Biomedical subjects

Yan Gao

Publications and source records attributed to Yan Gao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Proteomic and Metabolomic Analysis of Immune-Related Adverse Events in Patients Treated with PD-1 Inhibitors.

As a class of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) blockade has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in the treatment of various malignancies. However, their clinical application is constrained by the high incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which arise from nonspecific immune activation and can affect multiple organ systems, with severe cases posing life-threatening risks. This study integrated high-throughput proteomic and metabolomic analyses to systematically characterize the molecular features associated with irAEs in cancer patients receiving PD-1 inhibitor therapy. The results showed that, following the first treatment, patients who developed irAEs exhibited potential involvement of the NF-κB pathway, along with lower baseline levels of SNRPA and higher expression of CD63. Metabolomic analyses further revealed that the kynurenine/tryptophan ratio was significantly elevated in the irAE group both at baseline and post-treatment compared with patients who did not develop irAEs. In addition, significant differences in the abundance of specific lipids were observed between the two groups prior to the administration of immunotherapy. Our findings provide exploratory insights into immune and metabolic alterations associated with PD-1 blockade treatment and may help generate hypotheses for future studies on early irAE risk assessment in cancer patients undergoing PD-1 blockade therapy.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing for the Diagnosis of Trichomonas Vaginalis-Associated Empyema: a Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: This report describes a rare case of empyema caused by Trichomonas vaginalis co-infected with Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus pyogenes, aiming to explore the role of T. vaginalis in the development of empyema, its diagnostic methods, and treatment strategies. METHODS: The patient was a 46-year-old male who presented with cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath. The diagnosis was made using chest CT, routine pleural fluid analysis, bacterial culture, and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). Pleural fluid examination revealed numerous motile Trichomonas organisms, and bacterial culture identified Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus pyogenes as the pathogens. Fur-ther mNGS confirmed these bacteria as the causative agents, with 39 Trichomonas sequences detected, including 32 sequences specific to T. vaginalis. RESULTS: The patient received combination antimicrobial therapy and underwent chest tube drainage and thoracoscopic empyema debridement. Post-treatment, the patient's condition significantly improved. A literature review revealed that while Trichomonas tenax is a common pathogen in empyema, T. vaginalis is an extremely rare cause. T. vaginalis infection may be associated with bacterial co-infections, immunosuppression, or poor hygiene. CONCLUSIONS: This case is the first report of T. vaginalis induced empyema, expanding the understanding of Trichomonas infections. Although such infections are rare, they should be considered in high-risk patients. Further studies are needed to investigate the infection pathways of T. vaginalis and its mechanisms of bacterial synergy in disease pathogenesis to improve clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Iterative Enoyl Reduction by a FabV-Family Enzyme Expands the Chemical Landscape of Discrete Polyketide Synthases.

Polyketides are a structurally diverse class of natural products with immense therapeutic potential. However, the biosynthetic output of discrete polyketide synthases (PKSs) has been constrained by a fundamental functional limitation: unlike modular Type I systems, discrete PKS systems typically lack integrated enoyl reductase (ER) activity. This constraint restricts their chemical repertoire primarily to unsaturated polyenes or aromatic scaffolds. Here, we characterize PbrC16, a FabV-family ER from a manumycin-type biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) in Peterkaempfera bronchialis. This enzyme represents the first experimentally validated ER capable of functioning within discrete PKS architectures. In vitro biochemical reconstitution demonstrates that PbrC16 along with its homologue ScFabV catalyze iterative enoyl reductions in both β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase III (KAS III)-dependent and highly reducing (HR) Type II PKS contexts, enabling the complete saturation of long-chain polyketide intermediates. Structural and computational analyses reveal the molecular basis for its exceptional substrate promiscuity and versatile acyl carrier protein (ACP) recognition. These findings resolve a long-standing "reductive gap" in discrete PKS biology and provide a "plug-and-play" module for the rational engineering of saturated polyketide scaffolds.

Polyketide Synthases↗

PubMed2026

Efficacy of the NMIC-150 system in identifying extended-spectrum beta-lactamases in clinical isolates.

