Therapeutic Window of Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) and its correlation with IVIG-resistant in Kawasaki Disease: a retrospective study

Abstract Objective: To investigate the optimal timing of initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. Methods: KD patients were classified as the early group (day 1-4), conventional group (day 5-7), conventional group (day 8-10), and late group (after day 10). Differences among the groups were analyzed by ANOVA and Chi-square analysis. Predictors of IVIG resistance and the optimal cut-off value were determined by multiple logistic regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: There were no significant differences in IVIG resistance among the 4 groups (p = 0.335). The sensitivity analysis also confirmed no difference in the IVIG resistance between those who started the initial IVIG ≤ day 7 of illness and those who received IVIG >day 7 of illness (p = 0.761). In addition, patients who received IVIG administration more than 7 days from the onset had a higher proportion of coronary artery abnormalities (p = 0.034) and longer length of hospitalization (p = 0.033) than those who started IVIG administration less than 7 days. The optimal cut-off value of initial IVIG administration time for predicting IVIG resistance was >7 days, with a sensitivity of 75.25% and specificity of 82.41%. Conclusions: IVIG therapy within 7 days of illness is found to be more effective for reducing the risk of coronary artery abnormalities than those who received IVIG >day 7 of illness. IVIG treatment within the 7 days of illness seems to be the optimal therapeutic window of IVIG. However, further prospective studies with long-term follow-up are required.

Comparison of the predictive value of anthropometric indicators for the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia in southern China / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

This study aimed to compare the predictive value of six selected anthropometric indicators for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Males over 50 years of age who underwent health examinations at the Health Management Center of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University (Changsha, China) from June to December 2020 were enrolled in this study. The characteristic data were collected, including basic anthropometric indices, lipid parameters, six anthropometric indicators, prostate-specific antigen, and total prostate volume. The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for all anthropometric parameters and BPH were calculated using binary logistic regression. To assess the diagnostic capability of each indicator for BPH and identify the appropriate cutoff values, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the related areas under the curves (AUCs) were utilized. All six indicators had diagnostic value for BPH (all P ≤ 0.001). The visceral adiposity index (VAI; AUC: 0.797, 95% CI: 0.759-0.834) had the highest AUC and therefore the highest diagnostic value. This was followed by the cardiometabolic index (CMI; AUC: 0.792, 95% CI: 0.753-0.831), lipid accumulation product (LAP; AUC: 0.766, 95% CI: 0.723-0.809), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR; AUC: 0.660, 95% CI: 0.609-0.712), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR; AUC: 0.639, 95% CI: 0.587-0.691), and body mass index (BMI; AUC: 0.592, 95% CI: 0.540-0.643). The sensitivity of CMI was the highest (92.1%), and WHtR had the highest specificity of 94.1%. CMI consistently showed the highest OR in the binary logistic regression analysis. BMI, WHtR, WHR, VAI, CMI, and LAP all influence the occurrence of BPH in middle-aged and older men (all P ≤ 0.001), and CMI is the best predictor of BPH.

Visual quality observation of transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy and femtosecond small incision lenticule extraction for the correction of low myopia / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To observe the changes in corneal aberrations and the characteristics of visual quality after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy(T-PRK)and femtosecond small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)in the correction of low myopia.METHODS: Prospective cohort study. A total of 32 cases(32 eyes)with low myopia who underwent T-PRK surgery and 45 cases(45 eyes)of SMILE surgery at Weifang Eye Hospital from April 2021 to April 2022 were selected. The uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), spherical equivalent(SE), corneal higher-order aberrations(HOAs)and objective visual quality were compared between the two groups.RESULTS:All patients completed the surgery successfully without complications such as infection. At 3mo postoperatively, the safety index was 1.13±0.16 and 1.16±0.17(P=0.48)and the efficacy index was 1.10±0.20 and 1.15±0.18(P=0.27)in the T-PRK and SMILE groups, respectively. The percentage of UCVA(LogMAR)≤0 in the T-PRK and SMILE groups was 94% and 98%, respectively. The percentage of the residual SE within ±0.5D was 88% and 87% in the two groups, respectively. The HOAs and spherical aberration in both groups were significantly increased(P≤0.01), and the increase was not statistically significant between the two groups(P=0.31, 0.89). There was no significant change in horizontal coma, horizontal trefoil and vertical trefoil in both groups(P>0.05). The vertical coma in SMILE group was significantly increased(P<0.001), while there was no significant change in T-PRK group(P>0.05), and the increase was significantly greater in SMILE group than in T-PRK group(P<0.001). There was no significant difference in objective scattering index(OSI), modulation transfer function cut off frequency(MTFcut off), Strehl ratio(SR), visual acuity(VA)100%, VA20% and VA9% between the two groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION:Both T-PRK and SMILE showed good safety, efficacy, and visual quality in correcting low myopia, while SMILE induced more vertical coma than T-PRK.

