RNF43 inhibits PD-L1 expression via β-catenin in melanoma cells and promotes CD8 + T cell-mediated anti-tumor immune reaction / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To investigate the regulatory effects of ring finger protein 43 (RNF43) on CD8 + T cell-mediated anti-tumor immune reaction in melanoma. Methods:RNF43 gene was over-expressed and knockdown in mouse melanoma cells line B16-OVA by lentivirus infection; In vivo proliferation of mouse melanoma cells line B16-OVA in the Lv-Ctrl-OE, Lv-RNF43-OE, Lv-Ctrl-KD and Lv-RNF43-KD groups was detected by subcutaneous tumorigenesis assay in mice, and the expression levels of CD8 + T cells perforin and interferon γ (IFN-γ) in tumor immune microenvironment of melanoma were detected by flow cytometry; The expression levels of β-catenin and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) mRNA in cells were detected by quantitative real-time PCR assay; The effect of RNF43 on the transcriptional regulation of PD-L1 was detected by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Results:Stable RNF43 over-expressing and RNF43 knockdown mouse melanoma cells lines Lv-RNF43-OE and Lv-RNF43-KD were successfully constructed. The results of subcutaneous tumorigenesis experiment in mice showed that the tumor mass of the Lv-RNF43-OE group was (0.08±0.06) g, which was significantly smaller than that of the Lv-Ctrl-OE group [ (1.04±0.52) g], with a statistically significant difference ( t=3.71, P=0.032) ; The tumor mass of Lv-RNF43-KD group was (1.94±0.29) g, with no statistically significant difference ( t=-1.70, P=0.164) compared with that of the Lv-Ctrl-KD group (1.15±0.74) g. The flow cytometry results showed that the fluorescence intensity of CD8 + T cell perforin in the Lv-RNF43-OE group was 9 034 ± 2 628, which was significantly higher than that in the Lv-Ctrl-OE group (3 847 ±1 637), with a statistically significant difference ( t=-3.35, P=0.015) ; The fluorescence intensity of CD8 + T cell perforin in the Lv-RNF43-KD group was 966±247, which was significantly lower than that in the Lv-Ctrl-KD group (2 226±646), with a statistically significant difference ( t=3.16, P=0.034) ; The fluorescence intensity of IFN-γ of CD8 + T cell in the Lv-RNF43-OE group was 2 422±429, which was significantly higher than that of 1 688±324 in the Lv-Ctrl-OE group, with a statistically significant difference ( t=-2.73, P=0.034) ; The fluorescence intensity of IFN-γ of CD8 + T cell in the Lv-RNF43-KD group was 614 (454, 863), with a statistically significant difference ( Z=-1.96, P=0.050) compared with 1 159 (1 152, 2 068) in the Lv-Ctrl-KD group. The results of quantitative real-time PCR showed that the relative expression level of β-catenin mRNA in the Lv-RNF43-OE group was 0.67±0.16, which was significantly lower than that of 1.00±0.11 in the Lv-Ctrl-OE group, with a statistically significant difference ( t=2.98, P=0.041) ; The relative expression level of PD-L1 mRNA in the Lv-RNF43-OE group was 0.32±0.09, which was significantly lower than that of 1.00±0.09 in the Lv-Ctrl-OE group, with a statistically significant difference ( t=9.13, P=0.001). The results of the dual-luciferase reporter gene assay showed that the PD-L1 promoter luciferase activity in the pCMV6-NC, RNF43, RNF43+β-catenin and β-catenin groups were 1.00±0.00, 0.84±0.00, 1.49±0.00 and 1.57±0.03 ( F=2 218.33, P<0.001). Further pairwise comparison showed that compared with the pCMV6-NC group, PD-L1 promoter luciferase activity was significantly lower in the RNF43 group ( P<0.001) and significantly higher in the RNF43+β-catenin and β-catenin groups ( P<0.001; P=0.003) ; compared with the RNF43 group, PD-L1 promoter luciferase activity was significantly higher in the RNF43+β-catenin group ( P<0.001) . Conclusion:RNF43 may reduce the expression of PD-L1 mRNA in melanoma by inhibiting the expression of β-catenin and promote CD8 + T cell-mediated anti-tumor immune reaction.