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are significant contributors to the growing global crisis of antimicrobial resistance. This study evaluated the performance of the NMIC-150 System for susceptibility testing of third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs) and assessed whether ceftazidime-avibactam and aztreonam-avibactam could identify ESBL-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CREs). A total of 278 non-duplicate clinical isolates (Klebsiella pneumoniae, E. coli, and Proteus mirabilis) were analyzed. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using reference broth microdilution (BMD) and the NMIC-150 System. ESBL production was defined as an ≥eight-fold reduction in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 3GCs in the presence of clavulanic acid, according to CLSI criteria. Whole-genome sequencing was performed to characterize ESBL and carbapenemase genes among 3GC-resistant isolates. A Random Forest model was used to predict ESBL-producing isolates based on MIC values. The NMIC-150 System demonstrated over 90% categorical and essential agreement with BMD for ceftazidime and ceftriaxone, along with robust predictive performance via Random Forest analysis. These findings suggest that the NMIC-150 System is a reliable platform for 3GC susceptibility testing and that an ≥eight-fold MIC reduction with ceftazidime-avibactam or aztreonam-avibactam may serve as a phenotypic indicator of ESBL production in CRE isolates. In conclusion, the NMIC-150 System shows potential for routine antimicrobial resistance surveillance and may facilitate the rapid identification of ESBL-producing CREs in clinical settings.

Microbial Sensitivity Tests↗

PubMed2026

HPRC2: A human pangenome reference with near-complete coverage of common genetic variation.

A pangenome reference overcomes the inherent limitation of any individual reference genome by integrating the variation present in a population. We present the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium's (HPRC) Release 2 (HPRC2), an openly available, second phase pangenome that is an approximately fivefold expansion in genome number over HPRC Release 1 (HPRC1) and measurable improvement in genome completeness, contiguity, and accuracy. Selecting samples with a principled algorithm prioritising common variant coverage, HPRC2 contributes 460 haplotypes that together capture over 99% of common variation observed in the All of Us Research Program v8 cohort. Combining high-coverage long and ultra-long reads with modern assemblers and polishers, we produce thousands of telomere-to-telomere (T2T) chromosomes, and relative to HPRC1 halve the number of structurally unreliable regions as well as individual base errors per haplotype. We complement the assemblies with whole genome multiple alignments and gene annotations, and derive formal pangenome coordinate systems for addressing off-reference variation, demonstrating that individual human genomes contain more than one hundred thousand variants not succinctly described with respect to existing reference genomes. We also present the first matched long-read backed pantranscriptome and panepigenome at this scale, provide continuous local-ancestry estimates spanning every genome, and outline a host of new tools and applications that leverage the pangenome resource for improved genomics analysis.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2025

Admixture-mapping analysis reveals genetic determinants of the human plasma proteome.

Protein profiling and genetic findings can be integrated to define the genetic architecture of the circulating proteome in chronic diseases. Most self-identified African American (AA) individuals have both African and European genetic ancestry. Admixture mapping can detect genomic association regions in which causal variants exist with substantial differences in allele frequency or effect sizes between genetic ancestries. We performed admixture mapping of the circulating proteome in 1,989 participants from the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), investigating the relation of local African ancestry within genomic regions with levels of circulating proteins. We conditioned protein-local ancestry association models on variants previously found to be associated with those proteins in genome-wide association studies (GWASs). We replicated findings in 196 AA participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). 62 proteins were associated with local African ancestry. 21 of 62 remained statistically significant after conditioning on protein-associated variants observed in previous GWASs. 48 of 54 available protein-local ancestry associations were replicated in the MESA. Proteins associated with local African ancestry included chemokines, factors associated with vascular biology and inflammation, and other biologically interesting proteins. Admixture associations unexplained by previously reported protein-associated variants in conditional analysis suggest the existence of causal variants missed by standard GWAS techniques.

Aged↗

PubMed2025

Polygenic prediction of body mass index and obesity through the life course and across ancestries.

