicted to bind to the sequence containing rs3809865 by TargetScan and PITA. Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that the T allele of rs3809865 was more efficiently targeted by hsa-mir-124 than was the A allele, which suggested that rs3809865 could affect the binding of hsa-mir-124 to ITGB3. Furthermore, the transfection of A549 cells with hsa-mir-124 resulted in the downregulation of ITGB3 expression. Our results revealed that rs3809865 was significantly associated with asthma due to its effect on the binding of hsa-mir-124 to ITGB3.

Background. This case-control study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics in pediatric patients with pneumonia infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza A, and human adenoviruses (HAdVs). Methods. Hospitalized pediatric patients with pneumonia infected with SARS-CoV-2 at Wuhan Children’s Hospital and pneumonia infected with influenza A, and HAdVs at Qilu Children’s Hospital were compared. Clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, and imaging characteristics were analyzed. Results. The proportions of hyperpyrexia (54.3%, 33.9%), cough (100%, 99.2%), wheezing (45.7%, 53.7%), diarrhea (31.4%, 14.9%), and fever (100%, 75.2%) in patients with influenza A and HAdVs were higher than those of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (9.4%, P < .001; 48.5%, P < .001; 0%, P < .001; 8.8%, P = .002; 41.5%, P < .001; respectively). Laboratory examinations revealed the proportions of leukocytosis (37.1%, 52.9%), abnormal rates of neutrophils (40%, 40.5%), and lymphocytosis (42.9%, 65.3%) in influenza A and HAdV pneumonia groups were significantly higher than coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) group (0%, P < .001; 0%, P < .001; 0%, P < .001; respectively). The proportion of elevated procalcitonin (5.7%, 14%) in patients with influenza A and HAdVs was significantly lower than those in patients with SARS-CoV-2 (64%, P < .001). In chest computed tomography, ground-glass opacities near the pleura were more common in patients with COVID-19 than those in patients with influenza A and HAdVs (32.7% vs 0% vs 0%, P < .001). Conclusion. Fever, cough, and wheezing are more common in the influenza A and HAdVs groups, whereas procalcitonin and computed tomography findings are likely to be pronounced in COVID-19 pneumonia. It provides a variety of methods except polymerase chain reaction for differentiating COVID-19 pneumonia from influenza A and HAdVs pneumonia.

Tuberculosis (TB), which is caused by the mycobacterium TB, is the major cause of human death worldwide. The aim of this study was to identify the biomarkers involved in child TB. Gene expression data were obtained from the Array Express Archive of Functional Genomics Data. Gene expression data and protein-protein interaction (PPI) data were downloaded to construct differential gene co-expression networks (DCNs). The Benjamini-Hochberg algorithm was used to correct the P-value. In total, 3,820 edges (PPIs) and 1,359 nodes (genes) were obtained from the human-related PPIs data and gene expression data at the criteria of absolute value of Pearson's correlation coefficient >0.8. The DCNs were formed by these edges and nodes. Thirteen seed genes were obtained by ranging z-scores. Eight significant multiple different modules were identified from DCNs using the statistical significant test. In conclusion, the seed genes and significant modules constitute potential biomarkers that reveal the underlying mechanisms in child TB. The new identified biomarkers may contribute to an understanding of TB and provide a new therapeutic method for the treatment of TB.

BACKGROUND Radical gastrectomy (RG) is commonly used in the treatment of patients with gastric cancer (GC), but this procedure may lead to stress responses, postoperative cognitive dysfunction, and blood coagulation abnormalities in patients. AIM To investigate the influences of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on stress responses and postoperative cognitive and coagulation functions in patients undergoing RG under general anesthesia (GA). METHODS One hundred and two patients undergoing RG for GC under GA from February 2020 to February 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Of these, 50 patients had received conventional anesthesia intervention [control group (CG)] and 52 patients had received DEX in addition to routine anesthesia intervention [observation group (OG)]. Inflammatory factor (IFs; tumor necrosis factor-α, TNF-α; interleukin-6, IL-6), stress responses (cortisol, Cor; adrenocorticotropic hormone, ACTH), cognitive function (CF; Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE), neurological function (neuron-specific enolase, NSE; S100 calcium-binding protein B, S100B), and coagulation function (prothrombin time, PT; thromboxane B2, TXB2; fibrinogen, FIB) were compared between the two groups before surgery (T0), as well as at 6 h (T1) and 24 h (T2) after surgery. RESULTS Compared with T0, TNF-α, IL-6, Cor, ACTH, NSE, S100B, PT, TXB2, and FIB showed a significant increase in both groups at T1 and T2, but with even lower levels in OG vs CG. Both groups showed a significant reduction in the MMSE score at T1 and T2 compared with T0, but the MMSE score was notably higher in OG compared with CG. CONCLUSION In addition to a potent inhibitory effect on postoperative IFs and stress responses in GC patients undergoing RG under GA, DEX may also alleviate the coagulation dysfunction and improve the postoperative CF of these patients.