Bisphenol A induces testicular oxidative stress in mice leading to ferroptosis / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Bisphenol A is a common environmental factor and endocrine disruptor that exerts a negative impact on male reproductive ability. By exploring bisphenol A-induced testicular cell death using the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mouse model, we found that a ferroptosis phenomenon may exist. Mice were divided into six groups and administered different doses of bisphenol A via intragastric gavage once daily for 45 consecutive days. Serum was then collected to determine the levels of superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde. Epididymal sperm was also collected for semen analysis, and testicular tissue was collected for ferritin content determination, electron microscope observation of mitochondrial morphology, immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analysis. Exposure to bisphenol A was found to decrease sperm quality and cause oxidative damage, iron accumulation, and mitochondrial damage in the testes of mice. In addition, bisphenol A was confirmed to affect the expression of the ferroptosis-related genes, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), and acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (ACSL4) in mouse testicular tissues. Accordingly, we speculate that bisphenol A induces oxidative stress, which leads to the ferroptosis of testicular cells. Overall, the inhibition of ferroptosis may be a potential strategy to reduce male reproductive toxicity caused by bisphenol A.

Anti-glioma mechanism of pterostilbene by regulating apoptosis and GSDME-mediated pyroptosis pathways: a study based on network pharmacology and experimental research / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the anti-glioma effect of natural compound pterostilbene(PTE) through regulating pyroptosis and apoptosis pathways, and to analyze the possible anti-glioma pathways and targets of PTE by network pharmacology and molecular docking. In this study, the action targets of PTE and the glioma targets were obtained by network pharmacology to construct a target network and a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network to predict the possible action targets of PTE against glioma. Molecular docking was performed on the core targets by AutoDock and the action pathways of PTE against glioma were predicted by enrichment analysis. In addition, the effect of PTE on the viability of U87MG and GL261 glioma cells was detected by CCK-8 assay. Clone formation assay and cell scratching assay were used to explore the effect of different concentrations of PTE on the proliferation and migration, respectively of glioma cells. Hoechst staining was used to observe PTE-induced apoptosis in glioma cells. The changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by JC-1 staining. The pyroptosis-inducing effect of PTE on glioma cells was observed by inverted microscopy and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) assay. Hoechst 33342/PI dual staining assay was performed to detect the integrity of glioma cell membranes. The expressions of pyroptosis and apoptosis-related proteins in glioma cells after PTE induction were determined by Western blot. In this study, 37 anti-glioma targets of PTE were obtained, and enrichment analysis suggested that PTE exerted anti-glioma effects through various signaling pathways including cancer pathway, proteoglycan in cancer, PI3K/AKT pathway, and apoptosis regulatory pathway. Molecular docking revealed that PTE had good binding activity with the main targets. Compared with the control group, PTE significantly reduced the viability as well as the proliferation, migration and adhesion abilities of U87MG and GL261 cells; it induced the apoptosis of the two glioma cells and the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential in U87MG cells, and the effects increased with the increase of drug concentration. Compared with the conditions in the control group, glioma cells in the PTE group had increased pyroptosis-specific appearance and gradually increased LDH release; the number of PI positive cells was significantly elevated with the increase of PTE concentration as revealed by Hoechst 33342/PI staining; the expression levels of apoptosis-related factors cleaved PARP1 and B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) associated X(BAX) in the PTE group were markedly up-regulated, while the expression level of Bcl-2 was markedly down-regulated; the activation levels of pyroptosis-related proteins cleaved caspase-3 and gasdermin E-N(GSDME-N) had a remarkable rise in the PTE group, while no significant changes were found in the activation levels of gasdermin D-N(GSDMD-N) and cleaved caspase-1. In summary, PTE plays an anti-glioma role by inhibiting cell viability, proliferation, and migration and activating the caspase-3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis pathway and mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

Transcranial Doppler ultrasound for assessment of dynamic cerebral autoregulation in patients with acute ischemic stroke / 国际脑血管病杂志

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is a method for measuring cerebral artery blood flow velocity, which has the advantages of low cost, non-invasive, high temporal resolution. Dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) is to study the instantaneous change of cerebral blood flow (CBF) at the moment of arterial blood pressure or intracranial pressure change, that is, the ability to recover CBF in the face of sudden change of perfusion pressure. After the onset of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), effective dCA can maintain the stability of cerebral hemodynamics and avoid excessive or insufficient perfusion at the injured site. Therefore, it is of great significance to evaluate dCA in patients with AIS. However, at present, there is no recognized optimal evaluation method for dCA. This article mainly summarizes the advantages of TCD in evaluating dCA compared with other methods and the application of TCD combined with transfer function analysis (TFA) in evaluating dCA in AIS.

