UK Biobank is an extensive biomedical database and research resource. It contains in-depth genetic and health information from 500 000 UK subjects, comprising a wealth of basic structured data, high-throughput genomic and genetic data, and multimodal imaging data. However, difficulties in accessing the large amount of data mean that the database has not been widely used in China. We first introduced the health-related structural data, genetic data, and imaging data in the UK Biobank. We then described methods for using different types of data downloaded from UK Biobank, and explored recent research based on these data. We also discussed classic research focusing on applying artificial intelligence technology to UK Biobank data. Finally, we predicted future research trends in the utilization of UK Biobank data in areas such as anatomy, physiology, genetic variation, and phenotypic characteristics.
In combination with the national health informatization construction in UK during the past ten years, this article introduced the resource construction of decision making knowledge library like British Electronic Medicine Library Clinical Pathway Database and NHS Evidence, as well as the function and application of clinical decision support system (CDSS) like PRODIGY, medical knowledge map and so on, discussed the development characteristics and construction experiences of British health decision support system (HDSS). And aiming directly at Chinese specific circumstances, this article offered some suggestions on promoting China HDSS development, for instance, dynamically integrating CDSS with patients’ diagnosis and treatment procedure through the electronic medical record system, strengthening the resources construction of knowledge library, establishing localized clinical pathway, and so on.
Objective To analyze experiences of medical risk management in the United Kingdom so as to explore the possible application for the construction of a Chinese medical risk monitoring and early warning system. Methods We searched Engineering Information, SCI and SSCI, EMBASE, SCOPUS with 100% MEDLINE, VIP, CNKI, and government or official websites. This search was conducted in Jan. 2006. We included articles about medical risk, patient safety and medical errors in the UK. Languages of articles were limited either in English or in Chinese. Results Eleven articles were included, of which 9 article are evidence of level B (about 80%) and the other 2 are evidence of level C (about 20%). The report of “An Organization with a Memory” revealed the severity of medical errors and adverse events in the UK in 2000, and subsequently Minister Blair announced a five-year reform program for NHS. Within 7 years of reform, NHS budget has been increased from £33 billion to £674 billion,(check numbers-doesn’t sound correct) the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) and the New National System for learning from adverse events and near misses have been established, a series of practicable measures aimed at ensuring patient safety, preventing medical risk and improving healthcare quality have been implemented, all of which have effectively resolved many problems that perplexed the government and public, such as patients waiting time, range of NHS service, the availability of medical facility and mortality induced by high-risk diseases. Conclusion There are both advantages and disadvantages in the present status of the UK medical risk management. Both of them will provide a guide to prevent medical risk, improve healthcare quality and to realize the ultimate goal that everybody could share healthcare sources fairly and safely in our country.
Objectives: Since a genome-wide association study revealed that Interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R) gene is a candidate gene for Ulcerative Colitis (UC), many studies have investigated the association between the IL-23R polymorphisms and UC. However, the results were controversial. The aim of the study was to determine whether the IL-23R polymorphisms confer susceptibility to UC. Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out to identify all potentially relevant studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the strength of association. Results: A total of 33 studies in 32 articles, including 10,527 UC cases and 15,142 healthy controls, were finally involved in the meta-analysis. Overall, a significant association was found between all UC cases and the rs11209026A allele (OR = 0.665, 95% CI = 0.604 similar to 0.733, P < 0.001). Similarly, meta-analyses of the rs7517847, rs1004819, rs10889677, rs2201841, rs11209032, rs1495965, rs1343151 and rs11465804 polymorphisms also indicated significant association with all UC (all P < 0.05). Stratification by ethnicity revealed that the rs11209026, rs7517847, rs10889677, rs2201841 andrs11465804 polymorphisms were associated with UC in the Caucasian group, but not in Asians, while the rs1004819 and rs11209032 polymorphisms were found to be related to UC for both Caucasian and Asian groups. However, subgroup analysis failed to unveil any association between the rs1495965 and rs1343151 polymorphisms and UC in Caucasians or Asians. Conclusions: The meta-analysis suggests significant association between IL-23R polymorphisms and UC, especially in Caucasians.