Short-term visual quality observation of femtosecond laser small incision lenticule extraction and evolution implantable collamer lens implantation in the correction of moderate myopia / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the short-term visual quality outcomes after femtosecond laser small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)and evolution implantable collamer lens(EVO-ICL)implantation for the correction of moderate myopia.METHODS: Prospective control study. A total of 51 cases(51 eyes)with moderate myopia who underwent SMILE or EVO-ICL implantation surgery at Weifang Eye Hospital from April 2021 to February 2022 were selected. They were divided into SMILE group(30 patients, 30 eyes)and EVO-ICL group(21 patients, 21 eyes)according to the surgical methods. The changes of visual acuity [uncorrected distance visual acuity(UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity(CDVA)], diopter [spherical equivalent(SE)] and related parameters of optical quality analysis system(OQAS Ⅱ)were observed before surgery and at 1wk, 1 and 3mo after surgery, and the quality of vision(QoV)questionnaire was completed.RESULTS: At 3mo after surgery, the safety index(postoperative CDVA/preoperative CDVA)of SMILE gruop and EVO-ICL group were 1.20(1.00, 1.20)and 1.20(1.00, 1.38), respectively, the efficacy index(postoperative UDVA/preoperative CDVA)were 1.00(1.00, 1.20)and 1.00(1.00, 1.20), respectively, and the percentage of SE within ±0.50D was 87% and 100%, respectively. In SMILE group, the objective scattering index(OSI)was increased after surgery, while modulation transfer function cutoff frequency(MTF cutoff), contrast visual acuity(VA)100%, and VA20% at 1wk and 1mo after surgery, and Strehl ratio(SR)and VA9% at each time point after surgery were all decreased compared with those before surgery(all P<0.05). The OSI, MTF cutoff, SR and VA of EVO-ICL group showed no difference at each time point after surgery compared with those before surgery(all P>0.05). The most common visual symptoms after SMILE and EVO-ICL implantation were visual haze and halos, respectively.CONCLUSION: Both SMILE and EVO-ICL implantation have good safety, efficacy and predictability in the short term after the correction of moderate myopia. Both groups had visual symptoms after surgery, but the overall satisfaction of patients was high. Furthermore, EVO-ICL implantation has better objective visual quality performance.

Exploration of potential molecular mechanism of Chuanxiong in treatment of tension-type headache based on network pharmacology and molecular docking / 中国药理学通报

Aim To analyze the active ingredients of Chuanxiong, predict its target and signaling pathways in the treatment of tension-type headache, and clarify its therapeutic mechanism based on the principle of network pharmacology.Methods The effective active ingredients in Chuanxiong were retrieved from the Chinese herbal system pharmacology platform(TCMSP), and were performed by the ADME screen to collect the potential targets; the existing tension-type headache-related disease targets were collected through the GeneCards database.The targets corresponding to the active ingredients were intersected to obtain the common target as the key target.Cytoscape was used to construct and analyze the visual "drug-active ingredient-target-disease" network, and the String database was used to construct the PPI protein interaction network; through R language the GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment of common targets in the form of bubble graphs were analyzed.Lastly, molecular docking was used for preliminary verification.Results Finally 7 active ingredients, 105 compound targets and 2 139 tension-type headache-related target genes were obtained.There were 54 nodes in the protein interaction network.GO functional enrichment analysis yielded 215 entries, and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis yielded 68 signaling pathways.Molecular docking showed that FA, Chuanxiong quinone, sitosterol, ligustalin had strong affinity with CASP3, MAPK1, MAPK14.Conclusions It is suggested that Chuanxiong may treat tension-type headaches through anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cytoprotective effects.

