Quantifying the Cerebral Hemodynamic Changes in Hypertensive Patients Using 3D Pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin Labeling / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the cerebral hemodynamic changes in hypertensive patients using 3D pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling(3D pCASL).Methods Fifty-eight hypertensive subjects and thirty-four age-matched healthy volunteers were recruited and scanned using the 3D whole-brain pCASL sequence.The regional cerebral blood flow(CBF)values were achieved based on 3D pCASL with SPM8 technique and were manually drawn. Results Compared with healthy volunteers,hypertensive patients had significantly lower CBF values in various regions,with statistical difference at the bilateral centrum semiovale(P=0.000,P=0.000),periventricular white matter(P=0.001,P=0.002),splenium of corpus callosum(P=0.003),frontal lobe(P=0.003),parietal lobe(P=0.014),occipital lobe(P=0.002),temporal lobe(P=0.006),medulla(P=0.012),pons(P=0.016),midbrain(P=0.034),cerebellum(P=0.000),and gray matter(P=0.001).Nevertheless,the CBF values in the thalami,globus pallidus,putamen,and genu of corpus callosum demonstrated no significant inter-group difference(all P>0.05).Conclusions 3D pCASL can be used to detect the subtle hemodynamic abnormalities even at the early stage of hypertension.The observed decrease in CBF in these regions may suggest an increased risk of cerebral small vessel diseases.

Effect of Dracocephalum moldavica total flavones on expression of TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway and matrix metalloproteinase of atherosclerosis ApoE-/- mice / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the effect and mechanism of Dracocephalum moldovica total flavones (TFDM) on the formation of atherosclerosis ApoE-/- mice induced by high fat diet. A total of 40 SPF 8-week-old male ApoE-/- mice were fed with high fat diet and randomly divided into 5 groups. TFDM high, medium, low-dose group were given 21, 42, 84 mg•kg⁻¹•d⁻¹ by gavage; Simvastatin group was fed with simvastatin 3.5 mg•kg⁻¹•d⁻¹; and model group was given the same dose of normal saline. The other eight male C57BL/6J mice of the same genetic background and age were set up as control group and fed with common diet. All of the groups were intragastrically intervened for 12 weeks. The aortic pathologic changes were observed with HE; qRT-PCR was adopted to detect TGF-β1, Smad2, Smad3, MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene levels in tissues. Compared with model group, HE staining in TFDM group showed obvious relief of aortic atherosclerotic tissue injury; each TFDM group showed inhibition in mRNA expressions of TGF-β1, Smad2, Smad3, MMP-2 and MMP-9. This suggests that TFDM can inhibit atherosclerosis formation, which may be related to the intervention of TGF-β1/Smads signal transduction.

mRNA Expressions of T-bet, GATA-3, ROR γt and Foxp3 in peripheral blood of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in different stages / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study was to investigate the mRNA expression of T-bet, GATA-3, ROR γt and Foxp3 mRNA in peripheral blood of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in different stages and explore their potential role in the pathogenesis and clinical diagnosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 46 newly diagnosed and untreated patients with CLL was chosen as patient group, including 16 patients in the stage of Binet A, 15 in the stage of Binet B, and 15 in the stage of Binet C; 20 healthy persons were selected as controls. The quantitative fluorescence PCR was adopted to detect the mRNA expression of T-bet, GATA-3, RORγt and Foxp3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMNC).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The expression of T-bet mRNA in patient group was lower than that in normal controls (P < 0.05), while the mRNA expression of GATA-3 mRNA, ROR γt, Foxp3 in CLL patients group were higher than that in normal controls (P < 0.05), and the ratio of T-bet/GATA-3 and RORγt/Foxp3 in CLL in patient group were lower than that in normal controls(P < 0.05); (2) The later the stage, the higher the mRNA expression of GATA-3 and Foxp3. The mRNA expression of GATA-3 in stage Binet B and stage Binet C of CLL patients were higher than that in stage Binet A (P < 0.05),and the mRNA expression of Foxp3 in stage Binet C was higher than that in stage of Binet A and Binet B (P < 0.05); the later the stage, the lower the ratio of T-bet/GATA-3 and RORγt/Foxp3. The ratio of T-bet/GATA-3 in stage of Binet A CLL patients was higher than that in stage Binet C (P < 0.05) and the ratio of RORγt/Foxp3 in stage of Binet A and stage of Binet B were higher than that in stage Binet C (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This study found in the level of transcription factors in CLL patients that with the process of disease, the balance shifts from Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg to Th17 and Treg, and Treg cell may play a critical immunosuppressive role in the development of CLL.</p>

