Sensitization characteristics of Juniperus chinensis pollen in Beijing area / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the sensitization characteristics of Juniperus chinensis pollen in patients with allergic rhinitis and/or allergic asthma in Beijing area, and to explore the characteristics of Juniper chinensis pollen sensitized population. Methods: Patients with suspected allergic rhinitis and/or asthma from January 2017 to December 2019 in the outpatient department of Allergy Department of Beijing Shijitan Hospital were selected in this study. Skin prick test (SPT) was performed with Juniper chinensis pollen allergen reagent to compare different age and disease allergen distribution, and to observe the sensitization characteristics of its population. All of the analyses were performed using SAS software version 9.4. Results: A total of 8 380 patients were enrolled in the end. The total positive rate of Juniper chinensis pollen SPT reached 49.92% (4 183/8 380). The positive rate of Juniper chinensis pollen SPT was highest in the 10-14 age group, reaching 60.99% (283/464). Compared with other age groups, there was a statistical difference (χ²=266.77, P<0.01). The SPT positive rate of patients aged less than 10 years increased with the increase of age, while the SPT positive rate of patients aged over 40 years decreased with the increase of age. Single Juniper chinensis pollen was less allergenic, accounting for about 25.05% (1 048/4 183), and the patients' age was (35.21±12.39) years. Regardless of single Juniper chinensis pollen or other pollen allergies, allergic rhinitis was the main disease. Among the patients with SPT positive Juniper chinensis pollen combined with other inhaled pollen allergens, willow pollen accounted for the first (74.99%). The positive rate of Juniper chinensis pollen was the highest in patients with single allergic rhinitis, accounting for 52.05% (3 797/7 295), and the rate in patients with single allergic asthma was the lowest, accounting for 17.49% (53/303), with statistically difference (χ²=138.99, P<0.01). Conclusions: Juniper chinensis pollen is highly sensitized in patients with allergic rhinitis and/or allergic asthma in Beijing . The positive rate of SPT is highest among 10-14 age group, most of which showed strong positive reaction, and allergic rhinitis is more common in Juniper chinensis pollen sensitization diseases.

Empyema and mediastinal abscess in pyriform sinus fistula: A case report / 世界急诊医学杂志（英文）

@#Though notorious for its tendency to induce recurrent neck abscess, pyriform sinus fistula is of importance despite its rarity. It usually presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Because of post-infectious fibrosis, the embryologic origin of pyriform sinus fistula is difficult to appreciate in certain cases. Here we present a case with empyema and mediastinal abscess caused by pyriform sinus fistula and share our experience in the treatment of this patient.

Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with centrally located hepatocellular carcinoma in different risk levels / 中国肿瘤临床

Objective: To analyze clinical features and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (cHCC) patients after liver resection, so as to clarify the prognostic risk factors. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients who underwent mesohepatectomy for cHCC at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Cancer Hospital between October 2006 and December 2014. The patients were assigned into three subgroups according to disease-free survival (DFS): high risk (DFS≤1 year), middle risk (1 year<DFS≤3 years), and low risk (DFS>3 years). Clinicopathological characteristics were compared and prognostic factors were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: In total, 173 patients were reviewed. The median overall survival (OS) in the high-risk group was 13.5 months compared with 24.0 months in the middle-risk group and 45.5 months in the low-risk group. Univariate analysis showed that liver capsule invasion (P=0.022), tumors adjacent to major vascular vessels (<1 cm) (P<0.01), HCC size>50 mm (P=0.012), presence of microvascular invasion (P<0.001), tumor invasive growth (P<0.001), and preoperative transarterial chemoembolization (TACE; P=0.028) were significant risk factors for recurrence. The main risk factors for OS were male gender (P=0.013), alpha-fetoprotein >200 ng/mL (P=0.005), tumor size >50 mm (P=0.013), adjacent to major vascular vessels (P<0.001), high Edmondson-Steiner differentiation grade (P=0.003), preoperative TACE (P=0.010), and tumor invasive growth (P=0.001). Cox multivariate analysis demonstrated that tumors adjacent (<1 cm) to major vascular trunks and tumor invasive growth were inde-pendent prognostic factors for both DFS and OS. In total, 40.5% patients in the high-risk group had both risk factors; this percentage was 13.4% in the middle-risk group and 3.1% in the low-risk group (P=0.001). A prognostic model including the above 9 factors were created based on Logistic regression to predict the percentage of patients belonging to the high-risk group. The results showed that the prediction accuracy continued to increase with the number of more factors added. When all the 9 factors were included, the pre-dictive percentage was 82.1%. Conclusions: cHCC patients in the high-risk group had more risk factors than those in the middle-and low-risk groups. A prognostic model containing these factors may provide accurate prediction of survival or risk stratification, and cHCC patients with these risk factors should be candidates for aggressive following-up and adjuvant therapy.

