Hyperhomocysteinemia and Associated Biological Markers in a Congolese Population of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Brazzaville

The search for new biomarkers predictive of type 2 diabetes currently constitutes a research avenue in Bioclinical. Total homocysteine remains a preferred target due to its involvement in the occurrence of degenerative complications in type 2 diabetics. The aim of this work was to study hyperhomocysteinemia and other biochemical markers associated with T2D in the Congolese population. This was an analytical case-control study carried out between October 2022 and October 2023. The study population consisted of 150 subjects including 100 T2D patients and 50 control subjects. The main clinical data were collected on a pre-established form. Homocysteine determination was carried out by the sandwich ELISA method. The other biochemical markers were measured by colorimetric enzymatic methods. Hyperhomocysteinemia was present in 27.3% (41/150) of the entire study population. Type 2 diabetics had a frequency of hyperhomocysteinemia of 36% (36/100) and control 10% (5/50) (p = 0.001). The mean hyperhomocysteinemia concentration was 31.9 μmol/l with extremes ranging from 18 to 103 μmol/l. Means of biological markers between diabetics and controls showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.01). The risk factors associated with this HHcy were: sex (OR = 3.5), age (OR = 9.4), sedentary lifestyle (OR = 3.4) and glycosylated hemoglobin (OR = 12) with a p-value <0.05 respectively. Our results suggest that hyperhomocysteinemia can be considered as a predictive biomarker in the bioclinic of Congolese type 2 diabetic patients.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Biological Markers in Pituitary Adenomas with Invasion of the Cavernous Sinus Space

Objective: To investigate the predictability of MRI and the possiblebiological markers of cavernous sinus invasion of pituitary adenomas associated with fourphenomenas: angiogenesis, cell proliferation, apoptosis and matrix metalloproteinase. Methods: Weevaluated 45 patients with pituitary adenoma according to the MRI, surgical findings and theimmunohistochemistry staining of tumor tissues. Results: The results have shown that the sensitivityof MRI for predicting cavernous sinus invasion in this prospective study was 60%, its specificity85%, its positive predictive value 83.33%, negative predictive value 62.96%. 45 specimens ofpituitary adenomas were analyzed for expression of F8, VEGF, Ki-67, c-myc, Bcl-2, nm23 and MMP-9immunoreactivity using immunoperoxidase staining. MVD was assessed using F8-related antigen. Theresults have shown that MVD of invasive pituitary adenomas was significantly higher than that ofnoninvasive (P 【 0.001). There was an association between the invasion of pituitary adenomas andKi-67 LI (P = 0.039) or the expression of VEGF (P 【 0.001) and MMP-9 (P 【 0.001). But c-myc LI andBcl-2 expression have no association with invasiveness of pituitary adenomas (P = 0.061 versus P =0.201). On the other hand, there is an inverse relationship between nm23 expression and tumorinvasion (P 【 0.001). Conclusion: Parasellar extension of pituitary adenomas through the medial wallof the cavernous sinus is diagnosed at surgery, and with sensitive gadolinium-enhanced MRI, itsextent can be partly determined by radiology. Although our study has shown that MVD and theexpression of VEGF, Ki-67, nm23 and MMP-9 have associations with invasiveness of pituitary adenomas,they are lack of specificity. These markers can only provide some useful information.

Preoperative blood markers and intra-abdominal infection after colorectal cancer resection