Polygenic scores (PGSs) for body mass index (BMI) may guide early prevention and targeted treatment of obesity. Using genetic data from up to 5.1 million people (4.6% African ancestry, 14.4% American ancestry, 8.4% East Asian ancestry, 71.1% European ancestry and 1.5% South Asian ancestry) from the GIANT consortium and 23andMe, Inc., we developed ancestry-specific and multi-ancestry PGSs. The multi-ancestry score explained 17.6% of BMI variation among UK Biobank participants of European ancestry. For other populations, this ranged from 16% in East Asian-Americans to 2.2% in rural Ugandans. In the ALSPAC study, children with higher PGSs showed accelerated BMI gain from age 2.5 years to adolescence, with earlier adiposity rebound. Adding the PGS to predictors available at birth nearly doubled explained variance for BMI from age 5 onward (for example, from 11% to 21% at age 8). Up to age 5, adding the PGS to early-life BMI improved prediction of BMI at age 18 (for example, from 22% to 35% at age 5). Higher PGSs were associated with greater adult weight gain. In intensive lifestyle intervention trials, individuals with higher PGSs lost modestly more weight in the first year (0.55 kg per s.d.) but were more likely to regain it. Overall, these data show that PGSs have the potential to improve obesity prediction, particularly when implemented early in life.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2025

The Relationship Among Range Adaptation, Social Anhedonia, and Social Functioning: A Combined Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Resting-State fMRI Study.

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Social anhedonia is a core feature of schizotypy and correlates significantly with social functioning and range adaptation. Range adaptation refers to representing a stimulus value based on its relative position in the range of pre-experienced values. This study aimed to examine the resting-state neural correlates of range adaptation and its associations with social anhedonia and social functioning. STUDY DESIGN: In study 1, 60 participants completed resting-state magnetic resonance spectroscopy and fMRI scans. Range adaptation was assessed by a valid effort-based decision-making paradigm. Self-reported questionnaires was used to measure social anhedonia and social functioning. Study 2 utilized 26 pairs of participants with high (HSoA) and low levels of social anhedonia (LSoA) to examine the group difference in range adaptation's neural correlates and its relationship with social anhedonia and social functioning. An independent sample of 40 pairs of HSoA and LSoA was used to verify the findings. STUDY RESULTS: Study 1 showed that range adaptation correlated with excitation-inhibition balance (EIB) and ventral prefrontal cortex (vPFC) functional connectivity, which in turn correlating positively with social functioning. Range adaptation was specifically determined by the EIB via mediation of ventral-medial prefrontal cortex functional connectivities. Study 2 found HSoA and LSoA participants exhibiting comparable EIB and vPFC connectivities. However, EIB and vPFC connectivities were negatively correlated with social anhedonia and social functioning in HSoA participants. CONCLUSIONS: EIB and vPFC functional connectivity is putative neural correlates for range adaptation. Such neural correlates are associated with social anhedonia and social functioning.

Humans↗

PubMed2007

Mitogen-associated protein kinase- and protein kinase A-dependent regulation of rhodopsin promoter expression in zebrafish rod photoreceptor cells.

Mitogen-associated protein kinase (MAPK)- and protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent signal transductions play important roles in the regulation of gene expression. Both MAPK and PKA pathways can be activated by light exposure. In this study, we investigated the effect of light on MAPK and PKA signal transduction and their roles in the regulation of rhodopsin promoter expression by using transgenic zebrafish [Tg(rhod::GFP)]. The Tg(rhod::GFP) fish express short half-life GFP that is under the transcriptional control of the zebrafish rhodopsin promoter and can therefore be used for in vivo studies of rhodopsin gene transcription in live cells. Blue light plays a role in the regulation of rhodopsin promoter expression via an MAPK-mediated signal transduction cascade. Blue light excites cryptochromes (CRY), which activate the downstream PKC-dependent MAPK signal pathway. White light, on the other hand, regulates rhodopsin promoter expression via a G-protein-coupled cAMP-dependent PKA pathway. White light promotes dopamine release in the retina, which activates dopamine receptors and the downstream PKA pathway. Blocking MAPK signaling diminishes the blue light-induced increases in rhodopsin promoter expression, but this treatment has no effect on white light-mediated rhodopsin promoter expression. Conversely, blocking the PKA pathway diminishes the white light-induced rhodopsin promoter expression but does not affect rhodopsin promoter expression regulated by blue light. Together, the data suggest that MAPK and PKA regulate rhodopsin transcription through parallel signal transduction pathways.

Animals↗

PubMed2007

Prospective for biodegradable microstructured optical fibers.

We report fabrication of a novel microstructured optical fiber made of biodegradable and water soluble materials that features approximately 1 dB/cm transmission loss. Two cellulose butyrate tubes separated with hydroxypropyl cellulose powder were codrawn into a porous double-core fiber offering integration of optical, microfluidic, and potentially drug release functionalities.

