Role of sex hormones in keratoconus and potential therapeutic targets / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Keratoconus is a blinding corneal disease characterized by central or paracentral corneal thinning and conical ectasia, and usually happens in adolescence. Currently, the etiology of keratoconus is unclear. Multiple studies have identified an association between genetics, eye rubbing, allergic diseases, ultraviolet exposure and keratoconus. Recently, several studies identified that sex hormones also played important roles in the pathogenesis of keratoconus. The disturbance of sex hormones may increase the risk of occurrence and progress of keratoconus. This review aims to summarize the pathophysiological effects of sex hormones on the cornea, clarify the effects of sex hormones on keratoconus and its related inflammatory or immune mechanisms, and explore the role of sex hormones in the early diagnosis and treatment of keratoconus, providing reference and help for clinical work.

Clinical features of keratoconus and influencing factors of disease severity / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with keratoconus, and to explore the factors influencing keratoconus severity.Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed.A total of 908 patients (1 476 eyes) with primary keratoconus were enrolled in Henan Eye Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021.The medical history data of patients were collected by face-to-face questionnaire survey.Refractive parameters were measured by subjective optometry.Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured by a non-contact tonometer, and corrected IOP was calculated by Dresden formula.Corneal topography parameters was obtained using Pentacam HR.The subgroup analysis of clinical characteristics of all patients was performed by age (<21 years, 21~<31 years, ≥31 years) and gender.Disease severity was graded based on steep keratometry (Ks), namely mild (Ks<48 D), moderate (48 D≤Ks<55 D) and severe (Ks≥55 D). The influencing factors of disease severity in keratoconus were analyzed by ordered Logistic regression.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Henan Eye Hospital (No.HNEECKY-2019[5]). All subjects or guardians were informed of the purpose and significance of the study and written informed consent was obtained.Results:Of the 908 patients, 622 were with bilateral keratoconus and 286 were with unilateral keratoconus.The median age of onset was 20(17, 26) years, and the median age of diagnosis was 21(18, 27) years.The ratio of males to females was 3.05∶1.There were 9.80%(89/908) of the patients having a history of allergy, 25.55%(232/908) having a history of other systemic diseases, and 1.98%(18/908) having a family history of keratoconus.Of the 1 476 affected eyes, 27.57%(407/1 476) were diagnosed as severe keratoconus, and 61.94%(568/917) had a history of eye rubbing.The medians of sphericity, cylindricity, IOP, corrected IOP, Ks, thinnest corneal thickness (TCT), anterior corneal surface elevation (AE) and posterior corneal surface elevation (PE) were -4.00(-7.00, -1.75)D, -3.50(-6.00, -1.50)D, 12.00(10.30, 13.80)mmHg, 15.40(13.60, 17.00)mmHg, 49.85(46.40, 54.90)D, 460.00(425.00, 490.00)μm, 21.00(13.00, 34.75)μm, 51.00(33.00, 75.00)μm, respectively.The spherical refraction, IOP and corrected IOP were lower and the cylindrical refraction was higher in patients at age <21 years than in patients at age 21~<31 years, and the TCT of patients at age <21 years was higher than that at age ≥31 years, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). Compared with female patients, male patients had younger onset age, lower spherical refraction, IOP and corrected IOP, as well as higher cylindrical refraction, AE and PE, showing statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). The spherical refraction and IOP of male patients were lower than those of female patients at age <21 years, and the cylindrical refraction was higher in males than in females among the patients at age 21~<31 years, and the differences were statistically significant (both at P<0.05). Among the patients with onset age <21 years and diagnosis age <21 years, the ratio of males to females in patients with severe keratoconus was higher than those with mild and moderate disease, and the difference was statistically significant (both at P<0.05). Older age of onset was a protective factor for disease severity in keratoconus (odds ratio=0.981, 95% confidence interval: 0.963~0.999). Conclusions:The younger the onset age of keratoconus patients, the more severe the disease.Among the patients with severe keratoconus, there were more male patients, and males have a younger onset age and severer conditions.It is suggested that early screening of keratoconus in children and adolescents should be strengthened in clinical work, and more active prevention and treatment measures should be taken for younger patients, especially males.

