Fig 2: Protein expression levels of protein markers of B cells and the immune microenvironment in tissue specimens of gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. (A and B) Immunohistochemistry images of protein expression levels of the proliferative B-cell markers CD20, CD79a, CD5, CD10, Ki67 and PD-L1 as well as the immune microenvironmental markers CD4, CD8 and PD-1 in two representative tissue specimens of GDLBCL. Scale bar=50 µm. PD-L1, programmed death-ligand 1.

Fig 3: Relationships between serum NEP levels and tissue NEP expression levels (adipose and LA tissues). A: Relationship between serum NEP levels and NEP protein (a) and mRNA expression (b) in the SAT (n = 44). B: Relationship between serum NEP levels and NEP protein (a) and mRNA expression (b) in EAT (n = 58). C: Relationship between serum NEP levels and NEP protein (a) and mRNA expression (b) in the LA (n = 61). The r- and p-values are shown.

Fig 4: Comparison of echocardiographic parameters and fibrosis-related gene expression level including NEP mRNA and protein between PAF with low and high mLASr and AF. A: Age and echocardiographic differences between control participants (n = 109) and PAF patients (n = 21) with low and high mLASr and AF (n = 34). PAF patients (n = 21) were divided into two groups (low mLASr (n = 10, male 5, female 5) and high mLASr (n = 11, male 7, female 4) based on the median mLASr value. B: Comparisons of echocardiographic findings, gene expression levels, and NEP protein, and serum NEP level between PAF patients with high and low LASr. (a) Age, BMI, and echocardiographic findings; (b) fibrosis-related gene expression, (c) ANP mRNA, (d) NEP mRNA, (e) NEP protein, and (f) serum concentration of NEP. Blue bar, high mLASr (n = 10–11); red bar, low mLASr (n = 9–10). C: Comparisons of echocardiographic findings, gene expression levels, and NEP protein, and serum NEP level between PAF and AF patients. (a) Age, BMI, and echocardiographic findings. Blue bar, SR (PAF, n = 21); red bar, AF (n = 34). (b-f) fibrosis-related gene expression (b), ANP mRNA (c), NEP mRNA (d), NEP protein (e), and serum concentration of NEP (f). For some genes, actual data (mean ± standard deviation) are shown in the figure. Blue bar, SR (PAF, n = 24–25); red bar, AF (n = 34–36). *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.

Fig 5: Multiple linear regression analysis and partial correlation analysis between atrial NEP mRNA expression level and fibrosis-related gene expression level. A: Multiple regression analysis. Multivariate regression analysis showed that 1) log (TGFB1) and log (NOX4) were independent variables for predicting log (COL1A1) expression (brown arrow). 2) Log (NOX4) and log (NLRP3) were independent variables for predicting log (NEP) expression levels (green arrow). 3) Log (NEP) was an independent variable for predicting log (NLRP3), log (TGFB1), and log (NOX4) (red arrow). β-values are shown. B: Partial correlation analysis of NOX4, TGFB1, NLRP3, and NEP. Log (NEP) expression level was significantly positively correlated with log (NOX4) (r = 0.41) and log (NLRP4) (r = 0.39) expression level, but not with log (TGFB1). The partial correlation coefficients (r) are also shown. The lines connecting each index have a partial correlation coefficient of 0.25 or more.