Variation and interaction mechanism between active components in Rheum officinale and rhizosphere soil microorganisms under drought stress / 中国中药杂志

To explore the changes and the reaction mechanisms between soil microecological environment and the content of secon-dary metabolites of plants under water deficit, this study carried out a pot experiment on the 3-leaf stage seedlings of Rheum officinale to analyze their response mechanism under different drought gradients(normal water supply, mild, moderate, and severe drought). The results indicated that the content of flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, and alkaloids in the root of R. officinale varied greatly under drought stresses. Under mild drought stress, the content of substances mentioned above was comparatively high, and the content of rutin, emodin, gallic acid, and(+)-catechin hydrate in the root significantly increased. The content of rutin, emodin, and gallic acid under severe drought stress was significantly lower than that under normal water supply. The number of species, Shannon diversity index, richness index, and Simpson index of bacteria in the rhizosphere soil were significantly higher than those in blank soil, and the number of microbial species and richness index decreased significantly with the aggravation of drought stresses. In the context of water deficit, Cyanophyta, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Streptomyces, and Actinomyces were the dominant bacteria in the rhizosphere of R. officinale. The relative content of rutin and emodin in the root of R. officinale was positively correlated with the relative abundance of Cyanophyta and Firmicutes, and the relative content of(+)-catechin hydrate and(-)-epicatechin gallate was positively correlated with the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. In conclusion, appropriate drought stress can increase the content of secondary metabolites of R. officinale from physiological induction and the increase in the association with beneficial microbe.

Research progress on drug resistance of anti-varicella-zoster virus drugs / 中华预防医学杂志

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox when it first infects humans, and the virus may reactivate in adulthood and cause herpes zoster (HZ). Broad-spectrum antiviral drugs are one of the treatments for varicella and herpes zoster, but the emergence of drug resistance poses many challenges to this treatment and increases the burden of disease on patients. This paper discusses the resistance mechanisms, resistance sites and resistance detection methods of anti-VZV drugs in order to help further research on new anti-VZV targets, new drugs and monitoring of resistance to existing drugs.

Metabonomics Analysis on Different Varieties of Angelica sinensis Based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To establish differential metabolites between different varieties of Angelica sinensis, and provide reference for breeding, introduction, regional cultivation and ecological cultivation of new varieties of A. sinensis. Method::Comprehensive non-target metabonomics analysis was conducted for five new varieties of A. sinensis collected at the same time from the same origin: Mingui No. 1 (MG1), Mingui No. 2 (MG2), Mingui No. 4 (MG4), Mingui No. 5 (MG5), and Mingui No. 6 (MG6). The 50% methanol extract of each variety was taken, and then the differential metabolites among varieties were found by using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS), software Progenesis QI, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and non-targeted metabonomics analysis. Differential metabolites were identified based on precise molecular weight, secondary fragments, KEGG database, HMDE database and related literature information. Result::The results of UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and multivariate statistical analysis showed that there were significant differences in the metabolites of five Angelica varieties. As compared with MG1, the contents of chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, tryptophan and ferulic aldehyde were significantly lower in MG2, MG4, MG5 and MG6, while the contents of ligustilide, coumarin, bovine keratin, palmitin, protocatechualdehyde and linolenic acid were significantly higher (P<0.05). The results of multivariate statistical analysis showed that the metabolites of MG2 and MG5 were similar with those of MG6, but were significantly different from those of MG4.In addition, 38 distinct metabolites were identified, involving 7 potential targeted metabolic pathways. Different varieties of A. sinensis could regulate the synthesis of their metabolites through phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and sesquiterpene-like compounds metabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, carotenoids, linolenic acid, linoleic acid and some other metabolic pathways. Conclusion::UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and Progenesis QI metabonomics techniques were used to compare the chemical constituents of different varieties of A. sinensis from the overall level. The differences and their regularities were found, which could provide reference for quality control, variety sorting, identification, breeding and ecological planting of A. sinensis.