Follow-up and prognosis analysis of rheumatic disease complicated with pulmonary arterial hypertension in children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical features, follow-up characteristics and prognosis of rheumatic disease complicated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in children, and to provide support for its clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of rheumatic 24 patients complicated with PAH hospitalized in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Children′s Hospital Affiliated to the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Jiangxi Children′s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics Ⅰ, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Department of Pediatrics, the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from January 2013 to June 2022.The rheumatic patients complicated with PAH were followed up by telephone on June 30, 2022, and their clinical symptoms, treatment, follow-up, and prognosis data were collected.According to different treatment methods, the patients were divided into different clinical subgroups. The change of PAH was analyzed. The t-test was used for comparison between groups. P<0.05 was statistically significant. Results:A total of 24 cases were enrolled, with 7 males and 17 females.The average onset age of PAH was (10.97±3.79) years old.The median duration of PAH was 6.00 (32.20) months.The average pulmonary artery pressure was (51.71±17.66) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). There were 9 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus, 5 cases of Takayasu′s arteritis, 3 cases of juvenile dermatomyositis, 3 cases of undifferentiated connective tissue disease, 2 cases of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, 1 case of Behcet′s disease, and 1 case of Kawasaki disease.Among 24 cases, the common symptoms were fever (14 cases), fatigue (10 cases) and dyspnea (7 cases). Of the 24 cases, 10 cases were complicated with hydropericardium, 9 cases with valve regurgitation, and 5 cases with decreased systolic and/or diastolic function.Lung changes were observed in 17 cases.Eleven cases were tested for B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and the BNP levels were all elevated in them (11 cases), with a median BNP of 3 073 (10 645) ng/L.After the first occurrence of PAH, 12 cases were treated with Methylprednisolone therapy, 10 cases received Cyclophosphamide therapy, and 2 cases who were both systemic lupus erythematosus, underwent blood purification.In the treatment of PAH, 11 cases were treated with pulmonary artery pressure reduction, and 7 of the 11 cases took PAH-targeted drugs.The mean decrease of the average pulmonary artery pressure in children receiving the targeted therapy[(44.80±24.08) mmHg] was significant higher than that in children not receiving the targeted therapy [(16.15±17.25) mmHg] ( t=2.661, P=0.016). Twenty children were reexamined and/or followed up, and the average course of PAH at the telephone follow-up was (36.29±26.67) months.The pulmonary arterial hypertension in 6 cases completely recovered, with median recovery time of 8.00 (13.47) months, but 2 of them died after the complete recovery.The pulmonary arterial hypertension improved in 11 children, 1 of whom died and the remaining children were in stable condition.The pulmonary arterial hypertension worsened in 2 children, 1 of them improved previously but aggravated recently, and the other child did not monitor pulmonary artery pressure and died during telephone follow-up. Conclusions:Rheumatic diseases complicated with PAH are rare and most often diagnosed in severe rheumatic children.It can lead to death, and is commonly accompanied by notably elevated BNP levels.The patients who have early PAH detection, intensive treatment of the primary disease, symptomatic and targeted pulmonary artery pressure reduction show a better prognosis.

Application of transabdominal wall press and vaginal B-ultrasound probe to adjust ovarian position in oocyte retrieval / 中国医师杂志

Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of rtansabdominal wall press to adjust ovarian position in patients with difficulty in oocyte retrieval.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted to collect 177 patients with difficulty in oocyte retrieval from January 2020 to December 2021 in the Reproductive Medical Center of Peking University Shenzhen Hospital. Among the 177 patients with difficulty in oocyte retrieval, 76 patients used transabdominal wall press to adjust the position of the ovary (pushing group), and the other 101 patients were treated with routine oocyte retrieval (control group). The oocyte retrieval rate, the number of oocyte and mature oocyte, the number of transferable embryos and high-quality embryos were compared between the two groups, and the incidence of complications was recorded.Results:There was no significant difference between the two groups in the ovarian stimulation program, the dosage of ovulation promoting drugs and the number of follicles ≥14 mm on human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) day (all P>0.05). The days of promoting ovulation in the pushing group were longer than those in the control group, and the level of estradiol on HCG day was significantly higher than that in the control group (all P<0.05). The rate of oocyte retrieval, the number of oocytes retrieved, the number of transferable embryos and high-quality embryos in the pushing group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The incidence of complications during oocyte retrieval in the pushing group was significantly lower than that in the control group ( P=0.003). Conclusions:Transabdominal wall press to adjust ovarian position can improve oocyte retrieval rate and reduce the incidence of complications in patients with difficulty in oocyte retrieval.