Comparative analysis of visual quality after implantation of Symfony IOL and MF15 IOL / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To compare the visual quality in patients after implantation of extended-range-of-vision(Tecnis Symfony)intraocular lens(IOL)and zonal refractive(Lentis Comfort LS-313 MF15)IOL. METHODS: A prospective clinical study. Collecting 267 cataract patients(305 eyes)who underwent phacoemulsification combined with IOL implantation surgery in our hospital from January 2021 to December 2021,they were divided into the Symfony group(group A, 160 eyes)and MF15 group(group B, 145 eyes)according to the types of implanted IOL. Postoperative visual acuity were observed at 3mo and included uncorrected distance visual acuity(UDVA, 5m), uncorrected intermediate visual acuity(UIVA, 80 cm), uncorrected near visual acuity(UNVA, 40cm), defocus curve, modulation transfer function(MTF)and high-order aberrations(HOAs), including coma, spherical aberration and trefoil aberration, and conducted the Quality of Vision(QoV)questionnaire.RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the preoperative parameters in both groups(P>0.05). There was no significant difference between the UDVA and UNVA in groups A and B(P>0.05); The UIVA was higher in group A than in group B(P<0.05); The MTF value in group A was higher than group B at all spatial frequency, and the difference was statistical significant(P<0.05); The HOAs in group A was lower than that in group B(P<0.05); Defocus curves were plotted 3mo after the operation suggest that the visual acuity of the two groups was similar at 0D, and the visual acuity of the groups A was better than group B from -0.5D to -2.5D, and there was a statistically significant difference at -1.0D and -2.0D(P<0.05). The QoV score in group A was significantly higher than that in group B(P<0.05). The frequency of bad visual interference such as halo and starburst was higher in group A than in group B. CONCLUSION: Both the MF15 and Symfony can provide stable distance and near visual acuity. Compared with MF15, Symfony had better intermediate visual acuity, higher contrast sensitivity and lower HOAs. Compared with Symfony, MF15 IOL had less postoperative bad visual interference symptoms(halo, starburst, etc).

Gene Mutation and Overexpression of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the characteristics of gene mutation and overexpression in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients.@*METHODS@#Bone marrow cells from 208 NDMM patients were collected and analyzed. The gene mutation of 28 genes and overexpression of 6 genes was detected by DNA sequencing. Chromosome structure abnormalities were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).@*RESULTS@#Gene mutations were detected in 61 (29.33%) NDMM patients. Some mutations occurred in 5 or more cases, such as NRAS, PRDM1, FAM46C, MYC, CCND1, LTB, DIS3, KRAS, and CRBN. Overexpression of six genes (CCND1, CCND3, BCL-2, CCND2, FGFR3, and MYC) were detected in 83 (39.9%) patients, and cell cycle regulation gene was the most common. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) changes were detected in 169 (81.25%) patients, the TP53 P72R gene SNP (70.17%) was the most common. Abnormality in chromosome structure was correlated to gene overexpression. Compared to the patients with normal chromosome structure, patients with 14q32 deletion showed higher proportion of CCND1 overexpression. Similarly, patients with 13q14 deletion showed higher proportion of FGFR3 overexpression, whereas patients with 1q21 amplification showed higher proportion of CCND2, BCL-2 and FGFR3 overexpression.@*CONCLUSION@#There are multiple gene mutations and overexpression in NDMM. However, there is no dominated single mutation or overexpression of genes. The most common gene mutations are those in the RAS/MAPK pathway and the genes of cyclin family CCND are overexpression.

