Risk factors associated with diabetes retinopathy in patients with coronary heart disease / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To study the risk factors for diabetic retinopathy(DR)in patients with coronary artery disease(CAD).Methods:353 patients with diabetes mellitus hospitalized at Beijing Anzhen Hospital between 2013 and 2015 were enrolled, including 96 patients with coronary artery disease(27%)and 156 patients with DR(44%).Medical history and examination/laboratory results of all patients were collected for analysis.Coronary artery disease was diagnosed according to coronary angiography.DR was diagnosed via ophthalmological examinations.The clinical characteristics of patients with and without DR were compared and contrasted between the groups.Results:Compared with patients without DR, patients with DR had a longer duration of diabetes, [15 years(10, 20) vs.8 years(4, 13), P<0.001]and a higher urine albumin/creatine ratio(UACR)[12.1 mg/g(3.2, 71.9) vs.4.8 mg/g(2.2, 3.5), P<0.001].Logistic regression analysis suggested that duration of diabetes( OR=1.107, 95% CI: 1.063~1.153, P<0.001)and UACR( OR=0.003, 95% CI: 1.001~1.006, P=0.008)were independent risk factors for DR.ROC curves revealed that a duration of diabetes >9.5 years or UACR>7.1 mg/g was significantly associated with DR.Also, of all patients with CAD, those with DR had a longer duration of diabetes[15 years(10, 20) vs.10 years(6, 15), P=0.002]and a higher percentage with hypertension(88.1% vs.67.6%, P=0.014).Hypertension history( OR=4.049, 95% CI: 1.099~14.925, P=0.036)and duration of diabetes( OR=1.159, 95% CI: 1.044~1.287, P=0.005)were independent risk factors for DR in patients with CAD.History of hypertension or a duration of diabetes>11.5 years was significantly associated with DR. Conclusions:In patients with coronary heart disease, hypertension history or a long duration of diabetes is significantly associated with an increased risk of DR.

Changes in Protein Phosphorylation during Salivary Gland Degeneration in Haemaphysalis longicornis

The ticks feed large amount of blood from their hosts and transmit pathogens to the victims. The salivary gland plays an important role in the blood feeding. When the female ticks are near engorgement, the salivary gland gradually loses its functions and begins to rapidly degenerate. In this study, data-independent acquisition quantitative proteomics was used to study changes in the phosphorylation modification of proteins during salivary gland degeneration in Haemaphysalis longicornis. In this quantitative study, 400 phosphorylated proteins and 850 phosphorylation modification sites were identified. Trough RNA interference experiments, we found that among the proteins with changes in phosphorylation, apoptosis-promoting Hippo protein played a role in salivary gland degeneration.

Comparative analysis of cardio-metabolic risk factors in coronary artery disease patients with in-stent restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of cardio-metabolic risk factors coronary artery disease(CAD)patients with in-stent restenosis(ISR)after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods:A total of 169 patients undergone primary(T1)PCI and followed up and rechecked by coronary angiography(T2)in our hospital from 2010 to 2017 were enrolled.According to the results of coronary angiography during follow-up, patients were divided into the ISR group(n=66)and the control group(non-ISR or NISR, n=103). Patients were sub-grouped into the elderly ISR group(the E-ISR group, n=17), the elderly non-ISR group(the E-NISR group, n=19), the young ISR group(the Y-ISR group, n=49)and the young non-ISR group(the Y-NISR group, n=84). Clinical data including medical history, laboratory results, and coronary angiography records during the two hospital stays were collected.Cardio-metabolic risk factors and clinical features of coronary artery disease were analyzed for the groups.Results:The levels of systolic blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c), fasting blood glucose(FBG), the percentage of patients with diabetes or myocardial infarction(MI)history, the coronary Gensini score and the percentage of patients with triple vessel disease were higher in the ISR group than in the NISR group(128.6±16.4) mmHg vs.(123.4±10.7) mmHg, P=0.023; (7.0±1.6)% vs.(6.2±0.9)%, P<0.001; 6.6 mmol/L vs.5.7 mmol/L, P<0.001; 53.0% vs.31.1%, P=0.004; 36.4% vs.20.4%, P=0.022; 40 vs.29, P=0.01; 57.6% vs.40.8%, P=0.033). The E-ISR group had higher systolic blood pressure and a lower glomerular filtration rate than the E-NISR group(135.9±27.2) mmHg vs.(124.1±10.8) mmHg, P=0.013; 77.5±14.4 ml·min -1·1.73 m -2vs.(84.8±9.4) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2, P=0.033), but the Y-ISR group had longer hypertension history, higher levels of low-density lipoprotein and HbA1c, and higher Gensini scores than the Y-NISR group[129.7 months vs.83.1 months, P=0.008; (2.78±1.08) mmol/L vs.(2.31±0.65) mmol/L, P=0.002; (7.2±1.7)% vs.(6.1±0.9)%, P<0.001; 41 vs.29, P=0.009]. Conclusions:Clinical features are different between elderly CAD patients and young and middle-aged CAD patients with ISR after PCI, and metabolic risk factors such as blood pressure, blood lipid and blood glucose levels should be proactively controlled