Research progress on risk factors of keratoconus / 中华实验眼科杂志

Keratoconus is a corneal ectasia disease characterized by conical protrusion, progressive corneal thinning and irregular astigmatism.The etiology of keratoconus remains unclear now.Multiple factors contribute to the disease.A large number of studies have shown that the occurrence of keratoconus is closely related to heredity, and there exists obvious genetic heterogeneity.The incidence of keratoconus in patients with allergic diseases and frequent eye rubbing is high.Ultraviolet irradiation can damage the ocular surface and induce keratoconus subsequently.Keratectasia is a serious complication after refractive surgery.In this article, the risk factors including genetic susceptibility, eye rubbing, allergic diseases, ultraviolet irradiation, refractive surgery that related to keratoconus are reviewed.

The association between the whole blood riboflavin level and the occurrence, development and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the association between the whole blood riboflavin level and the occurrence, development and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in China. @*Methods@#From March 2014 to September 2018, ESCC patients from three hospitals (the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou Central Hospital in Southern Chaoshan area and First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in Northern Taihang Mountain) were selected as a case group; non-esophageal patients who had a physical examination were selected as a control group. The case and control group were paired by age (±5 years) and a 1:1 ration. A total of 1 528 subjects were enrolled including 764 patients in the case group and 764 patients in the control group. About 3-5 ml venous blood samples were collected, and the erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient (GRAC) was measured to assess the whole blood riboflavin level. A multivariate conditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between the GRAC and the risk of ESCC. The association between the GRAC and the prognosis of ESCC was analyzed by using Cox proportional risk regression model based on 288 patients with complete survival data. They were divided into two groups, the high GRAC group (GRAC≥7.87) group and the low GRAC group (GRAC<7.87) according to the strongest correlation between the total survival time, survival outcome and GRAC (GRAC=7.87). @*Results@#Among the 1 528 patients, 958 patients were from Southern Chaoshan area, including 479 patients in the case group with an average age about (59.90±9.34) years and 479 patients in the control group with an average age about (59.55±8.77) years. Other 570 patients were from Northern Taihang Mountain area, including 285 patients in the case group with an average age (58.39±5.19) years and 285 patients in the control group with an average age about (58.74±4.57) years. The multivariate conditional logistic regression showed that the OR (95%CI) of the GRAC and the risk of ESCC was 1.009 (0.998-1.019). The Cox proportional hazard regression model analysis showed that the HR (95%CI) of the high GRAC group was 1.712 (1.034-2.824) compared with the low GRAC group in the 50-70 years group. @*Conclusion@#The whole blood riboflavin level might not be associated with the occurrence of ESCC. The high whole blood riboflavin level would be more beneficial to the prognosis of ESCC patients aged 50-70 years.

Repeatability of new Corvis ST parameters and influencing factors in myopia patients / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective@#To evaluate the repeatability of corneal biomechanics parameters measured by Corneal Visualization Scheimpflug Technology (Corvis ST) and explore the factors that influence the repeatability.@*Methods@#A diagnostic test study was performed.A total of 190 eyes in 95 myopia patients (34 males and 61 females) were enrolled from September to October 2017 in Henan Eye Hospital.All the subjects underwent 5 repeated examinations with the Corvis ST.The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Cronbach α coefficients and repeatability coefficient (RC) were computed to evaluate repeatability of Corvis ST parameters.The multiple linear regression analysis was used to study the factors that affect the magnitude of the test-retest variability (within subject SD) of new Corvis ST parameters.This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Henan Eye Hospital (HNEECKY-2019[5]), and written informed consent was obtained from each subject.@*Results@#Among the 39 biomechanics parameters, The ICC and Cronbach α were greater than 0.75 for 26 parameters, within 0.60-0.75 for 4 parameters, and lower than 0.60 for deflection amplitude max time (DLAMT). The ICC and Cronbach α of DA ratio max[1 mm], DA ratio max [2 mm], max inverse radius, Ambrósio's relational thickness horizontal (ARTh), biomechanical intraocular pressure (bIOP), integrated radius, stiffness parameter applanation 1 (SPA1) and Corvis biomechanical index (CBI)were all above 0.920.The multivariate regression results indicated that the within subject SD of bIOP increased with the increase of IOP (β=0.210, P=0.010). The within subjects SD of DA Ratio Max [1 mm]decreased with the increase of central corneal thickness (CCT) (β=-0.218, P=0.008). The within subjects SD of DA Ratio Max [2 mm]decreased with the increase of CCT(β=-0.295, P<0.001). The within subject SD of CBI decreased with the increase of astigmatism, axial lengths and CCT (β=-0.190、-0.148、-0.428, all P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#The Corvis ST parameters showed favorable measurement repeatability in myopia patients, especially for the new parameters.Astigmatism, axial lengths and CCT significantly affected the repeatability of CBI.