Causes analysis of blood donor deferral in 20 domestic blood centers / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the main causes of blood donor deferral in domestic blood center. 【Methods】 The causes of donor deferral were classified into 12 categories as previous medical history, drug use, alcohol consumption, menstrual period, underweight, abnormal blood pressure, abnormal body temperature, abnormal hemoglobin (Hb), lipemic blood, positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and others according to the comparison indicators of Asia-Pacific Blood Network (APBN) and the national standard Blood Donor Health Examination Requirements. The relevant data of the top 3 causes of donor deferral, voluntarily reported by the members of Practice Comparison Working Group of China’s Mainland Blood Collection and Supply Institutions from 2014 to 2019, were collected and a histogram was generated. 【Results】 The median donor deferral rate of 20 domestic blood centers from 2014 to 2019 was 12.14%, with the lowest at 0.18% and highest at 32.32%, respectively. The top three causes for donor deferral were elevated ALT, abnormal Hb and abnormal blood pressure in year 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019; elevated ALT, lipemic blood and abnormal blood pressure in 2016; elevated ALT, abnormal Hb, and lipemic blood in 2017. 【Conclusion】 The main causes of donor deferral were elevated ALT, abnormal Hb, abnormal blood pressure and lipemic blood.

Fucoidan-functionalized activated platelet-hitchhiking micelles simultaneously track tumor cells and remodel the immunosuppressive microenvironment for efficient metastatic cancer treatment

Tumor metastasis is responsible for most mortality in cancer patients, and remains a challenge in clinical cancer treatment. Platelets can be recruited and activated by tumor cells, then adhere to circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and assist tumor cells extravasate in distant organs. Therefore, nanoparticles specially hitchhiking on activated platelets are considered to have excellent targeting ability for primary tumor, CTCs and metastasis in distant organs. However, the activated tumor-homing platelets will release transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), which promotes tumor metastasis and forms immunosuppressive microenvironment. Therefore, a multitalent strategy is needed to balance the accurate tumor tracking and alleviate the immunosuppressive signals. In this study, a fucoidan-functionalized micelle (FD/DOX) was constructed, which could efficiently adhere to activated platelets through P-selectin. Compared with the micelle without P-selectin targeting effect, FD/DOX had increased distribution in both tumor tissue and metastasis niche, and exhibited excellent anti-tumor and anti-metastasis efficacy on 4T1 spontaneous metastasis model. In addition, due to the contribution of fucoidan, FD/DOX treatment was confirmed to inhibit the expression of TGF-β, thereby stimulating anti-tumor immune response and reversing the immunosuppressive microenvironment. The fucoidan-functionalized activated platelets-hitchhiking micelle was promising for the metastatic cancer treatment.

Efficacy Prediction Model for Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on Breast Cancer Based on Differential Genes Expression / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To screen out significant differential genes for predicting the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and select the most suitable breast cancer patients for NAC. Methods A total of 60 breast cancer patients' samples before and after NAC were collected for high-throughput RNA-Seq. We selected AHNAK, CIDEA, ADIPOQ and AKAP12 as the candidate genes that related to tumor chemotherapeutic resistance. We analyzed the correlation of AHNAK, CIDEA, ADIPOQ, AKAP12 expression levels with the effect of NAC by logistic regression analysis, constructed a prediction model and demonstrated the model by the nomogram. Results AHNAK, CIDEA, ADIPOQ and AKAP12 expression were up-regulated in the residual tumor tissues of non-pCR group after NAC(P < 0.05). Compared with pCR group, non-pCR group presented higher expression levels of AHNAK, CIDEA, ADIPOQ and AKAP12 (P < 0.05). The high expression levels of AHNAK, CIDEA, ADIPOQ and AKAP12 significantly reduced the pCR rate of NAC for breast cancer (P < 0.05). Our prediction model which AHNAK, CIDEA, ADIPOQ and AKAP12 were involved in showed a good fitting effect with H1 test (χ2=6.3967, P=0.4945) and the ROC curve (AUC 0.8249, 95%CI: 0.722-0.9271). Conclusion AHNAK, CIDEA, ADIPOQ and AKAP12 may be novel marker genes for NAC effect on breast cancer. The efficacy prediction model based on this result is expected to be a new method to select the optimal patients of breast cancer for neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Clinical features and prognostic factors of 89 cases of myeloid sarcoma / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of myeloid sarcoma(MS).Methods:From January 2010 to May 2019, clinical data were reviewed for 89 MS cases. Age, gender, site of onset, type, comorbid diseases, lymphatic characteristics and disease remission status were analyzed. And 1-year survival rates were explored for different treatments including whether or not chemotherapy, transplantation and using hypomethylated drugs(HMAs)for maintenance after transplantation.Results:Among them, 21 cases had the data of chromosome karyotypic analysis and next generation sequencing and 8 patients underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT). The 1-year overall survival rates(OS)of primary MS, MS with intramedullary disease and MS relapse after leukemic remission were 16.0%, 37.5% and 36.9% respectively( P=0.013). The 1-year OS of local treatment(surgical resection, intrathecal injection and local radiotherapy), chemotherapy plus local treatment and chemotherapy plus allo-HSCT was 0, 28.1% and 72.9% respectively( P=0.003). After two courses of treatment, the 1-year OS of patients with complete and incomplete remissions were 34.9% and 10.0% respectively( P=0.008). Half(4/8)MS patients relapsed within 1 year after transplantation and had a short survival.Three patients received decitabine after HSCT and all of them survived for a long time. Conclusions:Chemotherapy plus HSCT is efficacious for MS. Decitabine maintenance treatment after transplantation may prolong recurrence-free survival. However, a larger sample size is required for further clinical verifications.