基于网络 ? ? 学探讨 ? 脾补肾活血方治疗 缺血性 ? 中的作用机 / 中国药理学通报

Aim To explore the mechanism of Danshen decoction in the treatment of colon cancer using network pharmacology and molecular docking.Methods The active components and corresponding target proteins of Salvia miltiorrhiza, Santalum album and Amo-mum villosum in Danshen decoction were screened based on Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and analysis platform.The targets of colon cancer were searched by using Genecards database, and the common targets were selected.The network diagram of traditional Chinese medicine-active components-target-disease was constructed by using Cytoscape 3.7.0.The protein protein interaction network of common targets was constructed by using STRING database.The gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Gnomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis were carried out based on R4.0.2.The important targets in the key pathways and the important active components in the network diagram of traditional Chinese medicine-active ingredients-target-disease network were selected for Surflex Dock.Results A total of 78 active components, 142 targets, 3 239 colon cancer targets, 105 overlapping targets and 69 corresponding active components were screened out.KEGG analysis showed that the key signaling pathway was PI3K/AKT.Luteolin and Tanshinone IIA with high correlation were selected to dock with protein kinase B(AKT1).Both active components had hydrogen bonding with AKT1.Conclusions Danshen decoction plays a positive role in colon cancer treatment.The mechanism may be related to the regulation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Toxicity mechanism of Rhododendri Mollis Flos: based on serum metabolomics and network toxicology / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to explore the toxicity mechanism of Rhododendri Mollis Flos(RMF) based on serum metabolomics and network toxicology. The toxic effect of RMF on normal rats was evaluated according to the symptoms, serum biochemical indexes, and histopathology. Serum metabolomics was combined with multivariate statistical analysis to search endogenous differential metabolites and related metabolic pathways. The toxic components, targets, and signaling pathways of RMF were screened by network toxicology technique, and the component-target-metabolite-metabolic pathway network was established with the help of serum metabolomics. The result suggested the neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity of RMF. A total of 31 differential metabolites and 10 main metabolic pathways were identified by serum metabolomics, and 11 toxic components, 332 related target genes and 141 main signaling pathways were screened out by network toxicology. Further analysis yielded 7 key toxic components: grayanotoxin Ⅲ,grayanotoxinⅠ, rhodojaponin Ⅱ, rhodojaponin Ⅴ, rhodojaponin Ⅵ, rhodojaponin Ⅶ, and kalmanol, which acted on the following 12 key targets: androgen receptor(AR), albumin(ALB), estrogen receptor β(ESR2), sex-hormone binding globulin(SHBG), type 11 hydroxysteroid(17-beta) dehydrogenase(HSD17 B11), estrogen receptor α(ESR1), retinoic X receptor-gamma(RXRG), lactate dehydrogenase type C(LDHC), Aldo-keto reductase(AKR) 1 C family member 3(AKR1 C3), ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 1(ABCB1), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2 B7(UGT2 B7), and glutamate-ammonia ligase(GLUL). These targets interfered with the metabolism of gamma-aminobutyric acid, estriol, testosterone, retinoic acid, 2-oxobutyric acid, and affected 4 key metabolic pathways of alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and retinol metabolism. RMF exerts toxic effect on multiple systems through multiple components, targets, and pathways. Through the analysis of key toxic components, target genes, metabolites, and metabolic pathways, this study unveiled the mechanism of potential neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity of RMF, which is expected to provide a clue for the basic research on toxic Chinese medicinals.