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)has one of the highest morbidity and mortality rates among digestive tract tumors.Intra-abdominal infection(IAI)is a common postoperative complication that affects the clinical outcomes of patients with CRC and hinders their rehabilitation process.However,the factors influencing abdominal infection after CRC surgery remain unclear;further,prediction models are rarely used to analyze preoperative laboratory indicators and postoperative complications.AIM To explore the predictive value of preoperative blood markers for IAI after radical resection of CRC.METHODS The data of 80 patients who underwent radical resection of CRC in the Anorectal Surgery Department of Suzhou Hospital affiliated with Anhui Medical University were analyzed.These patients were categorized into IAI(n=15)and non-IAI groups(n=65)based on whether IAI occurred.Influencing factors were compared;general data and laboratory indices of both groups were identified.The relationship between the indicators was assessed.Further,a nomogram prediction model was developed and evaluated;its utility and clinical applic-ability were assessed.RESULTS The risk factors for IAI after radical resection of CRC were neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),systemic immune-inflammation index(SII),and carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)levels.NLR was correlated with PLR and SII(r=0.604,0.925,and 0.305,respectively),while PLR was correlated with SII(r=0.787).The nomogram prediction model demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.968[95%confidence interval(CI):0.948-0.988]in the training set(n=60)and 0.926(95%CI:0.906-0.980)in the validation set(n=20).The average absolute errors of the calibration curves for the training and validation sets were 0.032 and 0.048,respectively,indicating a good model fit.The decision curve analysis curves demonstrated high net income above the 5%threshold,indicating the clinical practicality of the model.CONCLUSION The nomogram model constructed using NLR,PLR,SII,and CEA levels had good accuracy and reliability in predicting IAI after radical resection of CRC,potentially aiding clinical treatment decision-making.

Diagnostic significance of complete blood cell count and hemogramderived markers for neonatal sepsis at Southwest Public Hospitals,Ethiopia

BACKGROUND Neonatal sepsis is defined as an infection-related condition characterized by signs and symptoms of bacteremia within the first month of life.It is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity among newborns.While several studies have been conducted in other parts of world to assess the usefulness of complete blood count parameters and hemogram-derived markers as early screening tools for neonatal sepsis,the associations between sepsis and its complications with these blood parameters are still being investigated in our setting and are not yet part of routine practice.AIM To evaluate the diagnostic significance of complete blood cell count hemogramderived novel markers for neonatal sepsis among neonates attending public hospitals in the southwest region of Oromia,Ethiopia,through a case control study.METHODS A case control study was conducted from October 2021 to October 2023 Sociodemographic,clinical history,and laboratory test results data were collected using structured questionnaires.The collected data were entered into Epi-data 3.1 version and exported to SPSS-25 for analysis.Chi-square,independent sample ttest,and receiver operator characteristics curve of curve were used for analysis.A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS In this study,significant increases were observed in the following values in the case group compared to the control group:In white blood cell(WBC)count,neutrophils,monocyte,mean platelet volume(MPV),neutrophils to lymphocyte ratio,monocyte to lymphocyte ratio(MLR),red blood cell width to platelet count ratio(RPR),red blood width coefficient variation,MPV to RPR,and platelet to lymphocyte ratio.Regarding MLR,a cut-off value of≥0.26 was found,with a sensitivity of 68%,a specificity of 95%,a positive predictive value(PPV)of 93.2%,and a negative predictive value(NPV)of 74.8%.The area under the curve(AUC)was 0.828(P<0.001).For WBC,a cutoff value of≥11.42 was identified,with a sensitivity of 55%,a specificity of 89%,a PPV of 83.3%,and a NPV of 66.4%.The AUC was 0.81(P<0.001).Neutrophils had a sensitivity of 67%,a specificity of 81%,a PPV of 77.9%,and a NPV of 71.1%.The AUC was 0.801,with a cut-off value of≥6.76(P=0.001).These results indicate that they were excellent predictors of neonatal sepsis diagnosis.CONCLUSION The findings of our study suggest that certain hematological parameters and hemogram-derived markers may have a potential role in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.