Effects of Rho kinase inhibitor fasudil on paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of Rho kinase inhibitor,fasudil,on pulmonary fibrosis induced by paraquat in rats in order to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.Methods A total of 72 SpragueDawley male rats of specific pathogen free (SPF) were randomly (random number) divided into four groups:the normal control group (NS group,n =18),fasudil control group (FS control group,n =18),paraquat poisoning group (PQ poisoning group,n =18) and fasudil intervention group (FS intervention group,n =18).On days 7,14,28 after paraquat exposure,six rats were respectively selected from each group.These rats were anesthetized and sacrificed immediately,and their lung tissues were collected.The hydroxyproline (HYP) in the lung tissue was detected by using alkaline hydrolysis.The expressions of type Ⅰ,Ⅲ collagen protein,connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and ROCK1 mRNA in Rho/ROCK signaling pathway were assayed by using the real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR),and the levels of type Ⅰ,Ⅲ collagen protein,connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and Rho / ROCK signaling pathway ROCK1 protein were measured by using Western blotting.The pathological changes of lung tissue were observed under light microscope.Results There were no significant differences in the observed biomarkers between FS control group and NS group (P ＞ 0.05).While in PQ poisoning group and FS intervention group on days 7,14,28 (all P ＜ 0.05),the amount of HYP increased obviously (P ＜ 0.05),the expressions of type Ⅰ,Ⅲ collagen protein,CTGF,ROCK1 mRNA and protein levels were increased significantly (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with the PQ poisoning group,the amount of HYP decreased significantly,and the expressions of type Ⅰ,Ⅲ collagen protein,CTGF,ROCK1 mRNA and protein levels were decreased significantly in FS intervention group on days 7,14,28 (all P ＜ 0.05).The pathological changes of lung tissue revealed that the degree of pulmonary fibrosis in the PQ poisoning group were most serious on 28 d after paraquat exposure,and the degree of pulmonary fibrosis were lessened in FS intervention group on days 7,14,28.Conclusions ROCK inhibitor,fasudil,has obvious therapeutic effects on paraquat-induced lung fibrosis,by regulating Rho / ROCK signaling pathway with downregulated expression of CTGF,and decrease in the levels of type Ⅰ,Ⅲ collagen protein,thus reducing protein deposition.

Brain function changes of resting-state functional MRI in cirrhotic patients with hyperbilirubinemia / 中国医学影像技术

Objective To explore the brain function changes in cirrhotic patients with normal blood ammonia and high in direct bilirubin with regional homogeneity (ReHo) of resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI).Methods Fifty-three cirrhotic patients with normal blood ammonia and high indirect bilirubin (cirrhosis group) and 60 healthy volunteers (control group) performed rs-fMRI scans.ReHo values in different brain areas of the two groups were acquired and compared.The correlation between the ReHo values of different brain regions in both groups and the indirect bilirubin concentrations was analyzed.Results Compared with control group,cirrhosis group showed that ReHo values increased in left dorsal-lateral frontal gyrus,left orbital superior frontal gyrus,left top edge of angular gyrus,left precentral gyrus,right caudate,right putamen,right insula,right olfactory cortex (all P＜0.001),and decreased in left superior occipital gyrus,left middle occipital gyrus,left cuneus,left orbital inferior frontal gyrus,right paracentral lobule,right precuneus,right middle occipital gyrus,bilateral lingual gyrus and bilateral cerebellum (all P＜0.001).ReHo values in right insula and right putamen in cirrhotic patients positively correlated with indirect bilirubin (r=0.32,P=0.021).Conclusion The resting state brain function increases and decreases in some brain regions of cirrhotic patients with normal blood ammonia and high indirect bilirubin.Indirect bilirubin level correlates with function of some brain regions,which has certain effect on brain function of adult.

