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ObjectiveThe hygroscopic properties of Mume Flos decoction pieces were studied from the perspectives of macroscopic［water activity（Aw）］ and microscopic（water molecular mobility）， which provided a theoretical basis for the determination of the safe storage moisture content. MethodAdsorption isotherm of Mume Flos decoction pieces was obtained by static weighing method， and seven common hygroscopic models were fitted and estimated. The best model was selected according to the principle that determination coefficient（R2） was closer to 1， residual sum of squares（RSS） was closer to 0 and Akaike information criterion（AIC） was smaller. According to the optimal model， the absolute and relative safe moisture contents of Mume Flos decoction pieces at 25， 35， 45 ℃ was calculated. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance（LF-NMR） was used to measure the water molecular mobility in the hygroscopic process of Mume Flos decoction pieces. ResultThe best model to describe the adsorption isotherm of Mume Flos decoction pieces was the Peleg model. According to the model expression， the absolute safe moisture contents of Mume Flos decoction pieces at 25， 35， 45 ℃ were 9.59%， 7.96% and 7.68%， and the relative safe moisture contents were 13.05%， 11.99%， 11.77%， respectively. Mume Flos decoction pieces all contained two water states during the process of hygroscopic absorption at different temperatures， namely bound water T21 and free water T22. During the process of hygroscopic absorption， bound water had the largest increase in peak area. The sum of peak areas of the bound water and free water had a good linear relationship with the moisture contents， and the R2 were 0.959 9， 0.911 8 and 0.974 7 at 25， 35， 45 ℃， respectively. When Aw<0.57， T21 did not change， and the water molecular mobility remained unchanged. When Aw>0.57， T21 showed an increasing trend， and the water molecular mobility increased. The moisture contents of Mume Flos decoction pieces were 8.44%， 6.81% and 6.25% when the water molecular mobility increased at 25， 35， 45 ℃， respectively. ConclusionCombined with the theory of water activity and water molecular mobility， 6.25% is recommended as the safe storage moisture content of Mume Flos decoction pieces， this study can provide reference for determining the safe storage moisture content of other decoction pieces.
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ObjectiveTo compare the brain imaging characteristics in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and low back pain (LBP) based on amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of functional magnetic resonance imaging. MethodsFrom August, 2015 to September, 2021, 16 KOA patients and 16 healthy subjects (controls 1) with similar age and gender were recruited from the communities of Fuzhou, Fujian. Other 27 patients with LBP and 32 healthy subjects (controls 2) with similar age and gender were obtained from the Openpain database. The ALFF were analyzed. KOA patients were assessed the pain with Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and LBP patients were assessed with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The correlation between ALFF and pain scores was analyzed. ResultsCompared with their own controls, the ALFF decreased in the left anterior insula for both KOA and LBP patients. The ALFF decreased in the hippocampus and posterior cingulate cortex in KOA patients, while increased in LBP patients. ALFF in the left precuneus, left middle cingulate cortex and right periaqueductal gray matter decreased in KOA patients, and ALFF increased in the right precentral/postcentral gyrus. ALFF of bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral orbital anterior frontal cortex, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and right medial prefrontal cortex decreased in LBP patients, and ALFF increased in the right parahippocampal gyrus and right amygdala. ALFF of the left middle cingulate cortex negatively correlated with BPI score in KOA patients (r = -0.73, P = 0.003), and ALFF of the right hippocampus/amygdala positively correlated with VAS score in LBP patients (r = 0.73, P = 0.003). ConclusionThere are common and specific brain imaging features in different types of chronic pain. The alteration in the left anterior insula, hippocampus and posterior cingulate gyrus may be the common mechanism for KOA and LBP.