Clinical Study on Dialectical Treatment of Modified Xiangsha Liu Junzitang to Diabetes Gastroparesis with Weakness Syndrome of Spleen and Stomach / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:This study aims to investigate the clinical efficacy of Modified Xiangsha Liu Junzitang in the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis （DGP） and its influence on gastrointestinal hormones and oxidative stress. Method:In this study， 128 patients were randomly divided into control group （64 cases） and observation group （64 cases） . Patients in two groups took domperidone tablets orally 30 minutes before meals， 10 mg/time， 3 times/day. Patients in control group took Shenling Baizhusan San， 6 g/time， twice a day. Patients in observation group were prescribed addition and subtraction therapy of Modified Xiangsha Liu Junzitang， 1 dose/day. The course of treatment for both groups was 4 weeks. Before and after treatment， scores of gastroparesis cardinal symptom index （GCSI）， and gastric emptying test and electrogastrogram were noted. Before the treatment， scores of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome and health survey summary were graded（SF-36）. The levels of gastrin （GAS）， motilin （MTL）， vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）， somatostatin （SS）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， reactive oxygen species （ROS） and malondialdehyde （MDA） were measured before and after treatment. And adverse reactions during treatment were recorded. Result:The scores of postprandial abdominal distension/early satiety， nausea and vomiting， abdominal distention and the total scores of GCSI in the observation group were lower than those in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The gastric emptying rate in observation group was higher than that in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the score of TCM syndromes was lower than that of control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The scores of SF-36 in observation group were higher than those in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The frequency of gastric electricity and gastric electric vibration before and after the meal in observation group were higher than that in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The levels of GAS， MTL， VIP， ROS and MDA in observation group were lower than those in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， while the levels of SS and SOD were higher than that of control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The total effective rate in observation group was 93.75% （60/64）， which was higher than 79.69% （51/64） （<italic>χ</italic>²=5.494， <italic>P</italic><0.05） in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. And no adverse reactions were found in the clinical observation. Conclusion:Modified Xiangsha Liu Junzitang combined with prokinetic drugs in the treatment of DGP patients can reduce the clinical symptoms of DGP， enhance gastrointestinal motility， improve the gastric emptying rate， improve the quality of life， regulate the level of gastrointestinal hormones， and reduce the damage of autonomic nerve caused by oxidative stress， with good comprehensive clinical effect and safety in application.

Technical and Clinical Aspects of Diagnostic Single-Balloon Enteroscopy in the First Decade of Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background/Aims@#Single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) has been widely used in diagnosing small bowel disease. We conducted this study to systematically appraise its technical and clinical performance. @*Methods@#Studies on SBE published by September 2018 were systematically searched. Technical and clinical performance data were collected and analyzed with descriptive or meta-analysis methods. @*Results@#In total, 54 articles incorporating 4,592 patients (6,036 procedures) were included. Regarding technical parameters, the pooled insertion depths (IDs) for anterograde and retrograde SBE were 209.2 cm and 98.1 cm, respectively. The pooled retrograde ID in Asian countries was significantly greater than that in Western countries (129.0 cm vs 81.1 cm, p<0.001). The pooled anterograde and retrograde procedure times were 57.6 minutes and 65.1 minutes, respectively.The total enteroscopy rate was 21.9%, with no significant difference between Asian and Western countries. Clinically, the pooled diagnostic yield of SBE was 62.3%. Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) was the most common indication (50.0%), with a diagnostic yield of 59.5%. Vascular lesions were the most common findings in Western OGIB patients (76.9%) but not in Asian ones (31.0%). The rates of severe and mild adverse events were 0.5% and 2.5%, respectively. @*Conclusions@#SBE is technically efficient and is clinically effective and safe, but total enteroscopy is relatively difficult to achieve with this technique. Etiologies of OGIB in Asian countries differ from those in Western countries.

The Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of the Patients with POEMS Syndrome / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with POEMS syndrome and explore its effective treatment strategies.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 75 patients with POEMS syndrome treated in The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from June 2012 to June 2018 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The clinical characteristics, treatment regimes and outcomes of the patients were summarized.@*RESULTS@#The median age of 75 diagnosed patients was 50 (30-81) years old and 100% (75/75) of the patients were accompanied with peripheral neuropathy, 77.3% (58/75) with organ enlargement, 82.7% (62/75) with endocrine abnormality, 93.3% (70/75) with monoclonal plasma cell diseases and 64.0% (48/75) with skin changes. Among the 75 patients, 5 cases gave up treatment, while the others showed varying degrees of improvement after treatment. The hematological complete remission (CR@*CONCLUSION@#The clinical manifestations of POEMS syndrome are complex and diverse, the clinicians therefore should be vigilant to reduce the misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. Bortezomib or Lenalidomide can be recommended as the first-line medicines and autologous HSCT should be considered for appropriate patients.

The Expression and Significance of Serum Protein ROCK2 in Patients with Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the expression and clinical significance of serum protein ROCK2 in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).@*METHODS@#The patients were divided into cGVHD group and control group (without cGVHD). The expression levels of serum protein ROCK2 were detected by ELISA in patients with or without cGVHD after allo-HSCT.@*RESULTS@#The expression level of ROCK2 in serum of cGVHD patients was significantly higher than those in control group, moreover, the expression level of ROCK2 in severe cGVHD group was significant higher than that in moderate and mild cGVHD group (P<0.001). The expression level of ROCK2 was significantly decreased in the serum of cGVHD patients after treatment（P＜0.01）; the expression level of ROCK2 was significantly higher in the serum of cGVHD patients with lung as the target organ（P＜0.01）. The median survival time of patients with severe cGVHD were significantly shorter than that of patients with mild and moderate cGVHD（P＜0.05）.@*CONCLUSION@#ROCK2 shows certain reference value in the evaluation of severity and prognosis of cGVHD, and may be a new target for the treatment of cGVHD.

Study of positioning of fetal conus medullaris by detecting atlanto-axial intervertebral space with three-dimensional ultrasound / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To explore the imaging rate and diagnostic rate of positioning the fetal conus medullaris by three-dimensional ultrasound method to detect atlantoaxial intervertebral space, comparing it with the traditional two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasound methods.Methods:Consecutively 318 singleton fetuses received routine ultrasound screening during the second trimester were enrolled from November 2017 to December 2018 in Shenzhen Luohu People′s Hospital and Shenzhen People′s Hospital. These fetuses included 276 normal cases and 42 abnormal cases. The abnormal group contained 11 cases tethered cords fetuses(tethered cords group) and 31 cases non-tethered fetuses(non-tethered group). A new ultrasound method named detecting atlanto-axial intervertebral space with three-dimensional ultrasound and traditional two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasound methods were used to acquire and store the images. The positions of the fetal conus medullaris were analyzed blindly and recorded by three experienced physicians using three different methods with off-line software.Results:①The χ 2 test comparing multiple sample rates was used to compare the imaging acquisition success rate of fetal conus medullaris by three ultrasound methods. The test level was adjusted to be α′=0.05/4=0.0125, the results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the three methods in the normal group (χ 2=7.39, P=0.025) and the abnormal group (χ 2=5.32, P=0.070). ②The χ 2 test comparing multiple sample rates was used to compare the diagnostic accuracy of fetal conus medullaris position in normal group by three methods, it showed there was no significant difference in the correct rate of conus medullaris position in the normal group (χ 2=2.52, P=0.284). ③The χ 2 test comparing multiple sample rates was used to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the fetal conus medullaris in tethered cord group and non-tethered group using 3 methods, the difference was not statistically significant in tethered cord group (χ 2=1.22, P=0.543), while the difference was statistically significant in non-tethered group(χ 2=9.69, P=0.008). Conclusions:The method of detecting atlanto-axial intervertebral space with three-dimensional ultrasound has a high imaging rate and diagnostic accuracy in positioning the fetal conus medullaris. Positioning of fetal conus medullaris by detecting atlanto-axial intervertebral space with three-dimensional ultrasound is better than traditional two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasound in the abnormal non-tethered fetuses, which can provide more valuable information for prenatal diagnosis consultation and prenatal and postnatal care.