Non-T-cell depleted HLA haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for hematological malignancies: report of 36 cases / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the clinical outcome of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) from related donors for hematological malignancies.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-six patients with hematological malignancies, with a median age of 25 (11-48) years, were transplanted with PBSC from an HLA-haploidentical family donors: 7 were 1 locus mismatched and 29 were 2-3 loci mismatched. The recipients received myeloablative conditioning regimen, in combination with different immunosuppressants according to the degree of HLA disparity followed by non-T-cell depleted PBSCT. The median number of CD34+ cells were 11 (4.16-21.00) x 10(6)/kg.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients achieved sustained, full donor-type engraftment. Fifteen patients (41.7%) developed grade I-II aGVHD. Among 29 patients followed up more than 18 months, 17 (58.6%) developed cGVHD. There was no statistical difference in decrease and recovery of T, B and NK cell subsets after transplantation between HLA haploidentical group and HLA identical PBSCT group. The median follow-up duration was 15 (4 -69) months. Five patients (13.9% ) relapsed. The 2-year probability of leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 82.2%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Non-T-cell depleted HLA-haploidentical PBSCT is safe and feasible for patients with hematological malignancies after myeloablative conditioning regimen combined with intensive immunosuppressants.</p>

Retinoic acid in treating acute promyelocytic leukemia with hyperleukocytosis and its therapeutic strategy / 中国实验血液学杂志

In order to investigate the occurrence of hyperleukocytosis in treating acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients with all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and to explore the influence of the level of leucocyte on curative effect of ATRA, the APL patients were divided into three different groups according to the count of leucocyte in peripheral blood. Patients with WBC count less than 30x10(9)/L were administered with ATRA alone (the first group), patients with WBC count more than 30x10(9)/L were administered with ATRA alone (the second group) and patients with WBC count more than 30x10(9)/L were treated with ATRA+cytotoxic drugs (the third group). The results showed that hyperleukocytosis were found in 23 out of 39 patients (58.97%). Total remission rates in the second group and in the third group were 91.3%. The remission rates in the first, second and third groups were 100%, 87.5% and 90.9%, respectively. It is concluded that the ATRA in combination with cytotoxic drugs can efficiently control the occurrence of hyperleukocytosis during ATRA-treating APL and reduce the early mortality.

CD34+ antigen expression relating to prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

To explore CD34(+) antigen expression in new diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and analyze the prognosis for CD34(+) AML patients, the expression of antigen CD34 in 238 AML patients was detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay. The results showed that CD34 in 92 out of the 238 patients (38.7%) were positive, there was relationship between the CD34(+) expression and FAB subtypes (M(0), M(1)), and no CD34(+) expression was observed in M(3) subtypes. The complete remission rate of CD34(+) AML patients was 32%, which was lower than that of CD34(-) AML (61%). The lymphoid-associated antigen (CD7) was significantly increased in CD34(+) AML patients, compared with CD34(-) patients (P < 0.05). It is concluded that CD34(+) AML patients show poor prognosis and lower CR rate. The detection of CD34 expression is of some value in predicting prognosis in AML.

Early prediction of efficaciousness after first course of chemotherapy in de novo acute leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

To achieve the complete remission (CR), acute leukemia (AL) patient must get through the period of myeloid ablation after chemotherapy that the white blood cell (WBC) count in peripheral blood decreases rapidly. To observe the relationship of WBC count with therapeutic effectiveness after chemotherapy in previously untreated AL, eighty cases of previously untreated acute leukemia who took the first induction chemotherapy course were analyzed. Blood routine was carried out 2 to 3 times every week while the bone marrow pictures on 12th and 20th day after chemotherapy were observed. 80 patients were divided into 3 groups based on the lowest value of WBC count after chemotherapy: <or= 0.4 x 10(9)/L group, (0.4 - 0.9) x 10(9)/L group and > 0.9 x 10(9)/L group. The results showed that the complete remission rates after the first course of chemotherapy were 60 vs 55.6 vs 27.3% respectively in the three groups which WBC counts were <or= 0.4 x 10(9)/L, (0.4 - 0.9) x 10(9)/L and > 0.9 x 10(9)/L. The total efficaciousness rates were 90 vs 92.6 vs 66.7 respectively in the three groups. The efficaciousness rate of the first two groups significantly differed from the third group (P < 0.01). However, no significant difference was shown between the first and second groups. It is concluded that the leukocyte count after the first course of chemotherapy may be an early indicator to predict the efficaciousness of chemotherapy.