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Objective To study the correlation between the drug-resistance variation and the genotypes of hepatitis B virus (HBV)detected by the PCR-reverse dot blot and the relation between the HBV variation loci with the liver function indexes and HBV DNA viral loading.Methods The serum samples from 462 patients with chronic hepatitis B treated by oral nucleoside drugs were screened.The PCR-reverse dot blot was adopted to detect the drug-resistance gene mutation loci and genotypes.The correla-tion between the HBV drug-resistance mutant with the genotypes,liver function indexes and HBV DNA viral loads was performed. Results Among 462 patients taking nucleoside drugs for treating chronic hepatitis B,45 drug-resistance mutants were detected with the mutation rate of 9.74%;in which,16 cases (35.5%)were 180M and 204I/V mutant,6 cases(13.3%)were 204V,13 ca-ses(28.9%)were 204I mutant,3 cases (6.7%)were 180V mutant and 3 cases(6.7%)were 236T mutant.The HBV genotyping showed 105 cases of genotype B,337 cases of genotype C,0 case of genotype D and 2 cases of other genotypes.Conclusion (1)The HBVgenotypes in Maoming area may be different from the genotypes in other southern regions and is dominated by HBV-C geno-type.(2)The PCR-reverse dot blot method is a detection method for fastly and accurately finding the drug-resistance loci after nu-cleosides therapy.(3)The clinical analysis demonstrates that the drug-resistance mutation loci has no correlation with the liver func-tion index ALT(P >0.05),but there was certain correlation between the drug-resistance mutation loci in hepatitis B and HBV DNA viral load(P <0.05).
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes in the circulating levels of Treg cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their associations with the disease activity.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The fraction of circulating CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Treg cells in 40 active RA patients and 40 healthy controls were determined by flow cytometry. The serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression of Foxp3 mRNA was detected with real-time PCR. The correlation of the changes in the fraction of Treg cells and the disease activity of RA was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>RA patients showed a significantly lower level of circulating Treg cells than the control subjects [(5.36∓1.55)% vs (7.49∓1.46)%, P<0.01]. The expression of Foxp3 mRNA (P<0.01) and serum IL-10 level (P=0.000) were significantly lower, whereas TGF-β1 significantly higher (P=0.000) in RA patients than in the controls. Spearman analysis showed that serum level of IL-10 but not TGF-β1 was correlated to the fraction of Treg cells and Foxp3 mRNA expression, but the fraction of Treg cells was not correlated to such indices of disease activity as tender joint counts, swollen joint counts, visual analog scale, HAQ, disease activity score in 28 joints, ESR, or CRP, nor to RA self-antibodies (including RF and anti-CCP antibodies).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A lower fraction and dysfunction of circulating Treg cells might be involved in the pathologies of RA, and a higher disease activity is associated with a greater reduction of Treg cells.</p>
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Blood , Pathology , Blood Sedimentation , CD4 Lymphocyte Count , Case-Control Studies , Flow Cytometry , Forkhead Transcription Factors , Metabolism , Interleukin-10 , Blood , T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory , Cell Biology , Transforming Growth Factor beta1 , BloodABSTRACT
Objective To observe the changes of number and proportion of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ cells in peripheral blood of active rheumatoid arthritis patients (RA),and explore the function of recombinant human TNFR Ⅱ-Fc on the CD4+CD25-FOXP3+ Treg cells.Methods ① Forty severe RA patients were selected,who were divided into the combined treatment group (TNFR Ⅱ-Fc+MTX) and MTX only group according to the principle of randomized,double-blind,parallel and placebo-controlled study.All patients were treated for 12 weeks.Flow cytometry was used to analyze and compare the expression ratio of CD4+CD25+FOXP3 +Treg cells of RA patients' peripheral blood.Forty healthy controls were selected for parallel comparison.② VAS,DAS28,HAQ average of the two groups at different periods were compared.Matched t test was used to examine the quantity data between the groups.Results ① The proportion of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ cells in the peripheral blood of active rheumatoid arthritis patients was significantly lower than healthy group [ (5.4±1.4)％ vs ( 7.5±1.5 )％,P＜0.01 ].The proportion of CD4+CD25+ FOXP3+ Treg cells in combined treatment group was significantly higher [(7.0+1.2)％ vs (5.2±1.6)％,P＜0.01 ] after TNFR Ⅱ-Fc and MTX combination therapy for 12 weeks.The increase rate of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+Treg cells in combined treatment group was evidently more remarkable than MTX only group [ (7.0 ± 1.2)％ vs (5.6 ±0.7 )％,P＜0.01].② After 12 weeks treatment,the arerage scores of VAS,DAS28 and HAQ of the combined treatment group were better than MTX only group,and the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.01).Conclusion This study has shown that the healing effect of TNFR Ⅱ -Fc combined with MTX is better than MTX only.TNFR Ⅱ -Fc can restore and improve the proportion of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Treg cells in active RA patients,which is likely to be an important mechanism for the treatment of RA patients.