Clinical observation of haploid hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and intensive immunosuppressive therapy for the treatment of severe aplastic anemia in pediatric patients / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To compare the efficacy of haploid hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) and intensive immunosuppressive therapy (IST) in children with severe aplastic anemia (SAA).Methods:The medical records of children newly diagnosed as SAA in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2013 to June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.Among them, 33 patients received haplo-HSCT and 24 patients received IST that combined anti-thymocyte globulin(ATG) with Cyclosporine (CsA). The effective rate, overall survival (OS) rate, and failure free survival(FFS) rate of children in the haplo-HSCT group and the IST group were compared.Results:The median follow-up period was 25 months (9-60 months). There were 5 cases of early death in the haplo-HSCT group and 4 cases in the IST group, and the differences were not statistically significant ( P=0.822). Leaving out the early death cases, the effective rate in the haplo-HSCT group [100%(28/28 cases)] was higher than that in the IST group [30%(6/20 cases)] after 3 months of treatment, the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=27.671, P<0.01). After 6 months of treatment, the effective rate in the haplo-HSCT group [92.9%(26/28 cases)] was higher than that in the IST group [65.0%(13/20 cases)], and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=5.943, P=0.015). After 12 months of treatment, the effective rate in the haplo-HSCT group [89.3%(25/28 cases)] was higher than that in the IST group [70.0%(14/20 cases)], but the difference was not statistically significant( P>0.05). The 3-year expected OS rate of children in the haplo-HSCT group and the IST group were 75.0% and 70.3%, respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( χ2=0.133, P=0.716). The 3-year expected FFS rate of children in the haplo-HSCT group (74.2%) was significantly higher than that in the IST group (48.7%), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=4.036, P=0.045). Conclusion:For children with SAA, haplo-HSCT is also an effective treatment if there is no sibling donor of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Mechanisms of cross-species transmission of H7N9 avian influenza virus and its pathological features in airway epithelium: Research progress / 解放军医学杂志

H7N9 avian influenza is a new subtype of avian influenza, first found in the Yangtze River Delta at the end of February 2013. H7N9 avian influenza, infection in human is transmitted through the respiratory airway, causing acute respiratory infectious disease. Due to the species barrier, H7N9 avian influenza virus only infect human via birds occasionally under very specific circumstances, and at present, there is no exact evidence of H7N9 avian influenza virus transmission between humans. However, H7N9 avian influenza remains a continuous public health threat. So far, China has had six outbreaks of H7N9 avian influenza. A total of 1567 cases of H7N9 influenza virus infection have been reported to WHO, including 615 deaths. When H7N9 avian influenza virus infects the human body, their primary target of infection is the respiratory mucosal epithelial cells. Therefore, the respiratory epithelium plays a key role in the process of virus transmission and infection. Hence, the main purpose of this review is to collate the current understanding of immune responses and their corresponding molecular mechanisms of mucosal damage caused by H7N9 avian influenza infection, and how it contributes to cross species human infection.

