The innate immune system is the first line of defense against microbial pathogens. The activated innate immune system plays important roles in eliciting antimicrobial defenses. Despite the benefits of innate immune responses, excessive inflammation will cause host damage. Thus, tight regulation of these processes is required for the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Recently, a new class of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) has emerged as important regulators in many physiological and pathological processes. Dysregulated lncRNAs have been found to be associated with excessive or uncontrolled inflammation. In this brief review, we summarize the roles of functional lncRNAs in regulating innate immune responses. We also discuss the roles of lncRNAs in macrophage polarization, an important molecular event in the innate immune responses.

Objectives. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one key step for the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Up until now, the underlying mechanism of EMT in CRC is still unpromising. Thus, it is essential to have a better understanding of its carcinogenesis. The transfer RNA-derived small fragments (tsRNAs) are a new group of small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs), including tRNA-derived stress-induced RNAs (tiRNAs) and tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), which have been observed to play an important role in many cancers. However, the relationship between tRFs and EMT in CRC is still unknown. Herein, we aimed to investigate the involvement of tRFs in EMT and its contribution to CRC development. Methods. We identified the differentially expressed tsRNAs in colorectal cancer cell line HT29 treated with TGF-β compared with control cells by using high-throughput sequencing and quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). QRT-PCR was conducted to validate the differentially expressed fragments in 68 CRC tumor samples (22 women and 46 men) and adjacent nontumor samples. The association of the expression of tRFs with CRC metastasis and clinical stage was analyzed. Meanwhile, the correlation between tRF expression and overall survival (OS) was also analyzed. TargetScan and miRanda and multiple bioinformatic approaches were used to predict the possible target genes of tsRNAs and analyze possible functions of the tRFs. Results. A series of differentially expressed tsRNAs were identified in TGF-β-treated HT29 cells compared with control cells. tRF-phe-GAA-031 and tRF-VAL-TCA-002 were found to be significantly upregulated in CRC tissues compared to adjacent nontumor tissues. They were significantly correlated with distant metastasis and clinical stage. We compared the differences between tumor samples and nontumor tissues from the ROC curves. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was up to 0.7554 (95% confidence interval: 0.6739 to 0.8369, ) for tRF-Phe-GAA-031 and up to 0.7313 (95% confidence interval: 0.6474 to 0.8151, ) for tRF-VAL-TCA-002. For OS analysis, higher tRF-phe-GAA-031 and tRF-VAL-TCA-002 expressions were associated with shorter survival for CRC patients. Conclusion. A series of differentially expressed tsRNAs are identified in the EMT process of CRC. And tRF-phe-GAA-031 and tRF-VAL-TCA-002 are higher expressed in CRC tissues, and they might play an important role in the metastasis of CRC. Meanwhile, they may be potential biomarkers and intervention targets in the clinical treatment of CRC.

Objectives: Achieving glycemic control is a great challenge for young patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D), especially during the transition from childhood to adulthood. As various smartphone apps have been developed to improve glycemic control in T1D, we performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to assess the effect of smartphone apps on glycemic control in young patients with T1D.Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials comparing combined usual care and smartphone app treatment to usual care alone. This meta-analysis is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. The primary outcomes were the weighted difference in means (WMD) of HbA1c change from baseline and the person-years incidence of mild hypoglycemia or severe hypoglycemia between intervention and control groups. We assessed pooled data by use of a random-effects model.Results: Of 1,190 identified studies, nine were eligible and included in our analysis (N = 748 participants). Relative to the control, using smartphone apps yielded a non-significant reduction in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (WMD = −0.26, 95% CI: −0.56 to 0.05; p = 0.10) and no increased frequency of mild hypoglycemia (WMD = 1.87, 95% CI: −1.52 to 5.27; p = 0.49) or severe hypoglycemia (WMD = −0.04, 95% CI: −0.35 to 0.27; p = 0.80). In further subgroup analysis, compared with the recording-style app group, the auxiliary-style app group exhibited a significant reduction in HbA1c (WMD = −0.83, 95% CI: −1.10 to −0.56, p < 0.001).Conclusion: The current pooled data analysis did not reveal a significant reduction in HbA1c in young patients with T1D undergoing treatment with smartphone apps and usual care in combination. However, auxiliary-style apps with insulin or carbo calculators were beneficial in reducing HbA1c.

Aim. During the initial stage of type 1 diabetes, prolonged exposure of pancreatic β‐cell to proinflammatory cytokines such as IL‐1β, TNF‐α, and IFN‐γ results in a decreased capacity to produce and release insulin, as well as cell loss by apoptosis. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new class of endogenous noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) with closed loop with no free ends. circRNAs have been reported to be participated in the development of many diseases. As little is known about their role in insulin‐secreting cells, this study is aimed at evaluating their contribution in the process of inflammation‐induced β‐cell damage. Methods. circRNA expression profile of MIN6 cells stimulated with a mix of cytokines, including IL‐1β, IFN‐γ, and TNF‐α, was detected by circRNA microarrays. Four dysregulated circRNAs were validated by qRT‐PCR. The involvement of the selected circRNAs in β‐cell dysfunction was tested after their inhibition in MIN6 cells. MicroRNA target prediction software and multiple bioinformatic approaches were used to predict the targeting genes of circRNAs and analyze possible functions of the circRNAs. Results. 1020 upregulated and 902 downregulated circRNAs were identified in cytokines‐treated β‐cells. Inhibition of circRNAs 000286 and 017277 in β‐cells could promote β‐cell apoptosis and affect insulin biosynthesis and secretion. GO analysis enriched terms such as regulation of transcription and regulation of gene expression and KEGG analysis enriched top pathways included TGF‐β and MAPK signaling pathways. Conclusions. The data shows that circRNAs may be involved in proinflammatory cytokines‐mediated β‐cell dysfunction and suggests the involvement of circRNAs in the development of type 1 diabetes.

Background: The management of prediabetes has great clinical significance, and primary care providers (PCPs) play important roles in the management and prevention of diabetes in China. Nevertheless, little is known about PCPs' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding prediabetes. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the KAP regarding prediabetes among PCPs in the Central China region.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using self-administered KAP questionnaires among PCPs from Central China region.Results: In total, 720 PCPs completed the survey. Most physicians (85.8%) claimed to be aware of the adverse effects of prediabetes and reported positive attitudes toward prediabetes prevention, but the PCPs' knowledge of prediabetes and management practices showed substantial gaps. The prediabetes knowledge level and practice subscale scores of the PCPs were only 54.7% and 32.6%, respectively, of the corresponding optimal scores. Female PCPs showed higher prediabetes knowledge level scores (p = 0.04) and better practice scores (p = 0.038). Knowledge and attitude scores were inversely correlated with participants' age and duration of practice (p < 0.001). The PCPs who served in township hospitals had significantly higher knowledge and attitude scores than those who served in village clinics (p < 0.001). Furthermore, knowledge and practice scores increased with increasing professional titles. Recent continuing medical education (CME) attendance had a significant positive influence on knowledge of prediabetes (p = 0.029), but more than four-fifths of the surveyed PCPs did not participate in diabetes-related CME in the past year.Conclusions: Substantial gaps were observed in PCPs' knowledge and practices regarding prediabetes in the Central China region. CME programmes were under-utilized by PCPs. Structured programmes are required to improve PCPs' prediabetes-related knowledge and practices in China.