Urinary nucleosides as biological markers for patients with colorectal cancer

AIM: Fourteen urinary nucleosides, primary degradation products of tRNA, were evaluated to know the potential as biological markers for patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: The concentrations of 14 kinds of urinary nucleosides from 52 patients with colorectal cancer, 10 patients with intestinal villous adenoma and 60 healthy adults were determined by column switching high performance liquid chromatography method. RESULTS: The mean levels of 12 kinds of urinary nucleosides (except uridine and guanosine) in the patients with colorectal cancer were significantly higher than those in patients with intestinal villous adenoma or the healthy adults. Using the levels of 14 kinds of urinary nucleosides as the data vectors for principal component analysis, 71% (37/52) patients with colorectal cancer were correctly classified from healthy adults, in which the identification rate was much higher than that of CEA method (29%). Only 10% (1/10) of patients with intestinal villous adenoma were indistinguishable from patients with colorectal cancer. The levels of m1G, Pseu and m1A were positively related with tumor size and Duke's stages of colorectal cancer. When monitoring the changes in urinary nucieoside concentrations of patients with colorectal cancer associated with surgery, it was found that the overall correlations with clinical assessment were 84% (27/32) and 91% (10/11) in response group and progressive group, respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that urinary nucleosides determined by column switching high performance liquid chromatography method may be useful as biological markers for colorectal cancer.

An Overview on Biological Markers in Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology: Concepts, Definitions and Use in Risk Assessment

Reproduction and development are complex couple-dependent processes. Risk assessment for these health outcomes requires the use of biomarkers to link exposures to disease. Biological markers of susceptability, external dose, internal dose, biologically effective dose, early or late biological responses, altered reproductive or developmental function, and reproductive or developmental disease are introduced. Using these biomarkers it is possible to define a biologically based risk assessment methodology for reproductive and developmental toxicity. Risk assessment for reproductive toxicity requires definition of male and female fecundity, couple-specific factors, spontaneous abortion, rate, and other factors. Using using sperm count as a biomarker for male fecundity, an example of a reproductive risk assessment using biomarkers is performed.

Biological Markers on Human Pregnancy

This article reviews a selected set of recently described pregnancy-associated proteins which possess potential for both signaling pregnancy onset and monitoring its course. These molecules are compared and contrasted with human chorionic gonadotropin, the first pregnancy-associated protein to be discovered, and the standard biomarker of pregnancy to which all others must still be referenced. Recent advances in hCG research have focused on the structural determination and diagnostic significance of the subunits and fragments of the hCG molecule, particularly in urine. An outline of the potential utility of this approach is also presented.

Use of blood-based biomarkers for early diagnosis and surveillance of colorectal cancer

Early screening for colorectal cancer(CRC) holds the key to combat and control the increasing global burden of CRC morbidity and mortality. However, the current available screening modalities are severely inadequate because of their high cost and cumbersome preparatory procedures that ultimately lead to a low participation rate. People simply do not like to have colonoscopies. It would be ideal, therefore, to develop an alternative modality based on blood biomarkers as the first line screening test. This will allow for the differentiation of the general population from high risk individuals. Colonoscopy would then become the secondary test, to further screen the high risk segment of the population. This will encourage participation and therefore help to reach the goal of early detection and thereby reduce the anticipated increasing global CRC incidence rate. A blood-based screening test is anappealing alternative as it is non-invasive and poses minimal risk to patients. It is easy to perform, can be repeated at shorter intervals, and therefore would likely lead to a much higher participation rate. This review surveys various blood-based test strategies currently under investigation, discusses the potency of what is available, and assesses how new technology may contribute to future test design.

Review of the potential value of serum interleukin levels as prognostic biomarkers of liver failure

Liver failure(LF)is prevalent in China and is characterized by complex path-ogenesis,challenging clinical management,poor prognosis,and rising incidence and mortality rates.The immune status is an important factor affecting LF prognosis.Interleukins(Ils)are a type of cytokine that act and interact with multiple cells,including immune cells.These signaling molecules play important roles in intercellular information transmission,including the regulation of immune cells;mediation of the activation,proliferation,and differentiation of T and B cells;and orchestration of the inflammatory response.To date,many studies have explored the correlation between IL expression and liver disease prognosis,but few studies have evaluated Ils as the prognostic biomarkers of LF.This article reviews the potential use of Ils as the prognostic biomarkers of LF.Particularly,it evaluates the predictive values of IL-21,IL-22,and IL-31,the three often overlooked yet promising prognostic biomarkers,in predicting suscept-ibility to LF.Harnessing biomarkers for early prognostic insights can facilitate tailored treatment strategies and enhance patient survival.Thus,this article focuses on the identification of IL-21,IL-22,and IL-33 as biomarkers in preclinical and clinical studies on LF and reviews their role as biomarkers in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of LF.

