Wen-jia Peng

Prognostic value of matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND The role of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. We performed a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis. METHODS Electronic databases were used to identify published studies before December 1, 2011. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to estimate the strength of the association between MMP-9 expression survival of NSCLC patients. Heterogeneity and publication bias were also assessed. RESULTS The final analysis of 2029 NSCLC cases from 17 studies is presented. The combined HR of 1.84 (95% CI: 1.62-2.09) suggested that MMP-9 over-expression had a poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC. Subgroup analyses also detected significant association. Heterogeneity and publication bias was absent in current meta-analysis. Sensitivity analyses suggested that the summary statistics obtained should approximate the actual average. CONCLUSION High MMP-9 expression is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC.

Prevalence of unprotected anal intercourse and unprotected vaginal intercourse among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in China: a meta-analysis.

This study aims at deriving a general description of the prevalence of unprotected anal intercourse among HIV-positive MSM in China using published epidemiological research. Comprehensively searching Wanfang, Weipu, China Biological Medicine (CBM), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Pubmed databases in the systematic review. Meta-analysis were conducted over a final set of nineteen studies (n=1603). The pooled prevalence of unprotected anal intercourse among HIV-positive MSM was 75.4% (95%CI: 67.5%∼82.5%) and unprotected vaginal intercourse was 68.0% (95%CI: 46.0%∼86.4%). The prevalence of unprotected anal intercourse differed significantly in sampling method, data collection method, sample size, location, recruitment setting and data collection period. Studies with the following features had a higher prevalence of unprotected anal intercourse: recruiting participants from 2005 to 2007, sample size being below 50, recruiting participants from MSM venues/internet, using convenience sampling, study location being Chongqing city, and using interviewer administered questionnaire. Findings from this meta-analysis indicate that a majority percentage of HIV-positive MSM engage in unprotected sexual behavior. So that place their sex partners at risk for infecting HIV and also place themselves at risk for other sexually transmitted diseases. An effective strategy for prevention and control is required for this specific population in China.

Matrix Metalloproteinases: A Review of Their Structure and Role in Systemic Sclerosis

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are the main enzymes involved in arterial wall extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and remodeling, whose activity has been involved in various normal and pathologic processes, such as inflammation, fibrosis. As a result, the MMPs have come to consider as both therapeutic targets and diagnostic tools for the treatment and diagnosis of autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease of unknown etiology characterized by an excessive over-production of collagen and other ECM, resulting in skin thickening and fibrosis of internal organs. In recent years, abnormal expression of MMPs has been demonstrated with the pathogenesis of SSc, and the association of different polymorphisms on MMPs genes with SSc has been extensively studied. This review describes the structure, function and regulation of MMPs and shortly summarizes current understanding on experimental findings, genetic associations of MMPs in SSc.

MicroRNA-29: a potential therapeutic target for systemic sclerosis.

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a systemic autoimmune disease of unknown cause characterized by microvasculopathy, fibroblast activation, and excessive production of collagen, causing tissue and organ damage. Effective medical treatment for SSc is lacking because the etiology and pathogenesis of SSc are not fully understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, regulatory, single-stranded, noncoding RNAs that negatively modulate gene expression by either promoting the degradation of mRNA or down-regulating the protein production by translational repression. Among them, miRNA-29 is recently discovered as a class of miRNAs which is related to fibrotic disease. Numerous evidences have confirmed that miRNA-29 involved in the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) and regulated organ fibrosis. These findings revealed a potential and appealing role for miRNA-29 as SSc therapeutic targets. Areas covered: This review provides a comprehensive view on the biogenesis and functions of miRNAs. We also discuss the aberrant expression of miRNA-29 in SSc, and summarize current understanding of miRNA-29 involved in the process of fibrosis. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting miRNA-29 in SSc. Expert opinion: Although the exact pathogenesis of SSc still remains to be clarified, Targeting miRNA-29 may serve as a promising therapy strategy.

The risk of cancer development in systemic sclerosis: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES Systemic sclerosis is a multi-system disorder of connective tissue characterized by Raynauds phenomenon and fibrosis of various organs. The risk of development of cancer in systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been extensively investigated with inconclusive results. To shed some light on the controversy, we conducted a meta-analysis of all published articles linking SSc to the risk of cancer development. METHODS Relevant electronic databases were searched for English-language studies characterizing the association of cancers in patients with SSc. Standardized incidence rate (SIR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) of each study was combined using a fixed/random effect model. RESULTS A total of seven papers including 7183 SSc patients were identified, of which 7 reported the SIR for lung cancer, 4 for non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) and 4 for hematopoietic cancer and 7 for breast cancer. Compared with the general population, the combined SIR was 3.14 (95% CI: 2.02-4.89), 2.68 (95% CI: 1.58-4.56), 2.57 (95% CI: 1.79-3.68) and 1.09 (95% CI: 0.86-1.38), respectively. Significant heterogeneity was observed in lung cancer group (Q=26.13, P<0.001, I(2)=77%). Potential publication bias was absent. CONCLUSIONS This present meta-analysis demonstrated an increased risk of lung, non-Hodgkins lymphoma and hematopoietic cancers among patients with SSc, but not for breast cancer. However, some of the available data were several decades old, and future studies taking new treatment strategies into account are required.