Relationship of plasma vitamin A levels between neonates and pregnant women in third trimester / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To study the correlation of plasma vitamin A (VitA) levels between neonates and pregnant women in third trimester.@*METHODS@#A total of 688 pregnant women were recruited in Yuanshi and Laoting counties of Hebei Province, from May to June 2009. Venous blood samples of women before delivery and cord blood samples of newborns were collected and measured for retinol (retinol concentration was used to reflect VitA level) using high performance liquid chromatography assay. According to venous blood plasma retinol concentration, maternal VitA nutritional status was divided into deficiency (<0.70 μmol/L), marginal deficiency (0.70-<1.05 μmol/L), and sufficiency (≥1.05 μmol/L). According to cord blood plasma retinol concentration, neonatal VitA nutritional status was divided into deficiency (<0.35 μmol/L), marginal deficiency (0.35-<0.70 μmol/L), and sufficiency (≥0.70 μmol/L); neonatal VitA relative deficiency was further defined as cord blood plasma retinol concentration lower than the 10th percentile. VitA placental transport ratio was defined as retinol concentration in the neonates divided by that in pregnant women. Multivariable fractional polynomials (MFP) model and Pearson correlation were used to study the dose-response relationship between maternal and neonatal plasma VitA levels, Logistic regression model to estimate the effect of maternal VitA nutritional status on neonatal VitA deficiency, and MFP model and Spearman correlation to describe the relationship between maternal VitA level and VitA placental transport ratio.@*RESULTS@#The average retinol concentration of the pregnant women was (1.15±0.30) μmol/L, and the prevalence of VitA deficiency and marginal deficiency were 4.5% and 37.8%, respectively. Average retinol concentration of the neonates was (0.78±0.13) μmol/L, and no neonates were VitA deficiency, 28.2% of the neonates were marginal deficiency. After multivariable adjustment, the VitA level of the neonates was positively and linearly related to maternal VitA level (pm=1, P<0.05), with the corresponding Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.13 (P<0.01). As compared with the women with sufficient VitA, those with VitA deficiency (crude OR=2.20, 95%CI:1.04-4.66) and marginal deficiency (crude OR=1.43, 95%CI:1.01-2.02) had higher risks to deliver neonates with VitA marginal deficiency; while the risks turned to be non-significant after multivariable adjustment. The pregnant women with VitA deficiency had higher risk to deliver neonates with relative VitA deficiency before and after multivariable adjustment (crude OR=3.02, 95%CI:1.21-7.50; adjusted OR=2.76, 95%CI:1.05-7.22). The maternal VitA level was negatively and non-linearly correlated with placental transport ratio (pm= -0.5, P<0.05), with corresponding adjusted Spearman correlation coefficient of -0.82 (P<0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#There was a positive linear dose-response relationship between VitA levels of newborns and pregnant women in third trimester, indicating that neonatal VitA storing levels at birth was affected by maternal VitA nutritional status.

Clinical Efficacy of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction in Treating Patients with Spleen Deficiency Damp-heat Hormone-dependent Ulcerative Colitis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To observe the effect of Jianpi Qingchang decoction on hormone withdrawal in patients with hormone-dependent spleen deficiency damp-heat ulcerative colitis. Method::The 60 patients with hormone-dependent ulcerative colitis with spleen deficiency and damp-heat were selected and collected from the outpatient department and the inpatient department of Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) between April 1, 2012 and January 31, 2014.All of patients in two groups were treated with standard hormone reduction method. The control group was given orally Bupi Yichang pills, 6 g/time, 3 times/day, and the experimental group was given orally Jianpi Qingchang recipe, 300 mL water decoction, 1 dose/d, 2 times/d. All of the patients received continuous treatment for 3 months. After treatment, disease activity index, mucosal healing evaluation, curative effect changes of TCM syndromes and changes of inflammatory factors in the two groups were observed. Result::Compared with before treatment, the two groups of Mayo scores after treatment were significantly reduced (P<0.01), and the experimental group was reduced more significantly than the control group (P<0.01). After treatment, 66.67%of patients in experimental group were in remission, and 13.33%of patients in control group were in remission, with statistically significant differences between two groups (P<0.01). After treatment, the healing rate of the control group was 46.67%, while that of the experimental group was 70.0%, with statistically significant differences (P<0.01). After treatment, the effective rate of TCM syndromes in control group was 80.0%, while that in experimental group was 96.67%, with statistically significant differences (P<0.01). Compared with control group before treatment, the levels of IL-1 in both groups were decreased (P<0.05), while the levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were increased (P<0.05). Compared with control group after treatment, the changes in experimental group were significantly better than those in control group (P<0.05). Conclusion::Jianpi Qingchang decoction can reduce the index of disease activity in patients with hormone-dependent ulcerative colitis due to spleen deficiency and dampness-heat, promote mucosal healing and improve the curative effect of TCM symptoms, and thus is worthy of clinical promotion.

