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OBJECTIVES@#To study new biomarkers for the early diagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by analyzing the differences in blood metabolites based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and metabolomics.@*METHODS@#Dried blood spots were collected from 21 infants with ROP (ROP group) and 21 infants without ROP (non-ROP group) who were hospitalized in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2013 to December 2016. LC-MS/MS was used to measure the metabolites, and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis was used to search for differentially expressed metabolites and biomarkers.@*RESULTS@#There was a significant difference in blood metabolic profiles between the ROP and non-ROP groups. The pattern recognition analysis, Score-plot, and weight analysis obtained 10 amino acids with a relatively large difference. Further statistical analysis showed that the ROP group had significant increases in blood levels of glutamic acid, leucine, aspartic acid, ornithine, and glycine compared with the non-ROP group (P<0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that glutamic acid and ornithine had the highest value in diagnosing ROP.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Blood metabolites in preterm infants with ROP are different from those without ROP. Glutamic acid and ornithine are the metabolic markers for diagnosing ROP. LC-MS/MS combined with metabolomics analysis has a potential application value in the early identification and diagnosis of ROP.
Subject(s)
Infant, Newborn , Infant , Humans , Tandem Mass Spectrometry , Infant, Premature , Chromatography, Liquid , Retinopathy of Prematurity/diagnosis , Glutamic Acid , OrnithineABSTRACT
With the upsurge of medical artificial intelligence,the use of computer vision technology to study medical images,which can effectively help doctors to identify and screen diseases,has become a focus of researchers.This paper summarizes the basic situation,specific information,related research,and data sharing and utilizing ways of foreign breast image datasets.This review provides inspirations for the opening of Chinese medical and health data.
Subject(s)
Artificial Intelligence , Breast/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To construct a W203X-mutant mouse model of cblC type methylmalonic acidemia based on the CRISPR/Cas9 technology.@*METHODS@#At first, BLAST was used to compare the conservative nature of the cblC gene and protein sequences in humans and mice, and then, the CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used for microinjection of mouse fertilized eggs to obtain heterozygous F1 mice. Hybridization was performed for these mice to obtain homozygous W203X-mutant mice. The blood level of the metabolite propionyl carnitine (C3) was measured for homozygous mutant mice, heterozygous littermates, and wild-type mice.@*RESULTS@#The gene and protein sequences of MMACHC, the pathogenic gene for cblC type methylmalonic acidemia, were highly conserved in humans and mice. The homozygous W203X-mutant mice were successfully obtained by the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and there was a significant increase in C3 in these mice at 24 hours after birth (P<0.001).@*CONCLUSIONS@#A W203X-mutant mouse model of cblC type methylmalonic acidemia is successfully constructed by the CRISPR/Cas9 technology.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors , CRISPR-Cas Systems , Carrier Proteins , Heterozygote , MutationABSTRACT
@#AIM: To investigate the correlation between horizontal corneal diameter(WTW), horizontal anterior chamber diameter(HACD)and horizontal ciliary sulcus diameter(S-S). <p>METHODS: A total of 62 cases(115 eyes)with high myopia were collected from those who were examined in our hospital from August 2015 to August 2016. Their WTW and HACD were measured with SIRIUS, while S-S was measured with UBM, and the results were compared and analyzed. <p>RESULTS: In all patients, WTW was 11.91±0.37mm, HACD was 12.45±0.43mm, S-S was 11.78±0.46mm. There was negative correlation between HACD or S-S and age(<i>r</i>=-0.423 and <i>r</i>=-0.386 respectively, all <i>P</i><0.05). Correlation comparison with central anterior chamber depth(ACD)showed in group with ACD≤3.5mm, WTW and HACD were related with S-S; while in group with ACD>3.5mm, there was no significant correlation between WTW or HACD and S-S. <p>CONCLUSION: 1)WTW and S-S has better correlation, but due to the influence of age and anterior chamber depth, S-S is recommended to be measured with reference to the UBM to determine ICL when the patient is equal to or over 40 years old or with ACD>3.5mm; 2)SIRIUS Anterior Segment System is safe, simple and repeatability in measuring WTW and HACD.