Dual Effect of Hepatic Macrophages on Liver Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury during Liver Transplantation

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major complication in liver transplantation (LT) and it is closely related to the recovery of grafts' function. Researches has verified that both innate and adaptive immune system are involved in the development of IRI and Kupffer cell (KC), the resident macrophages in the liver, play a pivotal role both in triggering and sustaining the sterile inflammation. Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), released by the initial dead cell because of the ischemia insult, firstly activate the KC through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) such as toll-like receptors. Activated KCs is the dominant players in the IRI as it can secret various pro-inflammatory cytokines to exacerbate the injury and recruit other types of immune cells from the circulation. On the other hand, KCs can also serve in a contrary way to ameliorate IRI by upregulating the anti-inflammatory factors. Moreover, new standpoint has been put forward that KCs and macrophages from the circulation may function in different way to influence the inflammation. Managements towards KCs are expected to be the effective way to improve the IRI.

Retroperitoneal fibrosis: a retrospective clinical data analysis of 30 patients in a 10-year period / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is an uncommon disease that is characterized by development of fibrosclerotic tissues involving retroperitoneal structures. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of 30 patients with RPF in a single center in Beijing in a 10-year period.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We retrospectively analyzed clinical data on demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, radiological findings, modalities of treatments, outcomes and prognosis of 30 patients with RPF. Patients were treated in Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital between January 2003 and December 2013.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean age of patients with RPF was 56.7 ± 14.4 years. Twenty-three patients were men and seven patients were women. Acute phase reactants were elevated in most patients. Rheumatic factor was positive in 4/25 (16.0%) patients, and antinuclear antibody was positive in 6/22 (27.3%) patients. Elevation of IgG4 was observed in 9/22 (40.9%) patients. The most common type was I + III (n = 13), followed by I + II + III (n = 12). Five patients undertook an 18 F-fluoro-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography examination and increased uptake was detected in four patients. Eight patients received combination therapy with glucocorticoids and tamoxifen. Surgical intervention treatments included intraureteral double-J stent implantation (n = 26), percutaneous nephrostomy (n = 2), open ureterolysis and intraperitonealization of the ureters (n = 5) and laparoscopic ureterolysis and intraperitonealization of the ureters (n = 5). Three patients underwent hemodialysis because of renal failure.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Clinical characteristics of RPF patients in our study are similar to those previously reported. Steroids and immunosuppressive therapy combined with ureterolysis could be a viable choice of treatment for RPF. More prospective, multi-center studies with a longer follow-up are warranted.</p>

Analysis of clinicopathological features and prognosis between alpha-fetoprotein negative and positive hepatocellular carcinoma patients after R0 radical hepatectomy / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the differences between clinicopathological features and prognosis of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) negative (AFP < 20 ng/ml) and positive (AFP ≥ 20 ng/ml) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinicopathological data of 142 AFP-negative and 109 AFP-positive HCC patients who underwent RO radical hepatectomy in the Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between January 2006 and December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed in this study.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the AFP-negative patients, a higher female to male sex ratio, the later Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer ( BCLC) stage, more liver capsule invasion and poorer Edmondson-Steiner grade were in the AFP-positive cases (P < 0.05 for all). Furthermore, the 1-, 3-, and 5- year overall survival rates were 94.4%, 82.4% and 61.0% in the AFP-negative group and 87.2%, 61.1% and 40.2%, respectively, in the AFP-positive group (P < 0.001). The multivariate analysis with Cox's proportional hazards model showed that AFP status, tumor size and Edmondson-Steiner grade are independent risk factors for survival of all the patients (P < 0.05) , and large tumor and Edmondson-Steiner grades III/IV are independent risk factors for worse survival in AFP-negative patients (P < 0.05). However, large tumor diameter was proved to be an independent risk factor leading to poor prognosis of AFP-positive cases (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>High levels of AFP indicate that the tumors are more malignant and with unfavorable prognosis.</p>

Immunologic cross-reactivity between Muscovy duck parvovirus and goose parvovirus on the basis of epitope prediction

Through bioinformatic prediction, between Muscovy duck parvovirus (MDPV) and goose parvovirus (GPV), there were one epitope AA503-509 (RANEPKE) on non-structural protein and three epitopes AA426-430 (SQDLD), 540-544 (DPYRS), 685-691 (KENSKRW) on structural protein might cross-react with each other. Furthermore, the four epitops were expressed in Escherichia coli. All the four recombinant proteins could react with GPV-antisera and MDPV-antisera in Western blot.