Effects of joint immobilization on the repair of articular cartilage of the rat knee / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Joint immobilization is one of the methods used to treat joint pain and joint injury in the department of orthopedics. Compared with other treatment methods, immobilization can reduce the pain of the damaged synovial joints and avoid the contact stress and friction between the joints. However, immobilization can cause some serious complications such as joint contracture, osteoporosis and cartilage degeneration. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of joint immobilization on the repair of cartilage injury of knee joint in rats. METHODS:Osteochondral ful-thickness defects (2.5 mm in diameter;2 mm in depth) were created in the left femoral condyle fossa with a corneal trephine. 36 animals were randomly assigned into immobilization group and control group (n=18 per group). In the control group, animal models were established, without any treatment. In the immobilization group, after model establishment, rats were immobilized by a designed and modified simplified miniature Ilizarov fixator. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Repair rate of cartilage defect:No significant difference in repair rate was detected between immobilization group and control group. (2) Histological staining:Regeneration tissue was mainly fiber cel s in both groups. At 8 weeks after surgery, Wakitani score and Mankin score were higher in the immobilization group than in the control group (P<0.05). (3) Cartilage metabolic marker detection:Compared with the control group, at 8 weeks, C-telopeptide of type II col agen levels in the urine were significantly higher in the immobilization group than in the control group (P<0.05). (4) Results indicated that persistent immobilization could result in cartilage degeneration, and it was detrimental for cartilage repair.

Tract-based spatial statistical analysis of Alzheimer's disease and its correlation with cognition scores / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To observe microstructural changes of white matter in Alzheimer's disease (AD),and to find out the relationship between white matters lesion and declined cognition.Methods Twenty-four AD patients and 24 controls with normal cognition performed diffusion tensor imaging MR scan.Tract-based spatial statistical analysis (TBSS) was used to investigate microstructural change of white matter,and then its correlation with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores was analyzed.Results Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were decreased in corpus callosum,fornix,left corticospinal tract,bilateral cerebral peduncle,superior cerebellar peduncle,internal capsule,corona radiata,posterior thalamic radiation,sagittal stratum including inferior longitidinal fasciculus and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus,external capsule,cingulate gyrns,hippocampus,superior longitudinal fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus,while mean diffusivity (MD) values were increased in fornix,left hippocampus,bilateral internal capsule,corona radiata,posterior thalamic radiation,sagittal stratum including inferior longitidinal fasciculus and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus,external capsule,cingulate gyrus,superior longitudinal fasciculus,superior fronto-occipital fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus (all P ＜ 0.05,threshold-free cluster enhancement corrected).MMSE scores had a positive correlation with decreased FA values of left sagittal stratum (r =0.535,P =0.007) and negative correlations with increased MD values of left sagittal stratum (r =-0.427,P =0.037),left superior longitudinal fasciculus (r =-0.424,P =0.039) and left uncinate fasciculus (r =-0.505,P =0.012).Conclusions There exist widespread white matter lesions in AD with impairment of white matter connections of intra-and inter-hemispheres.Impaired white matters in left hemisphere may have close relationships with cognition decline.