Underestimation of weight status among overweight and obese adults in China in 2013 / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective The aim is to understand the underestimation of body weight status and its associated factors among overweight and obese adults in China. Methods Nationally representative data were collected in 2013 by the China Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance which used a multistage stratified cluster sampling method. A total of 87 552 overweight and obese adults aged ≥18 years old were included. Demographic characteristics, weight perception and disease status were obtained from in-person interviews. Height, weight and blood pressure were measured through physical examination. Venous blood samples were obtained and assayed for fasting plasma glucose, 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Complex sampling was weighted and multiple logistic regression models were used for analyzing. Results Among overweight and obese adults, 74.7% (95% CI: 73.3%-76.1%) underestimated their weight status. The mild underestimation rate was 60.7% (59.6%-61.7%) while the severe was 14.0% (13.1%-14.9%). The aged, low education level, low annual income, rural area and obesity were risk factors for both weight status underestimation and severe underestimation (all P<0.05). Awareness of having hypertension and dyslipidemia were protective factors (all P<0.05). Conclusions Most overweight and obese adults in China underestimated their own weight status, which was affected by age, education and income level, awareness of having chronic diseases and other factors. Targeted interventions should be carried out for different characteristic groups.

Effect of relatively closed environment dispensing new mode on insoluble particles in pharmaceuticals / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To study the effect of relatively closed environment dispensing mode on insoluble particles in pharmaceuticals.Methods The numbers of insoluble particles in conventional manual dispensing mode and relatively closed environment dispensing mode in lass Ⅰ and class Ⅲ environment were detected, effect of different dispensing modes on the number of insoluble particles in pharmaceuticals was compared.Results When adopting manual dispensing, the numbers of 1-10 μm insoluble particulates in different groups in class Ⅰ environment were less than those in class Ⅲ environment respectively, differences were all statistically significant (all P＜0.05). When adopting a new mode of dispensing in relatively closed environment, there was no significant difference in the numbers of 1-15 μm insoluble particulates in different groups between class Ⅰ and class Ⅲ environment respectively (all P＞0.05). The numbers of 1-20 μm and 1-15 μm insoluble particles in different groups were less than those in manual dispensing when the new mode of dispensing were adopted in class Ⅲ and class Ⅰenvironment respectively, differences were all statistically significant (all P＜0.05). The numbers of 1-15 μm insoluble particles in different groups in manual dispensing in class Ⅰ environment were more than those in class Ⅲ environment respectively, difference were all statistically significant (all P＜0.05).Conclusion The relatively closed environment dispensing mode can effectively reduce environmental particulates entering intravenous infusion system during dispensing process.

