Clinical characteristics of patients with macrophage activation syndrome secondary to adult-onset Still's disease / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective· To investigate the clinical features of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) associated with adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD),and provide the basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of the disease.Methods· The clinical data of 42 patients with AOSD,including 14 patients with AOSD-induced MAS (the MAS group) and 28 AOSD patients paired by age and sex (the non-MAS group),diagnosed in Department of Rheumatology,Renji Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from October 2013 to June 2016 were collected and then retrospectively analyzed.Results· There was no significant difference in age,sex and duration of AOSD between two groups.The mortality rate of patients in MAS group was significantly higher than that of patients in non-MAS group,as well as the rates of rash,splenomegaly and hemophagocytosis.The levels of ALT and serum ferritin in MAS group were higher than those in non-MAS group,while the level of FDP is lower.Glucocorticoids were used in all 42 patients,and the dosage of glucocorticoids was significantly higher in MAS group than non-MAS group.Only 1 patient with AOSD-induced MAS received MTX,the percentage of patients receiving MTX was significantly lower in MAS group than non-MAS group.Five patients with AOSD-induced MAS received IVIG,the percentage of patients receiving IVIG was significantly higher in MAS group than non-MAS group.Two patients with AOSD-induced MAS received VP-16.Conclusion · The mortality rate of patients in MAS group was significantly higher than that of patients in non-MAS group,as well as the rates of rash,splenomegaly and hemophagocytosis.The levels of ALT and serum ferritin in patients with AOSD-induced MAS were higher than patients without MAS,while the level of FDP was lower.Early diagnosis and active treatment is the key point to improve clinical outcome.

Comparison of protective effects of safflor injection and extract of Ginkgo biloba on lung ischemia/reperfusion injury in rabbits / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the protective effects of safflor Injection (SI) and extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGB) on lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI) and investigate its mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In vivo rabbit model of LIRI was reconstructed. Forty rabbits were randomly and equally divided into four groups: sham-operation group (sham group), ischemia-reperfusion group (model group), ischemia-reperfusion plus SI group (safflor group) and ischemia-reperfusion plus EGB injection group (EGB group). Malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activity in serum were measured. The wet/dry weight ratio (W/D) of the lung tissue and activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) were also tested. Ultrastructure change of the lung tissue was observed by the electron microscope. The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the model group, MDA and XO increased and SOD decreased in serum compared with the sham group (P<0.01). The values of W/D, MPO and ICAM-1 of the model group were higher than those of the sham group (P<0.01), but those of the safflor group and EGB group were significantly lower than those of the model group (P<0.01). The IHC demonstrated that ICAM-1 expression in lung tissue of the model group was significantly higher than those of the safflor group (P<0.01). Compared with safflor group, in the EGB group MDA, XO, MPO decreased, SOD and ICAM-1 expression increased (P<0.05), but the change of W/D was not statistically significant (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>SI and EGB may attenuate LIRI through antioxidation, inhibition of neutrophil aggregation and down-regulation of ICAM-1 expression. But EGB had more effect on the antioxidation, while SI did better on regulating ICAM-1 expression.</p>

Association of urinary albumin excretion rate and hyperuricemia with macrovascular atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association of urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) and hyperuricemia with macrovascular atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety-seven type 2 diabetic patients were divided into two groups according to the UAER, namely group A with UAER between 20 and 200 microg/min (n=63) and group B with UAER > or = 200 microg/min (n=34); the patients were also classified into hyperuricemia group (group C, n=59) and normal blood uric acid (BUA) group (group D, n=38). The disease course, BUA, fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), UAER and arteria carotis intima-media thickness (IMT) were determined in these patients. The relationship of UAER and hyperuricemia with carotid arterial IMT was analyzed statistically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of TG, TC, LDL and HDL showed no significant differences between the 4 groups (P>0.05). The disease course, BUA, UAER, and FBG levels and IMT in groups A and C were significantly higher than those in groups C and D (P<0.05), but no such differences were found between groups A and C or between groups B and D (P>0.05). Arotid arterial IMT was independently correlated to the disease course, BUA and UAER (r=0.201, 0.1999, 0.211, respectively, P<0.05), and a significant positive correlation was noted between BUA and UAER (r=0.221, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Macrovascular atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients is significantly correlated to the disease course, BUA and UAER levels, which can be used to evaluate and predict macrovascular atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients.</p>

Apoptosis of glioma cell line U251 induced by small interfering RNA targeting survivin / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To construct recombinant expression vectors of small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting survivin and investigate apoptosis of glioma cell line U251 mediated by the survivin-targeting siRNA.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to the sequence of the coding region of survivin gene, two strings of 19 nucleotides of inverted sequence flanking the loop sequence of two complementary 9-base oligonucleotides were designed and synthesized to form hairpin construct as the DNA templates for the target siRNA. The siRNA templates were cloned into siRNA expression vector pGenesil-1, and the resulted vector pGenesil-1/survivin was transfected into U251 cells using Metafectene following the standard protocols. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were performed to evaluate survivin gene silencing induced by siRNA transfection at the RNA and protein levels, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis with Annexin-V/PI double staining was used to determine the cell apoptosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting revealed significantly lowered survivin expression at both RNA and protein levels in transfected U251 cells, which exhibited a significantly higher apoptosis rate after transfection as shown by flow cytometry analysis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>RNA interference mediated by the siRNA expression vector pGenesi-l/survivin can significantly reduce survivin expression and induce remarkable apoptosis in U251 cells.</p>