Survival status of HIV/AIDS patients aged ≥ 50 years old receiving antiretroviral therapy in Shanxi, 2011-2019 / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　To analyze the survival status of HIV/AIDS patients aged above 50 years receiving antiviral therapy (ART) in Shanxi Province from 2011 to 2019, and to provide evidence for further improvement of antiviral therapy. Methods　Basic information and follow-up information of HIV/AIDS patients aged above 50 years who first received HIV/AIDS antiviral therapy in Shanxi Province from 2011 to 2019 were collected. Excel database was established and SPSS23.0 software was used for analysis. Retrospective cohort study was conducted. Cox proportional risk regression model was used to analyze the factors influencing survival time. Results　A total of 1 183 subjects were included, of which 172 died, including 84(48.84%) from other causes, 74(43.02%) AIDS-related death and 14 (8.14%) from accidents, suicides and undetermined deaths. Setting AIDS-related deaths as an outcome event, life table analysis showed that the cumulative survival rates at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 years after receiving ART were 96.61%, 93.59%, 90.35%, 87.57% and 83.44%, respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional risk model analysis showed that the risk of death in patients aged 60-<70 years group and over 70 age group was 2.53 times (95%CI: 1.51-4.23) and 3.59 times (95%CI: 1.74-7.40) for patients aged the 50-<60 group , respectively. The risk of death in patients with baseline CD4+T lymphocyte (CD4) counts of ≥200/mm3, 50-<200 /mm3 was 0.22 times (95%CI: 0.12-0.41) and 0.37 times (95%CI: 0.21-0.67) for patients with CD4+T lymphocyte counts of <50/mm3. The risk of death in patients with opportunistic infections at baseline was 1.99 times (95%CI: 1.16-3.39) for patients without baseline opportunistic infections. Conclusions　The survival rate of HIV/AIDS patients aged above 50 who received antiviral therapy (ART) in Shanxi Province from 2011 to 2019 was relatively high. To further improve the quality of antiviral treatment in our province, the strategy of "early detection and early treatment" should be continued and improved in the future, and information collection of specific causes of non-AIDS-related deaths among this population should be further strengthened.

Common Syndromes of Cerebral Infarction Patients in Rural Areas of Eastern Henan Based on Latent Structure Model and Factor Analysis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the common syndromes of patients with cerebral infarction in rural areas of eastern Henan based on latent structure model and factor analysis，and provide reference for clinical differentiation of cerebral infarction. MethodThe data samples of patients with cerebral infarction in rural areas in eastern Henan were preprocessed. With Lantern 5.0 of latent structure method and LTM-EAST algorithm of two-step latent tree analysis， the manifest variable latent structure model of related symptoms was built to interpret different latent nodes， and common syndromes of cerebral infarction were obtained via comprehensive cluster analysis. SPSS 20.0 was used for factor analysis and cluster analysis of related symptoms to infer the distribution of syndrome types. ResultThe data of 888 patients with cerebral infarction were included， involving symptoms， tongue and pulse （88 in total）. The 65 symptoms with a frequency of ≥5% were constructed into a latent structure model， and 31 latent variables were obtained. The Bayesian information criterion （BIC） score was -15 367.17. Based on professional knowledge， s6 common syndrome types were found， namely， syndrome of upward disturbance of wind-fire， Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome， syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis blocking collaterals， syndrome of phlegm-heat and fu-organ excess， syndrome of wind phlegm obstructing collaterals， and syndrome of stirring wind due to yin deficiency. In factor analysis， the symptoms with a frequency of >10% were selected， and 13 common factors were obtained and used for systematic cluster analysis. And 5 syndrome types were inferred： syndrome of wind phlegm obstructing collaterals， syndrome of phlegm-heat and fu-organ excess， Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome， syndrome of combined phlegm and blood stasis， and syndrome of yin deficiency and internal heat. According to the determination criteria of syndrome types in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， 6 common syndrome types of cerebral infarction were finally determined. ConclusionAccording to the severity of the disease， the common syndromes of patients with cerebral infarction in rural areas of Eastern Henan were divided into the following categories： apoplexy involving channel and collateral： syndrome of upward disturbance of wind fire， syndrome of wind phlegm obstructing collaterals， and syndrome of stirring wind due to yin deficiency. Apoplexy involving zang and fu-viscera： syndrome of phlegm-heat and fu-organ excess， and syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis blocking collaterals. Recovery period： Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. This study was basically consistent with the syndrome law in TCM theory， and provided reference for further establishing syndrome diagnostic criteria of cerebral infarction.