Tafamidis, a Noninvasive Therapy for Delaying Transthyretin Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tafamidis functions to delay the loss of function in transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP), which is a rare inherited amyloidosis with progressive sensorimotor and autonomic polyneuropathy. This systematic literature review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of tafamidis in TTR-FAP patients, with the aim of improving the evidence-based medical evidence of this treatment option for TTP-FAP. METHODS: A systematic search of the English-language literature in five databases was performed through to May 31, 2018 by two reviewers who independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. We extracted efficacy and safety outcomes and performed a meta-analysis. Statistical tests were performed to check for heterogeneity and publication bias. RESULTS: The meta-analysis identified six relevant studies. The tafamidis group showed smaller changes from baseline in the Neuropathy Impairment Score–Lower Limbs [mean difference (MD)=−3.01, 95% confidence interval (CI)=−3.26 to −2.75, p < 0.001] and the Norfolk Quality of Life-Diabetic Neuropathy total quality of life score (MD=−6.67, 95% CI=−9.70 to −3.64, p < 0.001), and a higher modified body mass index (MD=72.45, 95% CI=69.41 to 75.49, p < 0.001), with no significant difference in total adverse events [odds ratio (OR)=0.69, 95% CI=0.35 to 1.35, p=0.27]. The incidence of adverse events did not differ between tafamidis and placebo treatment except for fatigue (OR=0.13, 95% CI=0.02 to 0.72, p=0.02) and hypesthesia (OR=0.16, 95% CI=0.03 to 0.92, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis has demonstrated that tafamidis delays neurologic progression and preserves a better nutritional status and the quality of life. The rates of adverse events did not differ between the patients in the tafamidis and placebo groups. Tafamidis might be a safer noninvasive option for patients with TTR-FAP.

Efficacy of RNA interference mediated by cationic liposomes / 生物工程学报

To investigate the cytotoxicity of the homemade peptide cationic liposome CDO14 and its efficacy of RNA interference (RNAi). MTT method was used to determine the cytotoxicity of the liposome to a human lung cancer cell line Luc-A549 that can express luciferase stably. Luciferase siRNA (Luc-siRNA) was transfected into Luc-A549 cells by CDO14. Contents of luciferase in the transfected cells were detected by luminous instrument and contents of total protein in these cells were detected by BCA method. Nude mice were inoculated with Luc-A549 cells in axilla to establish xenograft tumor model. Complexes of Luc-siRNA and the cationic liposomes were injected into the modeling mice via tail vein. Contents of luciferase in the transfected mice were detected by the whole body imaging system. The cytotoxicity of the homemade cationic liposome was similar to that of commercial liposome DOTAP, and lower than that of Lipo2000. The siRNA transfection efficacy mediated by CDO14 was higher than that mediated by DOTAP. The homemade peptide cationic liposome CDO14 is expected to serve as delivery vector in gene therapy because of its low cytotoxicity and high transfection efficiency.

Research on cationic vector-mediated RNAi / 生物医学工程学杂志

In order to study the efficiency of small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfer mediated by cationic liposome, we used luciferase siRNA to evaluate the gene silencing activity in the Hep-2 cells, which were stably transduced with a luciferase gene. The pDNA transfection was studied, and siRNA arrearage assay was conducted to determine the capability of cationic liposome with siRNA. Different concentrations of siRNA was used to silence luciferase gene' activity, and then the result was examined by microplate reader. Cell viability was analyzed after transfection by MTT assay. The results suggested that Lipofectamine 2000 could transfer the pDNA efficiently, and have strong binding capacity with siRNA. The silencing efficiency of luciferase was obtained with low concentration of siRNA. The cell viability was influenced by RNA interference (RNAi) very slightly, but the cell survival rate decreased with the increase of siRNA concentrations. It was well concluded that by optimizing the experimental conditions, cationic liposome can transfer low concentration siRNA to silence target gene's activity efficiently.

Clinical-MRI correlation study of medullary infarction / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To investigate the relation between lesions of medullary infarction and clinical symptoms and signs.Methods Eleven patients with medullary infarction confirmed by MRI were identified.Their clinical presentations and the relation between clinical presentation and location of lesion in MRI were assessed and analyzed.Results Among the 11 patients,5 cases suffered from lateral medullary infarction,6 medial medullary infarction(including two cases of bilateral infarction).Regarding clinical symptoms,common symptoms in lateral medullary infarction are blurred speech,dizziness,choking water,swallowing difficulties and facial numbness;in medial medullary infarction are limb weakness and blurred speech.The common signs of lateral medullary infarction are dysarthria,sensory disturbance,Horner sign and facial paralysis;in medial medullary infarction are paralysis of limbs and peripheral paralysis of the tongue.Conclusion Clinical manifestations are vailed depending on the sites of medullary infarction.MRI is helpful in diagnosing of medullary infarction.