Animals↗

PubMed2007

Effects of nociceptin/orphanin FQ on rats with cathartic colon.

AIM: To demonstrate the change and effect of nociceptin/orphanin FQ in the colon of rats with cathartic colon. METHODS: The cathartic colon model was established by feeding rats rhubarb for 3 mo, the changes of colonic electromyography were investigated by both suspension muscle strips test and serosal recordings of colonic myoelectrical activity. Immunohistochemical staining (S-P methods) and image analysis were used to determine the changes of nociceptin/orphanin FQ in the proximal colon and distal colon of rats with cathartic colon. RESULTS: Suspension muscle strips test in vitro showed OFQ (10(-9)-10(-6) mol/L) concentration dependently caused an immediate tonic contraction in the isolated colon. But the increase of tension in cathartic colon was less than control groups (P < 0.01). Intravenous administration of OFQ (1 microg/kg) caused phasic contractions in the proximal colon, while the amplitude of phasic contractions caused by OFQ in cathartic colon was much lower than that in the control groups (2.58 +/- 0.41 vs 4.16 +/- 0.53, t = -2.6, P = 0.012). OFQ was highly expressed in the myenteric plexus of the rat colon but not in the muscle cells. The immunoreactivity of OFQ in the proximal colon in cathartic colon rats decreased significantly compared with the control group (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Colonic smooth muscle of cathartic colon showed low sensitivity to the stimulation of OFQ, suggesting that it might be caused by the abnormal distribution of OFQ or the abnormalities of receptors, leading to the disorganization of dynamic and incoordinated contractions.

Animals↗

PubMed2007

Frequent genetic alterations and reduced expression of the Axin1 gene in oral squamous cell carcinoma: involvement in tumor progression and metastasis.

The aims of this study were to analyze the genetic alterations and expression levels of the Axin1 gene in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), to evaluate its clinical importance and to clarify whether the Axin1 gene is involved in the pathogenesis of OSCC. Mutation analysis of the Axin1 gene was performed by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and DNA sequencing in 44 OSCC samples. Meanwhile, Axin1 protein expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry in these samples. Aberrant profiles were detected by DHPLC screening in 26 different OSCC cases. After sequencing analysis, four mutations and five polymorphisms were identified. One case of poorly differentiated OSCC with metastasis contained two mutations: one revealed a T>G substitution at nucleotide 324 in exon 1, resulting in a glycine to stop codon substitution at amino acid residue 108; the other revealed an A>G heterozygous mutation in intron 7, located very near to exon 8. In another two patients with moderately differentiated OSCC and metastasis, a G>T heterozygous mutation at codon 488 in exon 5 and a C>G substitution at the intron 5+26 position was detected, respectively. Five polymorphisms were all frequent and localized at positions of codon 254 (GAT--> GAC), codon 429 (GTC-->ATC), codon 525 (GAC-->GAT), codon 609 (GCT--> GCC), and intron 4+17 (G>A), with a frequency of 39%, 8%, 6%, 13% and 9%, respectively. Immunoreactivity for Axin1 was strongly positive in normal stratified squamous epithelium but significantly reduced expression of Axin1 was shown in most of the 44 tumor specimens (35/44), especially in poorly differentiated tumors with metastasis. These results suggest that mutational inactivation and reduced expression of the Axin1 gene may play a pivotal role in OSCC carcinogenesis and metastasis.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Protective effects of inosine on mice subjected to lethal total-body ionizing irradiation.

Mammals can barely survive total-body ionizing irradiation greater than 10 Gy. To date, there are few drugs available for radioprotective therapy under such circumstances. Inosine, a natural derivative of adenosine, has been known to provide powerful protection for many kinds of cells and tissues against various insults both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we examined whether inosine was also beneficial for mammals subjected to an absolutely lethal total-body ionizing irradiation. Immediately after adult Balb/c mice were exposed to (60)Co gamma-rays at a single dose of 12 Gy, a moiety of them were administered daily with inosine or adenosine, either at doses of 375 or 750 micromol/kg up to death, and their body weight and survival time were recorded. Some irradiated mice were administered inosine or adenosine daily at doses of 750 micromol/kg and assessed for spatial memory abilities using the Morris water maze. The results demonstrated that, although inosine could not prevent body weight loss in irradiated mice, it was able to significantly prolong their survival time at doses of 750 micromol/kg. Moreover, inosine but not adenosine could suppress spatial memory deficit in irradiated mice. The data suggested that inosine had protective effects on mammals suffering from total-body ionizing irradiation at a single lethal dose.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Characterization of the receptors for axon guidance factor netrin-4 and identification of the binding domains.