Clinical Efficacy of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction in Treating Patients with Spleen Deficiency Damp-heat Hormone-dependent Ulcerative Colitis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of Jianpi Qingchang decoction in the treatment of spleen deficiency and damp-heat hormone-dependent ulcerative colitis and explore its possible target. Method:A total of 60 patients with spleen deficiency and damp-heat hormone-dependent ulcerative colitis were selected and collected from the outpatient department and the inpatient department of Longhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Chinese Medicine on April 31, 2012.Two groups were given the basic therapy of prednisone, and control group received orally bolus for spleen and spleen and intestines, 6 g/time, 3 times/d. The treatment continued for three months. The experimental group was given orally Jianpi Qingchang decoction, 1 dose per day, and 300 mL water decoction, 150 mL each time, 2 times/d, and took at different temperatures in the morning and evening. The treatment continued for three months. After treatment, changes in intestinal symptom score, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score and endoscopic score of two groups were observed. Result:Compared with before treatment, the symptom scores of diarrhea, mucous purulent in control group were significantly reduced after treatment (PPPPPPPPPConclusion:Jianpi Qingchang decoction can effectively improve mucous purulent stool and diarrhea symptoms in patients with spleen deficiency and damp-heat hormone-dependent ulcerative colitis, and reduce TCM syndrome score and endoscopic score, and thus is worthy of clinical reference and promotion.

Differentially expressed genes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma: A comprehensive analysis / 医学研究生学报

Objective This study aimed to analyze the differences in the molecular characteristics of transcriptome between esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Methods We obtained transcriptomic data on ESCC and EAC from the TCGA database, screened differentially expressed mRNAs, lncRNAs and miRNAs in cancer and the adjacent tissues, and constructed a network of ESCC- and EAC-related competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA). We predicted the target genes and performed gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses on important miRNAs, and compared the molecular features of the transcriptomes between ESCC and EAC. Results The ceRNA network analysis showed that PVT1, LINC00524, miR-204, miR-383, HOXC8 and NTRK2 played important regulatory roles in both ESCC and EAC. Totally, 13 227 regulatory target genes were predicted with miR-204-5p via miRWalk and 232 target genes screened from the miRDB database. GO analysis revealed 38 enrichments, mainly involved in the regulation of cell-matrix adhesion, morphogenesis of cell membrane projection, and β-catenin combination, KEGG analysis showed 4 relevant pathways: the hedgehog, life-regulating, estrogen and relaxin signaling pathways, and survival analysis manifested LINC00261, MLIP-IT1 and LINC00504 as survival-related differentially expressed lncRNAs, hsa-mir-338 as differentially expressed miRNA, but no mRNA in ESCC. Survival-related differentially expressed lncRNAs in EAC included CYP1B1-AS1 and HOTAIR, and differentially expressed mRNAs included IL11, NTRK2, ANGPT2 and PBK. Of the differentially expressed lncRNAs in both ESCC and EAC, 150 (15.4%) were up-regulated and 158 (26.8%) down-regulated; of the miRNAs, 22 (24.2%) up-regulated and 8 (27.6%) down-regulated; and of the mRNAs, 234 (20.5%) up-regulated and 418 (23.7%) down-regulated. Conclusion There are significant molecular differences between ESCC and EAC, and the differentially expressed lncRNA, miRNA and mRNA may provide some new targets and molecular markers for the treatment and prognosis of esophageal carcinoma.

Comparative research of FS-LASIK and SMILE on anterior corneal asphericity / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To investigate and compare the effect of femtosecond laser-assisted <i>in situ</i> keratomileusis(FS-LASIK)and small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)surgery on anterior corneal asphericity.<p>METHODS: There were sixty eyes of 60 patients in FS-LASIK and SMILE group respectively from November 2016 to September 2017. The Q-values of anterior corneal surface for different diameters(6, 7, 8 and 9mm)and corneal aberrations were measured with Pentacam before and 3mo after operation.<p>RESULTS: The Q-values of anterior corneal surface between FS-LASIK and SMILE were no significant differences. After 3mo operation, the values increased significantly; and the post-operative Q-values of 6mm in group SMILE was significant lower than group FS-LASIK(0.47±0.32 <i>vs</i> 0.89±0.43,<i>P</i><0.05). The higher aberration and spherical aberration in FS-LASIK and SMILE were no significant differences before surgery; after 3mo operation,there were no significant difference between them. However, group FS-LASIK had significant higher spherical aberration than group SMILE(0.43±0.23μm <i>vs</i> 0.31±0.11μm, <i>P</i><0.05).<p>CONCLUSION: FS-LASIK and SMILE cause significant changes of anterior corneal asphericity, Q-values all increased to positive values after surgeries; and there have less changes of Q-value and corneal aberration in SMILE than in FS-LASIK surgery.