BIOLOGICAL MARKER OF MIDDLE JURASSIC OIL SHALE SEQUENCE FROM SHUANGHUI AREA,NORTHERN TIBETAN PLATEAU

The oil shale with marine origin was first reported in 1987 from Shuanghui of the Qiangtang region. Its depositional sequence consists of brown\|black oil shale interbedded massive to thin limestone. Eleven oil shale beds occur and aggregated thickness is up to 47 38m. It deposit age is confined in middle Jurassic by fossils identification. Nine samples selected from horizons with high\|organic contents have been examined by organic geochemistry approach. The oil\|shale range widely in organic carbon content (Toc), average in 8 34%, maximum values reaching 26.12%. Toc are markedly varied in vertical section. The Upper and lower members are slightly low and increase in the middle. The oil\|shale sediments are characterized by high concentration in chloroform bitumen“A”(608～18707)×10 -6 )and total hydrocarbon ((311～5272)×10 -6 ).The Rock\|Eval T \|max data (434～440℃) and vitrinite reflectance values (0.88%～1.26%) indicate that oil\|shale sequence are mature in all samples. The organic matter is predominantly made up of typeⅡ kerogen.

The relationship between the level of activation markers of platelets in peripheral blood around operation and lung cancer

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the activation markers of platelets and the lung cancer. Meth- ods: Based on international stages of lung cancer in 1997, lung cancer patients of 120 cases diagnosed by pathology as well as with operation indication were selected as the experimental group. During the process of experiment, 60 cases concluded as healthy in the physical examination were chosen as control group. The activation markers of platelets were detected by FCM method. The experimental result would be processed by SPSS 11.5. Results: The level of activation markers of platelets in peripheral blood of lung cancer patients was significantly higher than those healthy people (P < 0.01). The level of activation markers of platelets in peripheral blood of lung cancer patients on the seventh postoperative day was significantly lower than that before operation and on the first postoperative day (P < 0.01). The level of activation markers of platelets in peripheral blood of lung cancer patients was closely related to the size of the primary tumor, lymph node status and stages, but not to the grade of cell differentiation, type of tumor, age, sex of the patients (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Elevation of the level of activation markers of platelets in peripheral blood exists in lung cancer patients and the levels of activation marker of platelets plays an important role in tumor growth and lymphatic metastasis. The levels of activation markers of platelets maybe a predictor for prognosis.

Effects of Shenqi Fuzheng injection combined with chemotherapy on peripheral blood, immune function and tumor markers in patients with breast cancer