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Objective To investigate the protection effects of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-α receptor Ⅱ :IgG Fc fusion protein for injection (rhTNFR:Fc) on rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and analyze osteopontin (OPN) changes following therapy in order to understand its primary mechanism of action. Methods CIA was induced by bovine Ⅱ collagen (B Ⅱ C) injection. Rats were treated with rhTNFR:Fc from the 13th day after the first injection of B Ⅱ C till the 36th day. The anterior-posterior diameters of ankle joints and weight were measured weekly. The pathological score was evaluated by HE staining and toluidine blue staining. The blood plasma TNF-α and OPN levels were measured by ELISA and the histology expression was evaluated by immuno-histochemistry. Comparisons between groups were performed with one-way ANOVA. Results Quantitative analysis showed pathological score in the model group and treatment group was significantly reduced in joint pathology (8.2±1.0 vs 4.8±1.4, P<0.05). The mean plasma levels of TNF-α and OPN values were (713±146) pg/ml, (4.3±0.6) ng/ml respectively in the model group,but those of the treatment group were (68±20) pg/ml, (4.2±0.6) ng/ml. Serum TNF-α values were significantly different (P<0.05) between the two groups, while no significant difference was found in the value of plasma OPN (P=0.688) between the two groups. rhTNFR:Fc could reduce the cells OPN expression in the interface layer of the synovium and cartilage (P<0.05). Conclusion Pathology scores and ELISA results haveshown that rhTNFR:Fc has good therapeutic efficacy. It can significantly reduce the bone and cartilage damage of CIA mouse model, and can significantly reduce the expression of OPN in the sliding joints, thereby delay disease progression. However, it can not reduce the expression of OPN in the peripheral blood plasma.OPN may be involved in bone destruction and resorption rather than in inflammatory process.
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Objective To investigate the effect of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS),in the kidney fibrosis of MRL/lpr lupus mice.Methods The expression of connective tissue growth factor(CTGF)and γ-GCS in the kidney tissue of MRL/lpr lupus mice and control mice were detected by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR)and immunohistochemistry.The relationship between CTGF and γ-GCS was analyzed.Results The transcription and expression of CTGF in the kidney tissue of MRL/lpr lupus mice was significantly higher as compared with that of the control mice(CTGF mRNA:1.052±0.004 vs 0.402±0.009,P<0.01;CTGF protein:3.364±0.460 vs 1.206±0.271,P<0.01);whereas the expression of γ-GCS mRNA was decreased in MRL/lpr lupus mice(0.952±0.011 vs 1.145±0.066,P<0.01).Pearson's regression analysis showed that there was a negative correlation between CTGF and γ-GCS(r=-0.902,P<0.01).Conclusion The decreased expression of γ-GCS in the kidney of MRL/lpr lupus mice may compromise the ability of antioxidative stress,and there is a negative correlation between γ-GCS and CTGF.This suggests that the perturbation of γ-GCS may contribute to the progress of kidney fibrosis.