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Objective: To prepare the hydrogels using Bletilla striata polysaccharides (BSP) as groundmass and evaluate its properties. Methods: BSP were successfully extracted and characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The BSP was incorporated with Carbopol 940 to prepare hydrogels. Rheological behavior of the gels was investigated by rotational rheometer, skin permeation properties and bioactivities of BSP gels were evaluated by trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and blood coagulation examinations respectively using mice as model animals. Results: The BSP was pure with complete structure. The BSP gels showed the better viscoelasticity and physical strength from carbopol gel. The gels showed better skin permeation enhancement and hemostatic activity. Conclusion: This work demonstrates the skin permeation enhancement and plasma coagulation effects of BSP hydrogels, which show great potential in transdermal drug delivery system and wound dressing.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of electronspun PLGA/HAp/Zein scaffolds on the repair of cartilage defects.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The PLGA/HAp/Zein composite scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning method. The physiochemical properties and biocompatibility of the scaffolds were separately characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) culture and animal experiments.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The prepared PLGA/HAp/Zein scaffolds showed fibrous structure with homogenous distribution. hUC-MSCs could attach to and grow well on PLGA/HAp/Zein scaffolds, and there was no significant difference between cell proliferation on scaffolds and that without scaffolds (P>0.05). The PLGA/HAp/Zein scaffolds possessed excellent ability to promote in vivo cartilage formation. Moreover, there was a large amount of immature chondrocytes and matrix with cartilage lacuna on PLGA/HAp/Zein scaffolds.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The data suggest that the PLGA/HAp/Zein scaffolds possess good biocompatibility, which are anticipated to be potentially applied in cartilage tissue engineering and reconstruction.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Humans , Male , Young Adult , Biocompatible Materials , Bone Development , Physiology , Cartilage , Cells, Cultured , Durapatite , Chemistry , Lactic Acid , Chemistry , Mesenchymal Stem Cells , Physiology , Polyglycolic Acid , Chemistry , Regeneration , Physiology , Tissue Scaffolds , Chemistry , Zein , ChemistryABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To prepare gossypol nanosuspensions and investigate their physicochemical properties and intestinal absorption behavior in rats. METHODS: Gossypol nanosuspensions were prepared by a high pressure homogenization method. Nanosuspensions' characteristics were investigated from particle size distribution, Zeta potential, particle morphology, crystal physical state, storage stability, saturation solubility, and in vitro release. Nanosuspensions' intestinal absorption characteristics were also observed in rats. RESULTS: The nanosuspensions existed as uniform rods. The mean particle size was (217±23) nm, and Zeta potential was -22.7 mV. Gossypol existed in crystalline form. Long-term stability test showed that gossypol nanosuspensions were stable at 4°C for 3 months. The experiment of intestinal absorption showed that the nanosuspensions could be absorbed through passive diffusion with significant variation at different sections. The experiment also showed that the absorption process was not affected by the efflux of P-glyco-protein (drug efflux pump). CONCLUSION: Gossypol nanosuspensions are successfully developed. The solubility in water and the release in vitro of the nanosuspensions are enhanced compared with the bulk drug of gossypol. This study provides a reference for the further pharmaceutical study of gossypol.
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Objective To measure the values of quantitative ultrasound(QUS) of different gestational age preterm infants at birth in Guangzhou area,and compare them with the values of Caucasian preterm infants in order to get insight into the bone development status of preterm infants in Guangzhou area and to evaluate the practicability of QUS.Methods The Omnisense quantitative ultrasound produced by Israel Sunlight company was used to measure the bone speed of sound(SOS) of left tibia of preterm infants born between Jun.2010 and Jun.2012 in Maternity and Children Health Hospital of Huadu District in Guangzhou,and the values of SOS of Caucasian preterm infants was compared.Results There were totally 1039 preterm infants born in Guangzhou area involved in this study,and they were divided into group A,B,C,D by gestational ages:≤ 30 weeks,30 + 1 ～ 32 weeks,32 + 1 ～ 34 weeks,34 + 1 ～ 36 + 6 weeks.The values of SOS of each group at birth were(2892.05 ± 139.17) m/s,(2936.84 ± 137.87) m/s,(2966.65 ± 116.60) m/s and (2988.63 ± 120.74) m/s,separately,and with the increase of gestational age,and there was significant difference of SOS between different gestational age groups(F =15.758,P =0.000).But there was no significant difference of SOS between male and female (F =2.665,P =0.103).Compared with Caucasian preterm infants,the SOS value gap (defined as the Z value) of preterm infants of different gestational age in Guangzhou area was no significant difference(P =0.117),and there was no significant difference between male and female (F =3.494,P =0.062).Conclusions The value of SOS of preterm infants was higher with the increase of maturity of preterm infants.There was no significant difference of SOS between Guangzhou preterm infants and Caucasian preterm infants.And QUS is suitable for clinical evaluation of bone development status of preterm infants.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the significance of combined therapy of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Retrospective study of 80 APL patients was performed and the complete remission (CR), the recovery time of peripheral hemoglobin and platelet, the early mortality, and the adverse reaction rates were analyzed between the ATRA group and the ATRA combined As2O3 group (combined group).