Mobile terminal-based survey on the birth characteristics for Chinese newborns / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To describe the birth characteristics for Chinese newborns, to assess the feasibility of collecting basic data on maternal and child health, and to conduct relevant epidemiological studies by using mobile terminals.@*METHODS@#From June 2016 to January 2017, pregnant women who delivered in hospitals were recruited in 166 hospitals scattered across 23 provinces of China. The data on their maternal and child health including delivery mode, gestational age and birth weight, were collected by self-administered questionnaires embedded in a mobile application. The incidences or means of cesarean section, preterm birth, birth weight, length and head circumference were calculated and compared with recognized national data, including 2005 Growth Standards for Chinese Children Under 7 Years of Age, 2006 World Health Organization Child Growth Standards and 2014 Chinese Neonatal Birth Weight Standards by Gestational Age.@*RESULTS@#A total of 9 986 women were investigated, among whom those aged ≥35 years accounted for 11.7% and those received well education (college and above) accounted for 70.2%. The rate of cesarean section, preterm delivery, low birth weight and macrosomia were 38.1%, 4.5%, 2.2%, and 7.8%, respectively. The means were (3.33±0.44) kg [male (3.36±0.44) kg, female (3.29±0.43) kg] for birth weight, (50.97±2.32) cm [male (51.04±2.32) cm, female (50.89±2.32) cm] for birth length, and (33.99±1.56) cm [male (34.01±1.57) cm, female (33.97±1.55) cm] for head circumference, respectively. As compared with the national data, the cesarean section rate and birth weights by gestational age for term-born neonates were similar to the latest national data in 2014, while the means of birth weight and length were obviously higher than those of the 2005 Growth Standards for Chinese Children Under 7 Years of Age and 2006 World Health Organization Child Growth Standards.@*CONCLUSION@#As compared with the national data 10 years ago, the mean birth weights for male and female newborns were increased by 40 g and 80 g respectively and mean lengths by 0.6 cm and 1.3 cm, but changes for mean head circumferences were negligible, indicating that the physical health condition for Chinese newborns improved significantly over past 10 years and emerging information technology likely provided a new approach for epidemiological research.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong Granules on Postprandial Distress Syndrome-Predominant Functional Dyspepsia / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common upper gastrointestinal disorder worldwide, but the current treatments for FD are still unsatisfactory. The aims of this study were to investigate the efficacy and safety of Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules in patients with postprandial distress syndrome (PDS)-predominant FD.</p><p><b>Methods</b>The study was conducted as a randomized, double-blinded, multicenter, placebo-controlled design in 197 patients with PDS. All participants received placebo treatment for 1 week. Patients whose total symptom score decreased by <50% after the placebo treatment were recruited into the 4-week treatment period, in which they were randomly assigned to be treated with either Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules or placebo. The patients were then followed for 2 weeks without any treatment. Dyspeptic symptoms were scored at weeks 2 and 4 during the random treatment period and 2 weeks after the treatment. Anxiety and depression symptoms were also scored and compared.</p><p><b>Results</b>(1) The total effective rates in the Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules group at weeks 2 and 4 during the random treatment period and 2 weeks after treatment were all significantly higher than those in the placebo group (38.82% vs. 8.75%, P < 0.001; 69.14% vs. 16.25%, P < 0.001; 77.65% vs. 21.25%, P < 0.001). (2) The total dyspeptic symptoms scores in the Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules group at weeks 2 and 4 and 2 weeks after treatment were significantly lower than those in the placebo group. (3) The severity and frequency of each dyspeptic symptom at weeks 2 and 4 and the follow-up period were all significantly lower than those in the placebo group. (4) The anxiety scores in the Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules group were significantly lower than those in the placebo group. (5) Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules did not have more adverse effects than the placebo.</p><p><b>Conclusion</b>Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules offer significant symptomatic improvement in PDS with no more adverse effects than placebo.</p><p><b>Trial Registration</b>https://clinicaltrials.gov/, NCT02460601.</p>