Therapeutic potential of interleukin-17 in inflammation and autoimmune diseases

Introduction: Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a proinflammatory cytokine that mainly produced by T helper 17 (Th17) cells. In this article, we discussed the role of IL-17 in inflammation and autoimmune diseases, and the therapeutic strategies targeting IL-17. Areas covered: In this article, we discussed the proinflammatory cytokine IL-17 and IL-17 receptors signals, and their regulation. IL-17 expression was abnormal in the bacterium, virus and fungus infection, and its higher level caused the tissue inflammation. IL-17 was involved in the pathological process of autoimmune diseases, such as systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and systemic lupus erythematosus, and IL-17 has been put as a therapeutic target in the clinic. Expert opinion: IL-17/IL-17R signals and their application in inflammation process still need to be explored. Therapeutic strategies targeting IL-17 in autoimmune diseases ameliorated the inadequate response to anti-TNF-α therapy.

Association of the interleukin-10 1082G/A, 819C/T and 3575T/A gene polymorphisms with systemic sclerosis: a meta-analysis

Many environmental and genetic factors have been contributed to the development of systemic sclerosis (SSc). To determine whether IL-10 gene polymorphisms are associated with SSc, we conducted a meta-analysis approach. A total of eight studies involving 1,034 SSc cases and 1,815 controls were obtained by electronic database, i.e. Embase, Blackwell, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Chinese Biomedical database, Google searching. We analyzed three gene polymorphisms, including IL-10 −1082G/A (rs1800896), IL-10 −819C/T (rs1800871), IL-10 −3575T/A (rs1800890). The combined odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated using fixed or random effect models. We found that IL-10 819C allele might contribute to SSc susceptibility by fixed effect model and IL-10 3575A allele could be an important risk factor for SSc, especially in European descent. No significant heterogeneity were observed. Under random effect model, there was no evidence of statistically significant association between IL-10 1082G/A polymorphism and SSc. Publication bias was absent in all analyses. However, larger scale primary studies are required to further evaluate the IL-10 polymorphism and SSc.

Epidemiology of syphilis infection among drug users at methadone maintenance treatment clinics in China: systematic review and meta-analysis

Illicit drug trade has re-emerged in China since 1979 and the number of drug addicts had increased. Syphilis is mainly spread through sexual contact and blood. The incidence of syphilis is high among drug users. Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinics have been implemented in China since 2004. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of syphilis among drug users at MMT clinics in China between 2004 and 2013. Chinese and English databases (CBM, CNKI, Weipu, Pubmed) of literature were searched for studies reporting syphilis among drug users in MMT clinics from 2004 to 2013. The prevalence estimates and risk factors were summarized through a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literatures. In all, 29 eligible articles with a total of 8899 drug users, were selected in this review. The pooled prevalence of syphilis infection was 7.78% (95%CI: 5.83%–9.99%). The meta-analyses demonstrated significant differences in syphilis infection rates between men and women (OR = 0.34 [95%CI: 0.26–0.45]) but not between drug users and non-intravenous drug users (OR = 0.82 [95%CI: 0.51–1.32]). Enhanced detection of syphilis and health promotion is warranted in MMT clinics in China.

Micronutrients, their potential effect on patients with systemic sclerosis.

Abstract Over the past years, several evidences have supported an important role of specific micronutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E in immune dysfunction, vascular involvement and fibrotic changes involved in systemic sclerosis (SSc) development. In PubMed, eight clinical trials about the therapy of micronutrients on SSc patients were searched out using medical subject headings terms (SSc: “scleroderma, localized”, “scleroderma, systemic”, “scleroderma, diffuse” and “scleroderma, limited”; vitamins “vitamin A”, “thiamin”, “riboflavin”, “niacin”, “pantothenic acid”, “vitamin B 6”, “biotin”, “folic acid”, “vitamin B 12”, “inositol”, “choline”, “ascorbic acid”, “vitamin D”, “vitamin E”, “tocopherols”, “vitamin K” and “vitamin P”; and minerals: “calcium”, “magnesium”, “potassium”, “sodium”, “phosphorus”, “sulfur”, “chlorine”, “iron”, “copper”, “iodine”, “zinc”, “selenium”, “manganese”, “molybdenum”, “cobalt”, “chromium”, “tin”, “vanadium”, “silicon”, “nickel” and “fluorine”). This brief review will summarize current understanding on that for the further prospect of future studies. Though the clinical trials for the treatment of SSc with micronutrients are still in their infancy, more researches are needed to substantiate the current results and accelerate the knowledge in this field.

Association of Interleukin 1α Promoter Polymorphism (–889C/T) with Susceptibility to Systemic Sclerosis

To the Editor: We read with great interest 2 articles1,2 about the association of interleukin 1α (IL-1α) –889C/T promoter polymorphism with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Hutyrova, et al 1 suggested that overexpression of IL-1α-889 T allele carriers among patients with SSc in a Slovak population was significantly associated with risk of SSc. Mattuzzi, et al 2 showed that IL-1α-889C/T was not significantly associated with SSc susceptibility in whites. In fact, IL-1 plays a critical role in connective tissue remodeling, which modulates both degradation and synthesis of extracellular matrix, and has been implicated in the fibrogenic phenotypes … Address correspondence to Dr. J. Wang; E-mail: jwang2006{at}126.com