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CR rate of the combined group and the ATRA group was 91.7% and 87.5% respectively, which showed no significant difference; time of reaching CR, hemoglobin recovery, and platelet recovery for the combined group were 28.0 +/- 7.8 days, 22.36 +/- 8.72 days and 19.38 +/- 9.52 days respectively, while those were 47.7 +/- 10.9 days, 28.40 +/- 8.95 days and 28.03 +/- 7.29 days for the ATRA group, which suggested a significantly shorter period of the combined group of achieving recovery. With 7.1% compared to 13.2%, the early mortality of the combined group seemed lower than that of the ATRA group but with no significance observed (P>0.05). The adverse reaction rates of the two groups also lacked any significant difference (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared with using ATRA alone, the combined therapy of AS2O3 and ATRA was dominant in achieving CR and recovery for APL. Besides, the combined therapy carries the promise of reducing the early mortality with no aggravation of the adverse reaction.</p>
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols , Therapeutic Uses , Arsenicals , Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute , Drug Therapy , Oxides , Remission Induction , Retrospective Studies , TretinoinABSTRACT
In order to develop a protocol for clinical grade generation of dendritic cells (DCs) for cancer immunotherapy, aphereses were performed with the continuous flow cell separator and materials were derived from 10 leukemia patients that had achieved complete remission. Peripheral blood monocytes were cultured in vitro with GM-CSF, IL-4 for 6 days, then TNF-(the TNF-group) or TNF-, IL-1, IL-6, PGE2 (the cytokine mixture group) were added to promote maturation. Cell number was counted by hematology analyzer, and phenotype study (CD1a, CD14, CD83) was carried out by flow cytometry, and the function of DCs was examined by mixed lymphocyte reaction. The results showed that (0.70+/-0.13)x10(7)/mL (the TNF-alpha group) and (0.79+/-0.04)x10(7)/mL (the cytokine mixture group) DCs were generated respectively in peripheral blood obtained by leucapheresis. The phenotypes were as follows: CD1a+ (74.65+/-4.45)%, CD83+ (39.50+/-4.16)%, CD14+ (2.90+/-1.76)% in TNF-alpha group, and CD1a+ (81.86+/-5.87)%, CD83+ (81.65+/-6.36)%, CD14+ (2.46+/-1.68)% in the cytokine mixture group. It was concluded that leucapheresis may be a feasible way to provide large number of peripheral blood monocytes for DC generation, and combined administration of TNF-, IL-1, IL-6, and PGE2 may greatly promote maturity.
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In order to develop a protocol for clinical grade generation of dendritic cells (DCs) for cancer immumotherapy, aphereses were performed with the continuous flow cell separator and materials were derived from 10 leukemia patients that had achieved complete remission. Peripheral blood monocytes were cultured in vitro with GM-CSF, IL-4 for 6 days, then TNF-α (the TNF-α group) or TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, PGE2 (the cytokine mixture group) were added to promote maturation. Cell number was counted by hematology analyzer, and phenotype study (CD1a, CD14, CD83) was carried out by flow cytometry, and the function of DCs was examined by mixed lymphocyte reaction. The results showed that (0.70±0.13)×107/mL (the TNF-α group) and (0.79±0.04)×107/mL (the cytokine mixture group) DCs were generated respectively in peripheral blood obtained by leucapheresis. The phenotypes were as follows: CD1a+ (74.65±4.45)%, CD83+(39.50±4.16)%, CD14+(2.90±1.76)% in TNF-α group, and CD1a+ (81.86±5.87)%, CD83+ (81.65±6.36)%, CD14+ (2.46±1.68)% in the cytokine mixture group. It was concluded that leucapheresis may be a feasible way to provide large number of peripheral blood monocytes for DC generation, and combined administration of TNF-α, IL-1β,IL-6, and PGE2 may greatly promote maturity.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>It is important to use noninvasive methods to differentiate liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. A prospective study was conducted to evaluate the validity of ultrasonography (US) in evaluating the severity of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis in reference to the pathologic diagnosis of their liver biopsy specimens.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The liver fibrosis status of 324 chronic viral hepatitis patients was evaluated by both needle biopsy and US. Histologically their liver fibrosis was graded as S0-S4, and the inflammatory reaction in the liver was graded as G1-G4. The US examination included qualitative description of the liver surface and liver parenchyma, and the quantitative parameters were vascular diameters, blood flow volume and spleen size.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>US qualitative description of the liver surface and liver parenchyma was correlated to the severity of fibrosis and the degree of the inflammation seen in the liver biopsies. An analysis of US quantitative parameters showed that a cut-off value of 12.1 cm for the length of spleen had a sensitivity of 60.0%, and specificity of 75.3% in detecting early liver fibrosis. For other quantitative parameters, the cut-off values were 8mm for the diameter of the splenic vein, 30.5 cm/sec for maximal blood flow velocity in the portal vein and 12 mm in diameter of the main portal vein. The diagnostic sensitivities for these parameters were 60.0%, 78.6% and 76.7%; the diagnostic specificities were 78.1%, 66.9% and 44.6% respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Early cirrhosis can be detected by US, and the sonographic results were well paralleled with their pathologic diagnoses made by liver biopsies. Individual US parameter has limited sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing early cirrhosis. In clinical practice a combination of 2-3 parameters could be used to detect or exclude severe liver fibrosis.</p>