Netrins are a family of secreted protein related to laminin and act as tropic cues directing axon growth and cell migration during neural development. Netrin-4 is a novel member of netrin family recently identified in the vertebrate with neuritis elongation promoting activity; however, the receptors for netrin-4 are still unknown. To better understand the function and signal transduction pathway of netrin-4, the potential receptors for netrin-4 were studied in this paper. The netrin-4 protein was prepared by introducing a eukaryotic expression vector with a secretable alkaline phosphatase tag (AP4) into COS7 cells to allow the expression of AP4-netrin4 fusion protein. Axon guidance activity of netrin-4 was confirmed by using the cortical explants. After incubation with cultured primary cortical neurons, the neurons were distinctly labeled by the AP4-coupled netrin-4 ligands. In contrast, the binding activity of AP4-netrin4 to neurons could be completely competed by the exogenously expressed netrin-4 protein without AP4 tag, indicating specificity of netrin-4 binding to the potential receptors. Moreover, netrin-4 could also bind to CHO cells transfected with the plasmids expressing two known receptors for netrin-1, Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) and UNC5 homolog 1 (UNC5H1) respectively. As there are three domains in netrin-4, we further tried to narrow down the region containing binding sites with the receptors. Interestingly, only the N-terminal domain (LNT) could bind to DCC and UNC5H1. A further ligand-receptor binding analysis showed that both the N- and the C-terminal domain (NCT) but not the EGF-like (EGFL) domain of netrin-4 could bind to the surface of cultured primary neurons, indicating the existence of novel receptors for netrin-4. After competed by netrin-4, we confirmed that the binding of AP tagged netrin-4 domains to neurons were also netrin-4 dependent. The binding activity of the N-terminal domain of netrin-4 is about 3-fold higher than that for the C-terminal domain. In summary, our data here indicated that the two known receptors for netrin-1, DCC and UNC5H1, are also receptors for netrin-4, while only LNT but not EGFL and NCT is the key domain for specific binding. In addition, there are novel receptors for netrin-4, where both LNT and NCT but not EGFL are key domains for binding.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

PubMed2006

Theophylline attenuates microwave-induced impairment of memory acquisition.

Numerous studies have shown that acute microwave exposure causes cognitive deficits in animals, possibly via hyperthermia, but the biological effect of microwave exposure on memory processing is still unknown. The release of adenosine is demonstrated to be a general way for the cells to respond to metabolically stressful conditions such as hypoxia and ischemia. The present study aimed to examine whether adenosine mediates biological effects of microwave exposure on memory processing using a continuous multiple-trial inhibitory avoidance task. Results demonstrated that microwave exposure for 20 min before training impaired memory acquisition and retention performance in mice, assessed by the number of training trials and by latency to enter the dark compartment. The mice exposed to microwave radiation showed a dose-dependent hyperthermia. Moreover, the cell numbers of hippocampus were decreased in the mice receiving microwave exposure at an average power density of 50 mW/cm(2), indicating the anatomical correlation to hippocampal-amygdaloid structures corresponding with the memory disrupt of the mice. Administration of theophylline, a nonspecific adenosine receptor antagonist, 30 min before microwave exposure, completely antagonized the impairment of inhibitory avoidance acquisition but not retention. These results suggest that the adenosine regulation pathway was partially involved in microwave-induced impairment of inhibitory avoidance memory.

Adenosine↗

PubMed2006

Mechanisms of co-modified liver-targeting liposomes as gene delivery carriers based on cellular uptake and antigens inhibition effect.