Objective: To investigate the effects of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection Combined with chemotherapy on peripheral blood, immune function and tumor markers in patients with breast cancer. Methods: A total of 92 cases of breast cancer treated by modified radical mastectomy in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2017 were selected as the research subjects and were randomly divided into 46 cases in the observation group and 46 cases in the control group. The patients in the control group began chemotherapy after 2 weeks of surgery, and the observation group was given Shenqi Fuzheng Injection on the basis of the control group. The levels of leukocyte, platelet, hemoglobin, T cell subgroup, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen 153 (CA153) and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) were measured and compared of patients in two groups. Results: Before treatment, there was no significant difference in white blood cell, platelet and hemoglobin between the two groups. After treatment, the white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin in the observation group were (3.56±0.10)×109/L, (137.47±23.58)×109/L, (116.72±15.75) g/L, and the white cells, platelets and hemoglobin in the control group were (2.85±0.18)×109/L, (126.76±21.34)×109/L, (103.36±20.51) g/L, respectively, all the indexes decreased than before treatment, moreover the decrease of control group is more obvious than observation group, and the difference was statistically significant. Before treatment, there was no significant difference in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+and CD4+/CD8+between the two groups. After treatment, the CD3+, CD4+and CD4+/CD8+in the observation group were (58.02±12.77)%, (50.79±7.45)% and (2.13±0.69), which were significantly higher than those before the treatment, and increased compared with the control group in the corresponding period, the difference was statistically significant. Before treatment, there was no significant difference in CEA, CA153 and CA125 between the two groups. After treatment, the CEA, CA153 and CA125 of the observation group were (16.70±3.71) μg/L, (13.11±3.70) U/mL and (11.25±1.73) U/mL, and in the control group they were (21.71±4.24) μg/L, (20.31±4.21) U/mL and (17.78±2.36) U/mL, respectively, the CEA, CA153 and CA125 in two groups were all lower than those before treatment, and the indexes of the observation group were decreased more significantly than those of the control group, the differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: Shenqi Fuzheng Injection Combined with chemotherapy in peripheral blood and immune function significantly improved in patients with breast cancer, and a significant decrease in the level of tumor markers.

Effect of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection combined with chemotherapy on peripheral blood cell level, tumor markers and immune function in patients with gastric cancer

Objective:To investigate the effects of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection combined with chemotherapy on peripheral blood cell level, tumor markers and immune function in patients with gastric cancer.Methods: Eighty patients with gastric cancer admitted to our hospital from May 2016 to October 2017 were selected as the research object and randomly divided into observation group and control group, 40 cases in each group. Control group was treated by DCF chemotherapy, while the observation group by Shenqi Fuzheng Injection based on the DCF chemotherapy. The levels of peripheral blood cells, tumor markers and immune function indexes in both groups were detected and compared before and after treatment.Results: There were no significant differences in serum RBC, WBC, PLT, Hb, NSE, CYFRA21-1, CA199, CEA, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ levels before treatment in both groups. Compared with the pretreatment group, the levels of RBC, WBC, PLT and Hb in both groups decreased to some extent after treatment, and the levels in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group;Compared with the same group before treatment, the levels of NSE, CYFRA21-1, CA199 and CEA in the two groups were significantly decreased, and the observation group was significantly lower than the control group;CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ levels in control group and observation group increased to some extent after treatment, and the levels in observation group were significantly higher than those in control group. The levels of CD8+ in both groups after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment, and the observation group was significantly lower than the control group after treatment. The above data for statistical analysis had significant differences.Conclusions: Shenqi Fuzheng injection combined with chemotherapy helps to clear and kill cancer cells, enhance immunity and reduce hematological toxicity after chemotherapy, which can be used as an adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer.

Genetic Study on JS399-19 Resistance in Hyphal Fusion of Fusarium graminearum by Using Nitrate Nonutilizing Mutants as Genetic Markers

Twenty-two nitrate nonutilizing （nit） mutants were recovered from five wild-type isolates of Fusarium graminearum and fifty nit mutants were recovered from three JS399-19-resistant mutants of F. graminearum cultured on MMC medium. Some biological properties were compared between nit mutants and their parental isolates. The results showed that there were no significant differences in growth rate, cultural characters or pathogenicity between JS399-19-resistant nit mutants and their parental isolates. But the conidial production and the sexual reproduction ability changed to some extent. There was no cross resistance toward chlorate and JS399-19 in F. graminearum and the resistance could be stable through 20-time subcultures. Therefore, the nit could be used as a genetic marker for studying the genetics of JS399-19 resistance in E graminearum, which was used to study JS399-19 resistance transferability in hyphal fusion. Resistance in JS399-19 could not be transferred by hyphal fusion or could be transferred with low chance between two compatible isolates, which would delay the development of JS399-19 resistance in the field.