Design and semisynthesis of oleanolic acid derivatives as VEGF inhibitors: Inhibition of VEGF-induced proliferation, angiogenesis, and VEGFR2 activation in HUVECs / 中国天然药物

Angiogenesis inhibitors targeting the VEGF signaling pathway are developed into drugs for the treatment of vaious diseases, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and age-related macular degeneration. Recent studies have revealed that oleanolic acid (OA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, inhibited the VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling pathway and angiogenesis in HUVECs, which may represent an attractive VEGF inhibitor. In this paper, rational structural modification towards OA was performed in order to improve its inhibitory effects aganist VEGF and anti-angiogenesis potential. As a result, a series of novel OA derivatives, possessing α,β-unsaturated ketone system in ring A and amide functional group at C-28, were prepared and evaluated for cytotoxicity and their ability to inhibit VEGF-induced abnormal proliferation of HUVECs. The results showed that two promising derivatives, OA-1 and OA-16, exhibited no in vitro cytotoxicity against HUVECs but showed more potent inhibitory activity against VEGF-induced proliferation and angiogenesis in HUVECs, compared with OA. The results of Western blot indicated that OA-1 and OA-16 inhibited VEGF-induced VEGFR2 activation. Furthermore, small interfering RNA experiments were performed to confirm that both compounds inhibited VEGF-induced angiogenesis via VEGFR2. Thus, the present study resulted in the discovery of new promising OA-inspired VEGF inhibitors, which can serve as potential lead compounds for the treatment of angiogenesis-related diseases.

Adult Age Estimation of CT Image Reconstruction of the Laryngeal Cartilages and Hyoid Bone Based on Data Mining / 法医学杂志

Objective To explore the feasibility of the CT image reconstruction of laryngeal cartilage and hyoid bone in adult age estimation using data mining methods. Methods The neck thin slice CT scans of 413 individuals aged 18 to <80 years were collected and divided into test set and train set, randomly. According to grading methods such as TURK et al., all samples were graded comprehensively. The process of thyroid cartilage ossification was divided into 6 stages, the process of cricoid cartilage ossification was divided into 5 stages, and the synosteosis between the greater horn of hyoid and hyoid body was divided into 3 stages. Multiple linear regression model, support vector regression model, and Bayesian ridge regression model were developed for adult age estimation by scikit-learn 0.17 machine learning kit （Python language）. Leave-one-out cross-validation and the test set were used to further evaluate performance of the models. Results All indicators were moderately or poorly associated with age. The model with the highest accuracy in male age estimation was the support vector regression model, with a mean absolute error of 8.67 years, much higher than the other two models. The model with the highest accuracy in female adult age estimation was the support vector regression model, with a mean absolute error of 12.69 years, but its accuracy differences with the other two models had no statistical significance. Conclusion Data mining technology can improve the accuracy of adult age estimation, but the accuracy of adult age estimation based on laryngeal cartilage and hyoid bone is still not satisfactory, so it should be combined with other indicators in practice.

Research progress in mechanism of berberine's antitumor action / 中国中药杂志

Malignant tumor, an important factor threatening human life and health, brings huge economic burden to patients. At present, chemoradiotherapy is still the main treatment method for tumor diseases, but there are also great side effects when it plays a therapeutic role. Traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of tumor diseases has many advantages such as few side effects, improving the physiological state of patients, and slowing down the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Berberine is an effective component of rhizoma coptidis, with a very good antitumor effect. It can inhibit tumor cell proliferation, promote tumor cell apoptosis, inhibit tumor metastasis and angiogenesis, regulate tumor autophagy, reverse multi-drug resistance of tumor, regulate the body immunity, and affect tumor metabolic reprogramming to play its role. Compared with chemical preparations, berberine has a wide range of sources, with high safety and easy access, and has great potential in the prevention and treatment of malignant tumors. In this article, we would mainly review the research progress on the antitumor mechanism of berberine in recent years.