In order to deliver antisense oligonucleotides (asODN) into hepatocytes orientedly in the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the liver-targeting cationic liposomes was developed as a gene carrier, which was co-modified with the ligand of the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR), beta-sitosterol-beta-d-glucoside (sito-G) and the nonionic surfactant, Brij 35. Flow cytometry (FCM) analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that the asODN-encapsulating cationic liposomes exhibited high transfection efficiency and strong antigens inhibition effect in primary rat hepatocytes and HepG2.2.15 cells, respectively. With the help of several inhibitors acting on different steps during the targeting lipofection, the cellular uptake mechanisms of the co-modified liver-targeting cationic liposomes were investigated through antigens inhibition effect assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) analysis. The cellular uptake with high transfection efficiency seemed to involve both endocytosis and membrane fusion. The ligand sito-G was confirmed to be able to enhance ASGPR-mediated endocytosis, the nonionic surfactant Brij 35 seemed to be able to facilitate membrane fusion, and the co-modification resulted in the most efficient transfection but no enhanced cytotoxicity. These results suggested that the co-modified liver-targeting cationic liposomes would be a specific and effective carrier to transfer asODN into hepatocytes infected with HBV orientedly.

Androstadienes↗

PubMed2006

Relationship between hs-CRP, proMMP-1, TIMP-1 and coronary plaque morphology: intravascular ultrasound study.

BACKGROUND: Rupture of unstable plaque with subsequent thrombus formation is the common pathophysiological substrate of the acute coronary syndrome (ACS). It is of potential significance to explore the blood indexes predicting plaque characteristics. Little studies have focused on this field. Therefore we investigated the relationship between hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), pro-matrix metalloproteinase-1 (proMMP-1), tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and coronary plaque morphology. METHODS: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) examination was done in 152 patients with confirmed coronary heart disease before percutaneous coronary intervention from February 2003 to July 2005. Plasma samples of arterial blood were collected prior to the procedure. The level of hs-CRP, proMMP-1 and TIMP-1 were respectively measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Unstable and ruptured plaque were found more frequently in patients with acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina. External elastic membrane cross-sectional area (EEM CSA), plaque area, lipid pool area and plaque burden were significantly larger in ruptured and unstable plaque group. Positive remolding, thinner fabric-cap, smaller minimal lumen cross-sectional area (MLA), dissection and thrombus were significantly more frequent in ruptured and unstable plaque group. The levels of plasma hs-CRP, proMMP-1 and TIMP-1 were higher in ruptured plaque group. hs-CRP > 8.94 mg/L was used to predict ruptured plaque with a ROC curve area of 0.76 [95% confidence interval (CI), 67.0% - 85.8%], sensitivity of 71.8%, specificity of 77.0% and accuracy of 69.2% (P < 0.01), similarly for proMMP-1 > 0.12 ng/ml with a ROC curve area of 0.69 [95% CI, 58.2% - 80.2%], sensitivity of 69.2%, specificity of 75.2% and accuracy of 66.2% (P < 0.01), and TIMP-1 > 83.45 ng/ml with a ROC curve area of 0.67 [95% CI, 56.2% - 78.3%], sensitivity of 66.7%, specificity of 61.9% and accuracy of 66.2% (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The plaque characteristics correlate with the clinical presentation. The elevation of hs-CRP, proMMP-1 and TIMP-1 are related to the plaque instability and rupture.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Antennal morphology, structure and sensilla distribution in Microplitis pallidipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

Microplitis pallidipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is an important larval parasitoid of noctuid larval pests. In this study, we describe the morphology, ultrastructure and distribution of sensilla on the antennae of both male and female adults using scanning electron microscopy; complemented with transmission electron microscopy. Observations determined that the antennae of M. pallidipes were threadlike and the flagella were composed of 16 sub-segments. Totally, there were six types of sensilla found on the antennae. They were identified as Sensilla trichodea, Sensilla chaetica, Sensilla basiconica type I, S. basiconica type II, Sensilla coeloconicum, and elongated Sensilla placodea, respectively. The S. trichodea were the most abundant sensilla and distributed over the entire antennae, while S. basiconica I and II, S. coeloconicum, and elongated S. placodea were limited to the flagellum. S. chaetica were found on the scape and pedicle in very low numbers. The S. basiconica II and elongated S. placodea walls were full of pores as evident in transmission electron micrographs. Though the shape and structure of antennae between male and female adults were not basically different, the length and width of the antennae on male wasps were significantly greater than that of females. Also, the number, size and density of S. placodea of the male were significantly greater than those of females. The morphology and structure of these sensilla were compared with that found in other braconid wasps. Their possible functions are discussed in light of previously published literature.

Animals↗