A voxel-based morphometric study on change of gray matter structures in cerebral palsy / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To measure gray matter volume of whole brain with voxel-based morphometry (VBM) method and to study brain structures associated with gross motor function.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Forty children with cerebral palsy were recruited in the authors' hospital from Oct. 2012 to Dec. 2013 (26 male, 14 female cases, average age (3.6 ± 2.0) years ). Gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) for children was used to obtain their motor function. The whole-brain three dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on a 3.0 T MRI scanner. The data were segmented by VBM 5, and the whole brain volumes of gray matter, white matter and cerebospinal fluid were produced. Correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of GMFCS with whole brain volumes using SPM 5 in Matalab 7.1.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The volume in left meditemporal gyrus (Z=3.57) and inferior temporal gyrus (Z=3.40), right thalamus and pallidum (Z=3.36), left thalamus and pallidum (Z=2.76), left supramarginal gyrus (Z=3.14), left precuneus gyrus (Z=3.00), right dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus (Z=3.08), right superior and medial occipital gyrus (Z=2.84) significantly increased as aggravation of gross motor dysfunction. The volume of the left medial orbitofrontal lobe and anterior cingulate (Z=3.28,3.02), left medial superior frontal gyrus (Z=3.19), left caudate (Z=3.04, 2.94, 2.92), left cerebellum (Z=2.94), right cerebellum (Z=2.97), left parahippocampal (Z=3.94), right parahippocampal (Z=3.43, 3.00), left insula (Z=3.50), right insula (Z=3.41, 3.80), left lingual (Z=3.37), right lingual (Z=3.30), left post cingulum (Z=2.73), left midioccipital gyrus (Z=2.92) and right miditemporal gyrus (Z=3.05) significantly reduced as the aggravation of gross motor dysfunction (P all<0.005).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GMFCS in children with cerebral palsy is related to abnormalities of brain gray matter structure for motor, emotion, memory and default model network when examined with VBM method.</p>

Resting-state functional MRI study on properties of emotional memory networks in late-life depression / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore properties of emotion memory circuits in late-life depression,and differences in functional connectivity of emotional memory network between late-life depression and healthy controls who were investigated by resting-state fMRI.Methods Eighteen late life depression patients and twenty four healthy controls were involved in our study.Resting-state functional MRI data were acquired via 3.0T MRI scanner.Functional MRI data were analyzed.Behavioral data were acquired during retrieval.The independent samples t-test of functional MRI data and ANOVA of behavioral performance were performed with AFNI and SPSS 13.0 statistical software,respectively.Results Decreased connectivities had been shown in depression,including amygdala-thalamus,amygdala-left inferior frontal gyrus,supramarginal gyrus-dorsomedial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex (ACC),middle temporal gyrus-middle frontal gyrus and thalamus-inferior frontal gyros/left frontal eye fields (FEF) connectivity;while increased connectivities included hippocampus-middle temporal gyrus,hippocampusventromedial prefrontal cortex/middle temporal gyrus/ACC/FEF,middle temporal gyrus-fusiform gyrus/FEF,insula-middle temporal gyrus/FEF and thalamus-caudate connectivity (P＜0.05).For depression,global hubs included left amygdale,right hippocampus,right middle frontal gyrus,and right insula.For healthy group,global hubs included bilateral amygdale and middle frontal gyrus,right anterior inferior parietal lobe and right insula.Conclusion There are common and different characters in functional connectivity of emotional memory network between depression and healthy control.Global hub function decreases in the right amygdale and left inferior frontal gyrus,while right hippocampus shows compensatory increase.

Relationship between body mass index and outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer cycle in patients with endometriosis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) cycles in patients with endometriosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We retrospectively analyzed the data of infertile women with endometriosis undergoing 244 IVF/ICSI-ET cycles between January, 2011 and August, 2012. The patients, categorized into 3 groups with mild endometriosis, moderate to severe endometriosis, and no endometriosis (control), underwent a long protocol, and the relationship of the general conditions, dose of gonadotropin, days of stimulation, BMI, number of oocytes retrieved and embryos transferred with the outcome of IVF were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was significant difference between moderate to severe endometriosis group and the control group in the number of ampules, oocytes retrieved and embryos transferred. The patients with moderate or severe endometriosis had significantly lower BMI and clinical pregnancy rate than those with mild or no endometriosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Endometriosis is inversely correlated with BMI, and BMI of the patients with endometriosis may affect the pregnancy rate of IVF cycles.</p>

Transplantation of endothelial progenitor cells in the treatment of cerebral ischemia in rats / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To explore the role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs)in improving functional recovery and promoting neurogenesis in damaged area of ischemic rat brain by MRI,neurological severity score (NSS),and pathological examinations.Meth-ods EPCs wereseparated,cultured,and identified,ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide(USPIO)particles was used to label EPCs in vitro.Transient middle cerebral arterial occlusion(tMCAO)was successfully performed in 30 adult SD rats.Magnetically labeled cells(the experimental group)and normal saline (the control group)were injected intravenously into the tMCAO rats through the tail vein respectively,then MR imaging and NSS was performed 0 day,2 days,4 days,6 days and 8 days later.At last the paraffin-embedded rat brain tissues were obtained and examed by Prussian blue staining and Measurement of microvessel density.Re-sults EPCs wereseparated,cultured,and identified successfully.MR imaging showed significant low signal intensity at the ischemic area on T2 WI sequence.Prussian blue staining images were corresponding to the EPCs staining in vitro.The NSS and microvessel density in experimental group were significantly higher than in control group.Conclusion EPCs can migrate to the damage zone, improve functional recovery and promote neurogenesis in damaged area of ischemic rat brain,and may be a new source of multipoten-tial stem cells for stroke treatment.

