Objective: To investigate the associations between serum vitamin D, calcium and uterine fibroids in a Chinese female population. Methods: In this case-control study, adult female patients with fibroids (cases) were compared with females without fibroids (controls) in terms of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and calcium levels. Results: Out of 546 total participants (mean age, 41.68 ± 5.99 years; 279 with fibroids and 267 without fibroids), only 232 had serum 25OHD levels above the sufficient threshold (>20 ng/ml). In addition, females with fibroids had lower serum 25OHD levels versus those without fibroids. The prevalence of fibroids in females with deficient (20 ng/ml) 25OHD levels. Serum calcium levels were within normal range in both groups. Conclusion: Hypovitaminosis D was highly prevalent among a population of Chinese females of reproductive-age, and serum 25OHD levels were lower in female patients with fibroids.

Purpose: Peroxiredoxins (PRDXs) are a family of antioxidant enzymes with six identified mammalian isoforms (PRDX1–6). PRDX expression is up-regulated in various types of solid tumors; however, individual PRDX expression, and its impact on prognostic value in ovarian cancer patients, remains unclear. Methods: PRDXs family protein expression profiles in normal ovarian tissues and ovarian cancer tissues were examined using the Human Protein Atlas database. Then, the prognostic roles of PRDX family members in several sets of clinical data (histology, pathological grades, clinical stages, and applied chemotherapy) in ovarian cancer patients were investigated using the Kaplan–Meier plotter. Results: PRDXs family protein expression in ovarian cancer tissues was elevated compared with normal ovarian tissues. Meanwhile, elevated expression of PRDX3, PRDX5, and PRDX6 mRNAs showed poorer overall survival (OS); PRDX5 and PRDX6 also predicted poor progression-free survival (PFS) for ovarian cancer patients. Furthermore, PRDX3 played significant prognostic roles, particularly in poor differentiation and late-stage serous ovarian cancer patients. Additionally, PRDX5 predicted a lower PFS in all ovarian cancer patients treated with Platin, Taxol, and Taxol+Platin chemotherapy. PRDX3 and PRDX6 also showed poor PFS in patients treated with Platin chemotherapy. Furthermore, PRDX3 and PRDX5 indicated lower OS in patients treated with these three chemotherapeutic agents. PRDX6 predicted a poorer OS in patients treated with Taxol and Taxol+Platin chemotherapy. Conclusion: These results suggest that there are distinct prognostic values of PRDX family members in patients with ovarian cancer, and that the expression of PRDX3, PRDX5, and PRDX6 mRNAs are a useful prognostic indicator in the effect of chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients.

Anthocyanin is a class of water-soluble flavonoids found in Chinese bayberry (Morella rubra) that is not only responsible for the variety of colors visible in nature but also has numerous health-promoting benefits in humans. Through comparative transcriptomics, we isolated and identified a transcription factor (TF) of the R2R3-MYB type, MrMYB9, in order to explore the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in red and white Chinese bayberries. MrMYB9 transcript was positively correlated with anthocyanin level and anthocyanin biosynthetic gene expression during Chinese bayberry fruit maturation (R-values in the range 0.54–0.84, p < 0.05). Sequence analysis revealed that MrMYB9 shared a similar R2R3 domain with MYB activators of anthocyanin biosynthesis in other plants. MrMYB9 substantially transactivated promoters of anthocyanin biosynthesis-related EBGs (MrCHI, MrF3’H, and MrANS) and LBGs (MrUFGT) upon co-expression of the AtEGL3 gene. Our findings indicated that MrMYB9 may positively modulate anthocyanin accumulation in Chinese bayberry.

The hypersensitive-induced reaction (HIR) gene family is associated with the hypersensitive response (HR) in plant defense against pathogens. Although rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a crucial food crop, studies on its HIR genes are limited. This study identified six HIR members, categorized into three phylogenetic clades. The analyses of phylogenetics, gene structures, and collinear relationships revealed a high conservation of these genes, featuring the stomatin/prohibitin/flotillin/HflK/C domain. OsHIR genes were regulated by cis-acting elements, including ARE, SARE, DRE, LTR, and GARE. OsHIRs were widely expressed in multiple plant organs, including roots, stems, and leaves. These genes respond to various abiotic stresses (like drought and low temperature) and hormone treatments (including ABA, SA, GA, and MeJA) with overlapping yet distinct expression patterns. Our results indicate that OsHIRs are involved in abiotic stresses and hormone responses, which provides a basis for further functional analysis of OsHIRs in rice crop plants.