Interleukin 23 (IL-23) is an inflammatory cytokine which plays a vital role in autoimmune diseases as well as in tumorigenesis. However, the role of IL-23 in tumor procession is still controversial and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we established a stable cell line overexpressing IL-23 to prove that IL-23 promoted tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis through induction of tumor-related inflammation and absence of immune surveillance. IL-23 promotes tumor-associate inflammatory response such as infiltration of M2 macrophages, neutrophils and their elevated secretions of immunosuppressive cytolcines transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), IL-10 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) into tumor tissues, meanwhile the increase of the matrix metalloprotease MMP9. In addition, IL-23 increases the expression of the endothelial marker CD31 and proliferative marker Ki67 in tumors. Moreover, IL23 induces immunosuppression though reducing the infiltration of CD4(+) and CD8(+)T cells into tumor tissues. In conclusion, IL-23 is a considerable molecular in tumor progression, which simultaneously facilitates processes of pro-tumor inflammation, such as angiogenesis, immunosuppressive cytolcines as well as infiltrations of M2 macrophages and neutrophils, and suppresses antitumor immune responses through reduction of CD4(+) T cells and CD8(+) T cells. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The intrinsically disordered scaffold proteins AFF1/4 and the transcription elongation factors ELL1/2 are core components of the super elongation complex required for HIV-1 proviral transcription. Here we report the 2.0-angstrom resolution crystal structure of the human ELL2 C-terminal domain bound to its 50-residue binding site on AFF4, the ELLBow. The ELL2 domain has the same arch-shaped fold as the tight junction protein occludin. The ELLBow consists of an N-terminal helix followed by an extended hairpin that we refer to as the elbow joint, and occupies most of the concave surface of ELL2. This surface is important for the ability of ELL2 to promote HIV-1 Tat-mediated proviral transcription. The AFF4-ELL2 interface is imperfectly packed, leaving a cavity suggestive of a potential binding site for transcription-promoting small molecules.
The influence of the biological relationship between the donor and the recipient is rarely discussed in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), although it is believed to be an important risk factor in other types of organ transplantations. A total of 272 consecutive patients undergoing adult to adult right lobe LDLT were retrospectively analyzed and stratified into a nonbiologically related (NBR) group (69 patients) and a biologically related (BR) group (203 patients). The preoperative data and postoperative outcomes of both recipients and donors were evaluated. More than two-thirds of the recipients had histories of HBV infection, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was the main reason for the patients undergoing LDLT in both groups. The percentage of female donors in the NBR group was more than the percentage in the BR group (P=0.000). There were no differences between the groups in postoperative laboratory testing or daily immunosuppression dose, and the complication rates in both the recipient and donor surgeries showed no significant differences. For patients with benign diseases, the cumulative 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year survival rate were 92.9% in the 4 periods in the NBR group and 89.1%, 87.6%, 83.7%, and 83.7%, respectively, in BR group, while for the patients diagnosed as HCC, if patients exceeding the Milan criteria were involved, the 5-year survival rate was 41.2%, compared to 82% for patients within the Milan criteria, which was nearly the same as for those with the benign disease. In conclusion, our findings suggested that the biological relationship between the donor and the recipient in adult to adult LDLT was not associated with the short-and long-term outcomes of recipients diagnosed with benign liver diseases and early stage HCC. Moreover, the criteria for patients diagnosed with HCC to undergo LDLT should be restrictively selected.
UK Biobank (UKB) is a forward-looking epidemiological project with over 500, 000 people aged 40 to 69, whose image extension project plans to re-invite 100, 000 participants from UKB to perform multimodal brain magnetic resonance imaging. Large-scale multimodal neuroimaging combined with large amounts of phenotypic and genetic data provides great resources to conduct brain health-related research. This article provides an in-depth overview of UKB in the field of neuroimaging. Firstly, neuroimage collection and imaging-derived phenotypes are summarized. Secondly, typical studies of UKB in neuroimaging areas are introduced, which include cardiovascular risk factors, regulatory factors, brain age prediction, normality, successful and morbid brain aging, environmental and genetic factors, cognitive ability and gender. Lastly, the open challenges and future directions of UKB are discussed. This article has the potential to open up a new research field for the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical research development of dementia in the UK Biobank database in SCIE and PubMed. MethodsThe literatures of dementia in the UK Biobank database published in SCIE and PubMed from January 1, 2018 to November 30, 2022 were searched, and the number of articles, publishing institutions, journals, citations, authors and keywords were statistically analyzed. ResultsA total of 279 papers were included, and the number of papers presented an annual growth trend. The United Kingdom has the largest number of publications, the United States journals have the greatest influence, and China has the third largest number of publications. Springer Nature from Germany published the most papers, with the largest number of 47 papers. Among the authors, Yu JT from China published the most, with 11 articles, and the most major keyword in the research content is Alzheimer. ConclusionThe literatures of dementia in the UK Biobank-related field included in SCIE and PubMed databases show an increasing trend year by year, mainly in English, and the core author group has not yet formed. The papers published by Chinese scholars are concentrated in 2020-2022, and there are few transnational cooperative papers.