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Objective: To evaluate the methylation status at CpG site -55 in the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) gene promoter and its effect on IFN-γ expression in chronic hepatitis B. Method: The authors recruited 30 patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 30 HBeAg-negative CHB patients, and 30 healthy blood donors. Pyrosequencing was used to determine the methylation status at CpG site -55 in the IFN-γ gene promoter following bisulfite treatment of DNA in peripheral blood, mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The expression of IFN-γ was analyzed by real-time RT-PCR and ELISA. HBV DNA in PBMCs was detected by nested PCR. Results: The methylation level at CpG site -55 in the IFN-γ gene promoter was significantly increased, resulting in subsequent down-regulation of the expression of this cytokine in CHB. The methylation level at CpG site -55 was significantly higher in HBeAg-positive patients than in HBeAg-negative ones (P < 0.01) and was also significantly higher in PBMCs from HBV DNA-positive patients than from HBV DNA-negative ones (P < 0.01); the methylation level at CpG site -55 was positively correlated with the amount of HBV DNA in serum (P < 0.01). Conclusion: IFN-γ gene expression appears to be regulated by methylation of the IFN-γ gene promoter in CHB; the methylation level at CpG site -55 is associated with HBV infection.
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Objective To evaluate the methylation status at CpG site -55 in the interferon-gamma (IFN-7) gene promoter and its effect on IFN-7 expression in chronic hepatitis B. Method The authors recruited 30 patients with UBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 30 HBeAg-negative CHB patients, and 30 healthy blood donors. Pyrosequeneing was used to determine the methylation status at CpG site -55 in the IFN-γ gene promoter following bisulfite treatment of DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The expression of IFN-γ was analyzed by real-time RT-PCR and ELISA. HBV DNA in PBMCs was detected by nested PCR. Results The methylation level at CpG site -55 in the IFN-γ gene promoter was significantly increased, resulting in subsequent down-regulation of the expression of this cytoldne in CHB. The methylation level at CpG site -55 was significantly higher in HBeAg-positive patients than in HBeAg-negative ones (P<0.01) and was also significantly higher in PBMCs from HBV DNA-positive patients than from HBV DNA-negative ones (P<0.01) ; the methylation level at CpG site -55 was positively correlated with the amount of HBV DNA in serum (P<0.01). Oonclusion IFN-γ gene expression appears to be regulated by methylation of the IFN-γ gene promoter in CHB; the methylation level at CpG site -55 is associated with HBV infection.
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Objective To explore the roles of cytokines in the pathogenesis of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS). Methods Double-antibody sandwich ELISA was used to determine serum interleukin (IL)-6, urine tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL-6 and IL-8 levels in 56 patients with HFRS. Results Serum IL-6, urine TNF, IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations in HFRS patients were significantly higher than those in control group, respectively (P＜0.001). The concentrations increased at fever stage, then continued to increase during hypotension stage and peaked at oliguria stage. The concentrations of serum IL-6, urine TNF, IL-6 and IL-8 increased in accord with the severity of the disease and differed greatly among different types of the disease. Serum IL-6 had remarkable relationships with serum specific antibodies. It was positively related to serum β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), blood ureanitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr). Significant positive relationships were also found both between urine IL-6 and TNF, and between IL-6 and IL-8 (r=0.5768, P＜0.05; r=0.3760, P＜0.01). Conclusion TNF, IL-6 and IL-8 activated during the course of the disease. IL-6 is associated with the immunopathological lesions caused by the hyperfunction of humoral immune response. IL-6, IL-8 and TNF are involved in the renal immune impairment. Determining them might, in certain extent, be used in predicting the prognosis and outcome of patients with HFRS.
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Based on the present standardized training model for medicine residents,we analyzed the problems we met in the performance and discussed how to innovate the standardized management.
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The standard administration and the management of the teaching files have been built firstly in the teaching and research apartment of medicine.A variety of databases to achieve files informatics and a series of teaching resources have been reinforced for recent years.Informatics technology,curriculum construction and teaching methods have been conformed to take full advantage of the teaching files.