Effects of capsaicin on oxidative stress in lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 activation by capsaicin on the oxidative stress in lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury in mice in order to elucidate the potential mechanisms.Methods A total of 108 specific pathogen free (SPF) ICR male mice were randomly divided into six groups:normal control group (n =18),capsaicin control group (CAP control group,n =18),capsazepine control group (CAPZ control group,n =18),acute lung injury group (n =18),capsaicin treatment group (CAP treatment group,n =18) and capsazepine treatment group (CAPZ treatment group,n =18).After modeling,superoxide dismutase (SOD),catalase (CAT) and malondiachehyche (MDA) levels in lung were measured with the method of chromatometry,and the expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in lung tissue was assessed with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),while the level of NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) was determined by western blotting and the expression of Nrf2 mRNA was measured by RTPCR.Pathological changes of lung tissue were observed under light microscope.Results The activities of SOD and CAT in lung tissue at 3,8,16 h were dramatically lower in acute lung injury group than those in normal control group (P ＜ 0.05),while the level of MDA was higher.Compared with acute lung injury group,the lung levels of SOD and CAT at 8 h and 16 h were higher in CAP treatment group (P ＜0.05),while the lung level of MDA was lower (P ＜ 0.05).The levels of SOD and CAT in CAPZ treatment group were decreased at 8 h and 16 h,while the levels of MDA in this group were increased at 3,8,16 h (P ＜0.05).The pulmonary levels of HO-1,Nrf2 and expression of Nrf2 mRNA were significantly higher in acute lung injury group than those in normal control group (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with acute lung injury group,the levels of HO-1,NRF2 and expression of NRF2 mRNA were increased markedly in CAP treatment group (P ＜ 0.05)and were obviously decreased in CAPZ treatment group (P ＜0.05).At 8 h,16 h after modeling,the degree of lung damage was ameliorated in CAP treatment group compared with acute lung injury group under light microscope,while the lung damage was aggravated in CAPZ treatment group.Conclusions The activation of TRPV1 could apparently up-regulate the levels of CAT,SOD,Nrf2,HO-1,and reduce the MDA level in lung tissue of mice with acute lung injury,ultimately protecting the endotoxemia mice from oxidative stress.

A pilot study of voxel-based morphometry on brain structures related to emotional enhancement effect of memory / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective The brain volume and behavioral performance of emotional memory were measured by combining voxel-hased morphometry (VBM) and behavior to explore the morphological characters of brain regions related to the emotional enhancement effect of memory.Methods A total of 32 healthy young subjects participated in the study.The experimental processes included MR scan and behavioral performance of emotional memory the latter of which involved two phases-encoding and retrieval.Behavioral performance was recorded and the whole-brain 3D MRI data were acquired via 3.0T MR.3D MRI data were segmented by VBM5,and the wholebrain volumes of gray matter,white matter and CSF were produced.SPM5 and SPSS13.0 were used for statistical analysis of the 3D MRI data and behavioral data,respectively.Results Retrieval accuracy of the emotional pictures was higher than that of the neutral pictures ( t =5.08,P＜0.001 ),the emotional enhancement effect was significant ( Δ Pr =0.12 ± 0.01 ).Brain regions related to emotional enhancement effect included bilateral amygdala,dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,middle frontal gyrus,dorsomedial prefrontal cortex,fusiform gyms,right parahippocampus,left orbitofrontal cortex and middle cingulate gyms.Volume ratio of bilateral amygdala were related to emotion enhancement effect evidently (left:r=0.564,P＜0.01 ; right:r=0.541,P＜0.01 ).Conclusion This study morphologically confirms that brain regions,such as amygdale and prefrontal cortex,are critical structures for the enhancement of emotional memory,and further extends the findings of previous functional imaging studies.