Expression pattern of FAM135B and K (lysine) acetyltransferase 5 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Uygur patients / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the expression of the family with sequence similarity 135 member B (FAM135B) and K(lysine) acetyltransferase 5 (KAT5) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Uygur patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of FAM135B and KAT5 in ESCC tissues and paired adjacent tissues from 40 Uygur patients were detected using Roche Benchmark XT. The correlation of FAM135B and KAT5 and their correlation with the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positivity rates of FAM135B and KAT5 in ESCC tissues were 92.50% (37/40) and 15.00%(6/40) in these patients, respectively. The ESCC tissues showed a significantly higher rate of strong FAM135B expression than the adjacent tissues [45.00% (18/40) vs 22.50% (9/40); Χ=4.528, P=0.033], but the rates of negative KAT5 expression was similar between ESCC and adjacent tissues [85.00% (34/40) vs 87.50% (35/40); Χ=0.105, P=0.745]. Strong expressions of FAM135B in ESCC tissues and the paired adjacent tissues were well correlated (Kendall's coefficient = 0.707, P<0.001). In ESCC tissues, a strong expression of FAM135B showed a significant negative correlation with KAT5 expression (Kendall's coefficient=-0.946, P<0.001). Neither FAM135B nor KAT5 expression was associated with the patients' gender, age, tumor site, tumor differentiation, invasion, lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (all P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A strong expression of FAM135B may be an important molecular basis for the occurrence of ESCC in Uygur patients and plays its role by negatively regulating the expression of KAT5.</p>

Comparison of risk factors for serrated polyps and conventional adenoma and the suitable age to start colorectal cancer screening / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the risk factors associated with serrated polyps (SPs) and conventional adenoma (CA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and three healthy control subjects, 100 patients with pathologically confirmed SPs and 115 with CA were randomly selected from individuals undergoing colonoscopy in Nanfang Hospital from 2012 to 2015. The demographic and clinical data were collected from the subjects, including age, gender, height, weight, hypertension, diabetes, smoking status, alcohol use, family history of colorectal cancer (CRC) and blood lipids.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the enrolled subjects, the mean onset age of SPs was 48.87 years (95%CI: 47.22-50.52 years), significantly younger than that of CA (P%0.038). The risk factors both for SPs and CA include an advanced age, a male gender (OR%2.75 [95%CI: 1.50-5.07] for SPs, and OR%2.19 [95%CI: 1.22-3.95] for CA), and a high body mass index (OR%1.18 [95%CI: 1.06-1.30] for SPs and OR%1.20 [95%CI: 1.09-1.32] for CA. Relative to the young individuals (below 45 years of age), the middle-aged individuals (45-60 years of age) had increased risks for SPs and CA by 2.31 [95% CI: 1.46-3.65] folds and 4.10 [95%CI: 2.50-6.72] folds, respectively, and in the elderly (beyond 60 years of age), the risks further increased by 2.77 [95%CI: 1.52-5.04] folds for SPs and by 6.00 [95%CI: 3.26-11.05] folds for CA. Age was more strongly associated with CA than with SPs (OR%2.14 [95%CI: 1.21-3.78], the elderly vs the young, P%0.009).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SPs and CA have common risk factors, thus the screening strategy for CA may also be applicable to SPs. As the mean onset age of SPs is earlier than 50 years and SPs may rapidly progress to a carcinogenic state, an earlier screening age needs to be considered.</p>