Screening and verification of proteins of Salvia miltiorrhiza polyphenol oxidase interaction / 中国中药杂志

Polyphenol oxidase(PPO) is an important antioxidant enzyme in plants. It has the functions of scavenging active oxygen and synthesizing phenols, lignin, and plant protection factors, and can enhance the plant's resistance to stress and resistance to pests and diseases. Our previous research found that Salvia miltiorrhiza PPO gene can positively regulate salvianolic acid B synthesis. In order to further explore the mechanism, a pGBKT7-PPO bait vector was constructed using the cloned S. miltiorrhiza polyphenol oxidase gene(SmPPO, GenBank accession number: KF712274.1), and verified that it had no self-activation and no toxicity. The titer of S. miltiorrhiza cDNA library constructed by our laboratory was 4.75 × 107 cfu·mL~(-1), which met the requirements for library construction. Through yeast two-hybrid test, 22 proteins that could interact with SmPPO were screened. Only yeast PAL1 and TAT interacted with SmPPO through yeast co-transformation verification. Further verification was performed by bimolecular fluorescence complementary detection(BiFC). Only TAT and SmPPO interacted, so it meant that TAT and SmPPO interacted. TAT and SmPPO were truncated according to the domain, respectively. The first 126 amino acids of SmPPO and tyrosine amino transferase(TAT) were obtained to interact on the cell membrane and chloroplast. SmPPO was obtained by subcellular localization test, which was mainly loca-lized on the nucleus and cell membrane; TAT was localized on the cell membrane. Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that the SmPPO gene was mainly expressed in roots and stems; the TAT gene was expressed in roots, and the expression level in stems and flowers was low. This article lays a solid foundation for the in-depth study of the molecular mechanism of the interaction of S. miltiorrhiza SmPPO and TAT to regulate the synthesis of phenolic substances.

Lung transplantation as therapeutic option in acute respiratory distress syndrome for coronavirus disease 2019-related pulmonary fibrosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Critical patients with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), even those whose nucleic acid test results had turned negative and those receiving maximal medical support, have been noted to progress to irreversible fatal respiratory failure. Lung transplantation (LT) as the sole therapy for end-stage pulmonary fibrosis related to acute respiratory distress syndrome has been considered as the ultimate rescue therapy for these patients.@*METHODS@#From February 10 to March 10, 2020, three male patients were urgently assessed and listed for transplantation. After conducting a full ethical review and after obtaining assent from the family of the patients, we performed three LT procedures for COVID-19 patients with illness durations of more than one month and extremely high sequential organ failure assessment scores.@*RESULTS@#Two of the three recipients survived post-LT and started participating in a rehabilitation program. Pearls of the LT team collaboration and perioperative logistics were summarized and continually improved. The pathological results of the explanted lungs were concordant with the critical clinical manifestation, and provided insight towards better understanding of the disease. Government health affair systems, virology detection tools, and modern communication technology all play key roles towards the survival of the patients and their rehabilitation.@*CONCLUSIONS@#LT can be performed in end-stage patients with respiratory failure due to COVID-19-related pulmonary fibrosis. If confirmed positive-turned-negative virology status without organ dysfunction that could contraindicate LT, LT provided the final option for these patients to avoid certain death, with proper protection of transplant surgeons and medical staffs. By ensuring instant seamless care for both patients and medical teams, the goal of reducing the mortality rate and salvaging the lives of patients with COVID-19 can be attained.

Clinical and Pathological Characteristics of Related-Renal Damage in Patients with POEMS Syndrome / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigated the clinical and pathological characteristics of related-renal damage in patients with POEMS syndrome.@*METHODS@#Five patients diagnosed as POEMS syndrome in our hospital were selected. Their clinical manifestation, pathological characteristics of kidney and laboratory examination were analyzed retrospectively. Among the 5 patients, three males and two females with a median age of 50 years old. The mean interval before diagnosis was 13.0±7.2 months.@*RESULTS@#All the patients showed neuropathy, endocrinopathy, monoclonal plasma cell-proliferative disorder, skin changes and extravascular volume overload, in which 4 patients showed organomegaly. Proteinuria was found in 5 patients, and microhematuria was found in 4 patients. Moreover, 4 patients showed an elevated blood urea, while 2 patients showed creatinine elevation. 1 patient at chronic kidney disease (CKD)-G1 stage, 2 patients at CKD-G2 stage, and 1 patient at CKD-G3b stage, moreover, 1 patient at CKD-G5 stage. Endothelial injury and mesangial lesion were the main characteristics of renal pathology. 3 patients were pathologically diagnosed as thrombotic microangiopathy kidney damage, while 2 patients as light chain amyloidosis.@*CONCLUSION@#POEMS syndrome is a multi-systemic disease with complex clinical manifestations. 5 patients had different degrees of renal insufficiency. Endothelial injury and mesangial lesion are the main features of renal pathology.