The intestinal absorption characteristics of five active components in Lizhong Decoction / 药学学报

The intestinal absorption properties of the main effective components (glycyrrhizic acid, isoliquiritigenin, 6-gingerol, ginsenoside Rb1, atractylode-I) in Lizhong decoction (LZD) extracts were investigated with an in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion model in rats. UPLC-TQ-MS was used to determine the concentration of the five components in the intestinal perfusion. Animal welfare and experimental procedures were in accordance with the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine. As evaluation indexes for the intestinal absorption characteristics, the absorption rate constant (Ka) and the apparent permeability coefficient (Peff) of the five main ingredients were analyzed. Results showed that the best absorption sites for glycyrrhizic acid, isoliquiritin and 6-gingerol were the ileum, colon and duodenum, respectively, and the differences between different intestinal segments were statistically significant (P <0.05). There was no notable difference in Ka and Peff between ginsenoside Rb1 and atractylode-I in the different intestinal segments (P > 0.05), suggesting that they were absorbed throughout. The five components were well-absorbed in the whole intestine (Peff > 1.0×10-3 cm·min-1), indicating that LZD is suitable for preparing sustained, controlled release and enteric-coated preparations.

Estimation of Sex from Patella Measurements in Sichuan Han Population Based on CT-Three-Dimensional Volume Reconstruction Technique / 法医学杂志

Objective To estimate sex based on patella measurements of Sichuan Han population by computed tomography three-dimensional volume reconstruction technique, and to explore the application value of patella in sex estimation. Methods CT three-dimensional volume reconstruction images of patella of 250 individuals were collected, the four measurement indicators including patellar length, patellar width, patellar thickness, and patellar volume were measured. The t-test was used to determine measurement indicators with sex differences. Fisher discriminant analysis was used to establish the sex discriminant function and the prediction accuracy was calculated by leave-one-out cross validation. Results The sex differences of the four measurement indicators had a statistical significance （P<0.05）. The accuracy rate of the univariate discriminant function established by the patellar length was the highest （82.0%）. The accuracy rates of the all indicators discriminant function and the stepwise discriminant function were 80.4% and 81.6%, respectively. Conclusion It is feasible and accurate to estimate sex of Sichuan Han population by patella measurements with CT three-dimensional volume reconstruction technique. The method may be used as an alternative for sex estimation of Sichuan Han population when other bones with higher accuracy are not available.

Research Progress of Adult Age Determination with Imaging Methods / 法医学杂志

Adult age determination plays an important role in individual identification, criminal investigation and social welfare. The most popular adult age determination indicators are pubic symphysis, iliac auricular surface, costal cartilage, cranial sutures, teeth, laryngeal cartilage, etc. In recent years, with the progress of CT imaging and 3D reconstruction technology, the adult age determination study gradually has transferred from a time-consuming general observation of bones with complex pre-processing in the past to the non-destructive, convenient, time-saving and easy to store image analysis technology. To explore more accurate, rapid and convenient adult age determination methods, multiple imaging methods and artificial intelligence have been applied in adult age determination. This paper reviews the common methods and research progress of adult age determination at home and abroad, infers the development direction of adult age determination, in order to provide reference for the improvement and optimization of forensic adult age determination.