Ischemic preconditioning induces chaperone hsp70 expression and inhibits protein aggregation in the CA1 neurons of rats / 神经科学通报·英文版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of ischemic preconditioning on chaperone hsp70 expression and protein aggregation in the CA1 neurons of rats, and to further explore its potential neuroprotective mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two-vesseloccluded transient global ischemia rat model was used. The rats were divided into sublethal 3-min ischemia group, lethal 10-min ischemia group and ischemic preconditioning group. Neuronal death in the CA1 region was observed by hematoxylineosin staining, and number of live neurons was assessed by cell counting under a light microscope. Immunochemistry and laser scanning confocal microscopy were used to observe the distribution of chaperone hsp70 in the CA1 neurons. Differential centrifuge was used to isolate cytosol, nucleus and protein aggregates fractions. Western blot was used to analyze the quantitative alterations of protein aggregates and inducible chaperone hsp70 in cellular fractions and in protein aggregates under different ischemic conditions.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Histological examination showed that ischemic preconditioning significantly reduced delayed neuronal death in the hippocampus CA1 region (P < 0.01 vs 10-min ischemia group). Sublethal ischemic preconditioning induced chaperone hsp70 expression in the CA1 neurons after 24 h reperfusion following 10-min ischemia. Induced-hsp70 combined with the abnormal proteins produced during the secondary lethal 10-min ischemia and inhibited the formation of cytotoxic protein aggregates (P < 0.01 vs 10-min ischemia group).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ischemic preconditioning induced chaperone hsp70 expression and inhibited protein aggregates formation in the CA1 neurons when suffered secondary lethal ischemia, which may protect neurons from death.</p>

Sequence analysis of norovirus CHN02/LZ35666 from Lanzhou city of China based on RdRp and VP1 genes / 病毒学报

Sequence analysis of a new norovirus (NV) isolated from Lanzou city of China was performed based on partial sequence of RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and complete capsid protein (VP1) gene. The isolated strain CHN02/LZ35666 shared high sequence homology with GII-4 NVs. Nucleotide homologies of RdRp region and encoded capsid protein region were 90.4% -- 98.6% and 89.8% -- 95.7% , respectively, while amino acid homology of capsid protein region was 94.4% -- 97.4%. The analysis of GDD motif in RdRp region indicated this GDD motif of Lanzhou strain differed from those of the GII-4 predominant epidemic strains. Lanzhou strain formed an independent branch in GII-4 cluster in the phylogenetic tree based on nucleotide sequence of RdRp region and amino acid sequence of capsid protein. Sequence alignment revealed a mutation at the fourth key site of the receptor-binding interface in the strains isolated after 2002 compared with those of previous strains suggesting a possible change of binding pattern to HBGAs receptors.

Effect of ileocecum interposition graft as pylorus replacement on glycometabolism / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the application of ileocecum interposition (ii) graft as pylorus replacement in alimentary reconstruction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty- one minipigs were randomly divided into three groups: sham operation group (control group), B - i group and ii group. The levels of blood glucose were measured by quick blood glucose testing of paper at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes of oral glucose after 60 and 120 post- operative days to compare gastric emptying of liquid feeds.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Two months after operation,the peak of blood glucose was (7.8+/- 1.0)mmol/ L, (7.1+/- 0.8)mmol/ L, (4.1+/- 0.4)mmol/ L in B - i, ii group and control group respectively, there were significant differences between the two operation groups and control group (P< 0.01). Four months after operation, the peak of blood glucose was (6.9+/- 1.0) mmol/ L, (5.2+/- 0.8)mmol/ L, (4.2+/- 0.5)mmol/ L, respectively, there was no significant difference between ii group and control group (P > 0.05),but there were significant differences between both of the above two groups and B - i group (P< 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The ileocecum interposition graft can offer specific advantages over current reconstruction procedures.</p>