Relationship between Maternal PBMC HBV cccDNA and HBV Serological Markers and its Effect on HBV Intrauterine Transmission

Objective To investigate the relationship between maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) hepatitis B virus(HBV) covalenty closed circular deoxyribonucleic acid(cccDNA) and other HBV serological markers and its effects on HBV intrauterine transmission. Methods We enrolled 290 newborns and their hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) positive mothers. HBV cccDNA in PBMC and HBV DNA in serum were detected by a real‐time PCR‐TaqM an probe while HBV serological markers were detected with an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results There was a positive correlation between the levels of PBMC HBV cccD NA and serum HBV DNA and HBeA g(r = 0.436 and 0.403, P < 0.001). The detection rate of pattern A [‘HBsA g(+), HBeA g(+), and anti‐HBc(+)’] was significantly higher in the PBMC HBV cccD NA positive group than in the control group(χ^2 = 48.48, P < 0.001). There was a significant association between HBV intrauterine transmission and PBMC HBV cccD NA(χ^2 = 9.28, P = 0.002). In the presence of serum HBV DNA, HBeA g, and PBMC HBV cccD NA, the risk of HBV intrauterine transmission was three times higher(OR = 3.69, 95% CI: 1.30‐10.42) than that observed in their absence. The risk of HBV intrauterine transmission was the greatest(OR = 5.89, 95% CI: 2.35‐14.72) when both PBMC HBV cccD NA and pattern A were present. A Bayesian network model showed that maternal PBMC HBV cccD NA was directly related to HBV intrauterine transmission. Conclusion PBMC HBV cccDNA may be a direct risk factor for HBV intrauterine transmission. Our study suggests that serological markers could be combined with PBMC‐related markers in prenatal testing.

Cell-free plasma hypermethylated CASZ1, CDH13 and ING2 are promising biomarkers of esophageal cancer

Identifying sensitive and specific biomarkers for early detection of cancer is immensely imperative for early diagnosis and treatment and better clinical outcome of cancer patients. This study aimed to construct a specific DNA methylation pattern of cancer suppressor genes and explore the feasibility of applying cell-free DNA based methylation as a biomarker for early diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC). We recruited early stage ESCC patients from Yangzhong County, China. The Illumina Infinium 450 K Methylation BeadChip was used to construct a genome-wide DNA methylation profile. Then, differentiated genes were selected for the validation study using the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. The frequency of methylation was compared between cancer tissues, matched cell-free DNAs and normal controls. The specific methylation profiles were constructed, and the sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Seven CG sites in three genes CASZ1, CDH13 and ING2 were significantly hypermethylated in ESCC as compared with normal controls. A significant correlation was found between the methylation of DNA extracted from cancer tissues and matched plasma cell-free DNA, either for individual CG site or for cumulative methylation analysis. The sensitivity and specificity reached 100% at an appropriate cut-point using these specific methylation biomarkers. This study revealed that aberrant DNA methylation is a promising biomarker for molecular diagnosis of esophageal cancer. Hypermethylation of CASZ1,CDH13 and ING2 detected in plasma cell-free DNA can be applied as a potential noninvasive biomarker for diagnosis of esophageal cancer.

Diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers in pancreaticobiliary malignancy

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC) and cholangiocarcinoma(CCA) are two malignancies that carry significant morbidity and mortality. The poor prognoses of these cancers are strongly related to lack of effective screening modalities as well as few therapeutic options. In this review, we highlight novel biomarkers that have the potential to be used as diagnostic, prognostic and predictive markers. The focus of this review is biomarkers that can be evaluated on endoscopically-obtained biopsies or brush specimens in the pre-operative setting. We also provide an overview of novel serum based markers in the early diagnosis of both PDAC and CCA. In pancreatic cancer, the emphasis is placed on prognostic and theranostic markers, whereas in CCA the utility of molecular markers in diagnosis and prognosis are highlighted.