Age Estimation in Han Adults by Thin-Layer CT Scan of Cranial Sutures / 法医学杂志

Objective To explore the value of degree of cranial suture closure in forensic adult age estimation by thin-layer CT scan and establish an adult age estimation model of the Han nationality. Methods Thin-layer CT scan samples of the heads of 220 healthy Sichuan Han adults （110 males, 110 females） aged 20 to 70 were collected, of which 20 samples （10 males, 10 females） were randomly selected as test samples. The sagittal suture, coronal suture （both left and right） and lambdoid suture （both left and right） were respectively and equally divided into 2 segments, and every segment was equally divided into 10 layers and the corresponding multiplanar reformation （MPR） images were selected. The closure of cranial sutures on MPR images was classified into the grades 1-7. The correlations between cranial sutures and age were analyzed to build regression equation for age estimation. Results The degree of closure of sagittal suture, coronal suture （both left and right） and lambdoid suture （both left and right） was positively correlated with age. The coefficient of determination （R2） of regression equation was 0.419 in males, 0.589 in females, and 0.522 in all samples. The results of the verification test showed that the mean absolute error （MAE） was 6.39 years in males, 6.16 years in females, and 6.29 years in all samples. Conclusion There was a higher accuracy in adult age estimation by thin-layer CT scan of cranial sutures. The age of Han nationality adults can be estimated by the degree of cranial sutures closure.

Research Progress on Automatic Assessment of Bone Age / 法医学杂志

Bone age is an important indicator of human growth and development, which can objectively reflect the growth level and maturity of individuals. Traditional manual bone age assessment usually compares the X-ray of the left wrist with the reference standard to obtain the corresponding bone age. This method is time-consuming and its results vary with different observers. In recent years, with the continuous development of computer science, bone age assessment has began to change from traditional manual assessment to automatic assessment. Although there has already been numerous researches on automatic bone age assessment, most of them are still in the experimental stage. This paper reviews related research and progress on automatic bone age assessment at home and abroad in recent years, in order to provide reference and research ideas for relevant researchers.

Expression and Significance of PD-1, TIM-3 and VISTA on T Cell of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the expression of multiple negative costimulatory molecules on peripheral blood T cells in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its affection on prognosis.@*METHODS@#The peripheral blood samples from patients with newly diagnosed AML, complete remission (CR), and no-remission (NR) were collected, the expression levels PD-1、VISTA and TIM-3 in CD4 and CD8 T cells were detected by flow cytometry , and the clinical data of patients were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The expression levels of PD-1、VISTA and TIM-3 of CD4 and CD8 T cells in the newly diagnosed AML patients were significantly higher than those in control group (P＜0.05). The expression levels of PD-1、TIM-3 and VISTA of CD4 and CD8 T cells in the CR group were significantly lower than those in newly diagnosed and the NR group (P＜0.05). The TIM-3 expression level positively correlated with VISTA expression level of CD4 and CD8 T cells in newly diagnosed AML patients (r=0.85 and 0.73). The VISTA and PD-1 expression level of CD4 T cells in newly diagnosed AML, NR after first induction chemotherapy and high risk patients significantly increased (P＜0.05), the TIM-3 expression level of CD8 T cells in high risk group significantly increased (P＜0.05), and the VISTA expression level of CD8 T cells in CBFβ-MYH11 mutation-positive group significantly decreased (P＜0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The expression of PD-1、TIM-3 and VISTA in AML peripheral blood T cells may be involved in the immune escape of AML and can be the targets of treatment for acute myeloid leukemia patients.

Clinical Significance of Platelet Closure Time in Patients with Multiple Myeloma / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the clinical significance of platelet closure time (PCT) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM).@*METHODS@#Peripheral blood samples of 50 newly diagnosed MM patients treated in our hospital from July 2018 to November 2019 and 34 healthy persons underuent physical at the same time were collected. PCT induced by collagen/epinephrine (CEPI) and collagen/adenosinediphosphate (CADP) in peripheral blood were detected by PFA-200，and the clinical data included age, sex, leukocyte count, hemoglobin level, platelet count and level of serum creatinine, cystatin c, blood calcium, β-microglobulin (β-MG), bone marrow plasma cells, light chain protein, as well as the MM types, ISS stage of patients were collected.@*RESULTS@#The level of PCT in MM patients was significantly higher than that in healthy persons; the level of PCT were significantly increased with the increasing of ISS stage in newly diagnosed MM patients; After chemotherapy with bortezomib/dexamethasone (BD), the level of PCT in 15 patients who were responded to the treatment was significantly lower than those before treatment.@*CONCLUSION@#The platelet closure time is abnormal in MM patients, moreover, relates to the progress of the disease. It has an important clinical significance for the evaluation of diagnostic stage and therapeutic efficacy evaluation of MM patients.