Value of neutrophil-monocyte product combined with serum creatinine in assessing the severity of acute pancreatitis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the value of neutrophil-monocyte product (NMP) combined with serum creatinine (Scr) in the assessment of the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 120 Uighur patients with AP were retrospectively analyzed, including 104 with non-severe AP (non-SAP group) and 16 with severe AP (SAP group). The correlation of NMP combined with Scr with ICU admission and in-hospital death were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to compare the efficiency of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE-II), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and NMP combined with Scr in determining the severity of AP.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of NMP and Scr were significantly higher in SAP group than in non-SAP group within 24 h after admission (P=0.012; P<0.001). NMP combined with Scr was positively correlated with ICU admission (r=0.489, P<0.001) and in-hospital death (r=0.383, P<0.001). No significant difference was found in the area under curve (AUC) between APACHE-II and NMP combined with Scr for determining AP severity (Z=0.38, P=0.704), but they both were superior to NLR (Z=3.10, P=0.002; Z=2.43, P=0.016).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>NMP combined with Scr can be a simple and effective indicator for determining the severity of AP.</p>

Clinical presentation and treatment strategies for ulcerative colitis: A retrospective study of 247 inpatients / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Complementary and alternative medicine, particularly herbal therapy, is widely used by patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), but controlled data are limited. To describe the clinical presentation and treatment strategies for UC in inpatients from Shanghai, China and to improve the therapeutic outcomes for patients with UC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Medical records from 247 patients with UC who were admitted to Longhua Hospital Affifiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between January 2008 and June 2013 were analyzed for gender, age, course of the disease, clinical type, extent and severity of the disease, treatment strategies, and therapeutic outcomes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Gender ratios and disease onset of inpatients with UC in the Shanghai area were consistent with other reports in the literature. In contrast to previous studies, most patients exhibited disease of the left colon, over half of the patients had problems of the rectum or sigmoid colon, and most patients had either mild or moderate UC. Comparison of Sutherland Disease Actirity Index scores for patients treated with Chinese medicine (CM) and those treated with integrated CM and Western medicine revealed signifificant reductions in scores for both groups after treatment (P<0.01), with no signifificant difference in therapeutic effects between groups (P=0.938).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Herbal medicine has been widely used in patients with mild to moderate disease and as adjunct therapy in patients with moderate to severe disease. Therefore, the strategy was proposed for the treatment of UC with CM therapy based on 2 steps according to the stage of the disease, even in the clinical setting.</p>

Prevalence of Parvovirus B19 Infection in Chinese Xiamen Area Blood Donors / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To estimate the prevalence of parvovirus B19 infection in Chinese Xiamen area blood donors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Blood samples from blood donors were tested for detection of parvovirus B19 DNA and antibody. The direct sequencing and genetype analysis of B19 DNA positive samples were performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Six out of 10452 samples were B19 DNA positive. The viral loads of the 6 samples were between 3.59×10-1.07×10IU/ml; the positive rate of B19-IgM was 4.64%(50/1078) and B19-IgG was 16.79%(181/1078). The positive rate of B19-IgG increased with ages, and was not related with the sex.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The overall prevalence of parvovirus B19 infection in blood donors is lower in Chinese Xiamen area than that in other areas, however, there is still a certain percentage of viremia in donors and the attention should be paid to blood safety in the future work.</p>

Effects of Arsenic Trioxide on K562 Cell Proliferation and Its Mechanisms / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of arsenic trioxide (AsO) on K562 cell proliferation by regulating cell cycle protein D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27kip1.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MTT was used to detect the effect of AsOon K562 cell proliferation, so as to screen out the appropriate drug concentration. Furthermore, the K562 cell apoptosis was observed by microscopy. The expression of CyclinD1 and p27kip1 in K562 cells treated with AsOwas analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry and Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>AsOcould inhibit the proliferation of K562 cells in a dose- and time- dependent manner (r= 0.967). And the apoptosis cell number in AsOgroup was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05). AsOcould markedly inhibit the expression of CyclinD1 in K562 cells(P<0.05), but the expression of P27kip1 was not significantly changed after AsOtreatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>AsOcan induce K562 cell apoptosis and inhibit K562 cell proliferation by regulating the expression of CyclinD1.</p>