MRI and pathological features of peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors:Analysis of 7 cases / 中国医学影像技术

Objective To analyze MRI features of peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (pPNET) in comparison with pathological findings. Methods The clinical manifestation, pathological features and the MRI appearances of 7 patients with pathologically proved pPNET were analyzed retrospectively. Results Among 7 patients, 2 patients located in intracalvarium, 2 in lower extremities, 1 in vertebral canal and extended outside of vertebral canal, 1 in cavitas pelvis and involved sacrum, and the rest 1 in the retroperitoneal space. The lesions in soft tissue manifested as iso-intensity on T1WI, slight hyper-intensity on T2WI with cystic degeneration and hemorrhage. Pseudo-capsule was seen in 1 patient. The solid parts of pPNET enhanced markedly after the contrast agent was injected. The adjacent bones were usually involved. pPNET in bone presented as osteolytic destruction of bone with large soft tissue mass. Immunohistochemical examination showed CD99 expression in all 7 patients, synaptophysin (Syn) expression in 4, Chromogranin (CgA) expression in 3, neuron specific enolase (NSE) expression in 2, vimentin (Vim) expression in 2 and EMA in 1 patient. Conclusion MRI has important reference value in diagnosis of pPNET, but final diagnosis still depends on the pathological and immunohistochemical examination.

The clinical study of combined chemotherapy with vinorelbine plus platinum drugs in patients aged ≥70 years and with advanced non-small cell lung cancer / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective To investigated the efficacy and toxic effects of combined chemotherapy of vinorelbine plus cisplatin or carboplatin in patients aged ≥ 70 years and with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods One hundred patients with lung cancer aged ≥70 years were enrolled in the study.Fifty patients in chemotherapy group were assigned to receive vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 at the first day and the fifth day plus cisplatin 60-70 mg/m2 or carboplatin 250 mg/m2 at the second day.All treatments were repeated every 3 or 4 weeks.Another fifty patients aged ≥ 70 years were taken as control group, not receiving treatment.The primary endpoint was survival.Results Forty-five patients were evaluable for response and the partial remission rate was 35.6% (16/45).One year survival rate was 37.8% and median survival time was 9.75 months in chemotherapy group.The median survival time was 4.0 months for patients in control group.All 50 patients in chemotherapy group were evaluable for toxic side effects.WHO grade Ⅲ incidences of leucopoenia, neutropenia and anemia were 38.0%, 52.0% and 2.2%, respectively.Grade IV incidence of neutropenia was 35.5%.WHO grade Ⅲ incidences of fatigue, constipation and vomit were 22.0%, 8.0% and 14.8%,respectively.Five patients failed to complete the treatment due to side effects.Conclusions Combined chemotherapy of vinorelbine plus platinum drugs is effective and tolerated in patients aged over 70 years with advanced NSCLC.Even patients with stable clinical effects shows benefit of survival time.

Regional differences of methylation of metallothionein-3 gene in tissues of esophageal cancer / 肿瘤

Objective:To investigate the methylation of CpG island of metallothionein-3 (MT-3) gene in esophageal cancer tissues and normal tissues in middle and south area of Hebei Province and Chaoshan area of Guangdong Province and compared the results with those in low risk area of esophageal cancer. Methods:The blood samples from 10 normal volunteers, 10 embryonic esophageal tissues, 20 esophageal mucosa tissues from normal subjects in low risk area as well as 30 fresh surgical specimens of esophageal cancer and 30 normal marginal tissues in the high risk middle-south Hebei Province and Chaoshan area were collected. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was used to detect the methylation status of the CpG island of MT-3 gene in these samples. Its relationship with clinicopatho-logical features was analyzed. Results:There were 20 (33.3%) cases with MT-3 methylation in the marginal tissues of esophageal cancer from high-risk area, which was higher than that in the normal mucosa from low-risk area (P=0.013). And there were 49 (81.7%) cases with MT-3 methylation in esophageal cancer tissues, which was higher than that in normal marginal tissues (P<0.001). But there was no significant difference in the methylation degree between middle-south of Hebei Province and Chaoshan area (P=0.739). Conclusion:MT-3 methylation widely exists in esophageal mucosa and carcinoma tissues. Acquired stimulus may be the main cause of these methylations.