Amyloid arthropathy with joint flexion contracture as the initial manifestation:a report of 5 cases and literature review / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To report 5 cases of amyloid arthropathy with joint flexion contracture as the first manifestation,and perform a literature review to improve the understanding of the disease.Methods Retrospective analysis of the clinical manifestations,laboratory and imaging results clinical data of patients with immunoglobulin light chain(AL)amyloidosis related amyloid arthropathy with joints flexion contracture as the first manifestation at the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology,the First Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2012 to February 2022.Meanwhile searching the database(CNKI,Wanfang Data,PubMed),excluding myeloma-associated amyloid arthropathy,and analyzing the literature results comprehensively.Results There were a total of 5 patients with amyloid arthropathy with joint flexion contracture as the initial manifestation in this center,including 4 males and 1 female.By February 2022(searching CNKI,Wanfang Data and PubMed),two eligible patients were selected,all males.A total of 7 patients were included with male-to-female ratio of 6:1.The median age was 30-year-old(range from 19 to 73).Spine and limb joints were involved,especially finger joints(7 cases,100%).Soft tissue was involved in 5 patients(71.4%),carpal tunnel syndrome in 4 patients(57.1%),giant tongue in 3 patients(42.9%),shoulder pad sign in 2 patients(28.6%),muscle swelling in 2 patients(28.6%).Five patients were misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis(RA)and 1 patient was misdiagnosed as spondyloarthritis(SpA).The median time of delayed diagnosis was 24 months(2-204 months).The laboratory results showed that 3 patients(42.9%)were positive for immunoelectrophoresis,all of which were λ light chain.Only 1 patient was positive for HLA-B27,while the other patients were negative for autoantibodies and rheumatoid factors.Only 1 patient had elevated C reactive protein(CRP)and erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR).Ultrasound examination of the lesion site of 5 patients(71.4%)showed hypoechoic area around the joint,thickening of ligaments or periarticular tenosynovitis.Five patients(71.4%)underwent X-ray examination,of which 4 patients had no bone destruction,1 patient had soft tissue swelling with bone erosion and subchondral cyst.MRI was performed in 5 patients(71.4%),in which low signal on T1 weighted image,medium signal on T2 weighted image and edema signal on peripheral tendon sheath were seen in 1 patient.One patient(14.3%)underwent emission computed tomography(ECT)without abnormal uptake.Conclusion Joint flexion contracture may be the first sign of amyloid arthropathy.Vigilance for amyloid arthropathy is warranted when there is associated soft tissue involvement,negative autoantibodies,and imaging showing no joint destruction but surrounding soft tissue abnormalities.

YGS40, an active fraction of Yi-Gan San, reduces hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells / 中国天然药物

In our previous study, we have elucidated the chemical profile of YGS40, a fraction of Yi-Gan San (YGS), used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Oxidative stress-induced apoptosis is implicated in neurodegenerative disorders such as AD. The aim of the present study was to explore the protective effects of YGS40 against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells and the underlying mechanisms. PC12 cells were exposed to 100 μmol·L(-1) of H2O2 for 12 h with or without YGS40 pretreatment. Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT (3, (4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl) 2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays; apoptosis was detected by Annexin V/propidium iodide coupled staining and by determining caspase-3 activity and Bax and Bcl-2 protein levels. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was assessed by the retention of rhodamine123; and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured using commercially available enzymatic kits. Pretreatment with YGS40 significantly prevented H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and protected the cells against H2O2-triggered apoptosis characterized by externalization of membrane phosphatidylserine and caspase-3 activation and the increased ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 in PC12 cells. Further studies showed that YGS40 suppressed H2O2-induced MMP loss, increased SOD activity, and decreased MDA level. These findings suggest that YGS40 may be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress-mediated disorders.

DNA polymorphism detection of Papaver somniferum L using fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To detect DNA polymorphism of Papaver somniferum L using fluorescent Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism.@*METHODS@#Genomic DNA was isolated using the AxyPrep DNA Kit, double-digested by two restrictional endonucleases (Eco RI and Mse I) and ligated to oligonucleotide adapters. After Pre-amplification and selective amplification, the DNA fragments were separated by capillary electrophoresis using the CEQ8000 DNA Fragment Analyzer.@*RESULTS@#More than 20 fragments of highly polymorphic products were obtained by 8 pairs of primer from 64 selective amplifying primer pairs.@*CONCLUSION@#The fluorescent AFLP technique can be used to detect the DNA polymorphism of Papaver somniferum.