Telmisartan reduced cerebral edema by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome in mice with cold brain injury / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible beneficial role of telmisartan in cerebral edema after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the potential mechanisms related to the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (NLR) pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. TBI model was established by cold-induced brain injury. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h survival groups to investigate cerebral edema development with time and received 0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg telmisartan by oral gavage, 1 h prior to TBI to determine the efficient anti-edemic dose. The therapeutic window was identified by post-treating 30 min, 1 h, 2 h and 4 h after TBI. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, the neurological function and histological injury were assessed, at the same time, the mRNA and protein expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome, IL-1β and IL-18 concentrations in peri-contused brain tissue were measured 24 h post TBI. The results showed that the traumatic cerebral edema occurred from 6 h, reached the peak at 24 h and recovered to the baseline 72 h after TBI. A single oral dose of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg telmisartan could reduce cerebral edema. Post-treatment up to 2 h effectively limited the edema development. Furthermore, prophylactic administration of telmisartan markedly inhibited BBB impairment, NLRP3, apoptotic speck-containing protein (ASC) and Caspase-1 activation, as well as IL-1β and IL-18 maturation, subsequently improved the neurological outcomes. In conclusion, telmisartan can reduce traumatic cerebral edema by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome-regulated IL-1β and IL-18 accumulation.

Expressions of inflammatory cytokines in intestinal mucosa and their prognostic value in patients with ulcerative colitis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the expressions of IL-17, IL-23, IL-22 and IL-11 in the intestinal mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and analyze their prognostic values.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty patients with active UC, 15 with UC in remission and 15 healthy subjects were examined for the expressions and distribution of IL-17, IL-23, IL-22, and IL-11 in the colorectal mucosausing immunohistochemistry. We further collected the data from 40 patients with routine therapy and regular follow-up and compared the expressions of those cytokines according to the condition of mucosal healing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expressions of cytokines in patients with active UC were significantly higher than those in patients with remittent UC and healthy control subjects (IL-17: 0.0727∓0.0037 vs 0.0354∓0.0243 vs 0.0330∓0.0045; IL-23: 0.1407∓0.0068 vs 0.0865∓0.0051 vs 0.0442∓0.0137; IL-22: 0.0522∓0.0045 vs 0.0259∓0.0063 vs 0.0115∓0.0061; IL-11: 0.0479∓0.0022 vs 0.0365∓0.0024 vs 0.0232∓0.0009, P<0.05). The expression levels of IL-17, IL-23, and IL-22 increased significantly with the increase of the disease activity (IL-17: 0.0545∓0.0072 vs 0.0786∓ 0.0051 vs 0.0847∓0.0197; IL-23: 0.1112∓0.0046 vs 0.1480∓0.0089 vs 0.1644∓0.0190; IL-22: 0.0307∓0.0063 vs 0.0548∓ 0.0071 vs 0.0719∓0.0056, P<0.05). In patients with active UC, the expression levels of the 4 cytokines in the intestinal mucosa were positively correlated with the endoscopic activity grade (P<0.05), and IL-17 and IL-22 expression levels were also positively correlated with the histological grade (P<0.05). All the 4 cytokines were positively intercorrelated. The patients with low IL-17 expression (25.00%) showed a significantly lower rate of poor mucosal healing than those with high IL-17 expressions (25% vs 67%, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The cytokines IL-17, IL-23, IL-22, and IL-11 all participate in the pathogenesis of UC and may serve as indicators for evaluating the inflammatory activity. The expression level of IL-17 can be a valuable indicator for predicting mucosal healing in UC patients after a short-term treatment.</p>