Interpret of international Delphi consensus on the management of aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder / 中华眼底病杂志

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare debilitating autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Three monoclonal antibodies were recently approved as maintenance therapies for aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG) seropositive NMOSD (eculizumab, inebilizumab, and satralizumab). Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm published international Delphi consensus on the management of AQP4-IgG+ NMOSD in May 31, 2023. Twenty-five statements reached consensus after two voting rounds by 24 Delphi panel experts. Inebilizumab and satralizumab have been listed in China, and off-label immunosuppressants and biologics are also used in clinical practice. However, there are no standard treatment recommendations in use of these biologics and maintenance therapy of NMOSD. Therefore, the interpretation of this consensus, focusing on the initial use of monoclonal drugs, the conversion between monoclonal drugs and immunosuppressants, as well as the application and safety of special populations, is conducive to improving the normative and effective use of of monoclonal drugs in NMOSD y ophthalmologists and neurologists

LITTIP/Lgr6/HnRNPK complex regulates cementogenesis via Wnt signaling / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Orthodontically induced tooth root resorption (OIRR) is a serious complication during orthodontic treatment. Stimulating cementum repair is the fundamental approach for the treatment of OIRR. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) might be a potential therapeutic agent for OIRR, but its effects still lack direct evidence, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to explore the potential involvement of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in mediating the anabolic effects of intermittent PTH and contributing to cementum repair, as identifying lncRNA-disease associations can provide valuable insights for disease diagnosis and treatment. Here, we showed that intermittent PTH regulates cell proliferation and mineralization in immortalized murine cementoblast OCCM-30 via the regulation of the Wnt pathway. In vivo, daily administration of PTH is sufficient to accelerate root regeneration by locally inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Through RNA microarray analysis, lncRNA LITTIP (LGR6 intergenic transcript under intermittent PTH) is identified as a key regulator of cementogenesis under intermittent PTH. Chromatin isolation by RNA purification (ChIRP) and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays revealed that LITTIP binds to mRNA of leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 6 (LGR6) and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (HnRNPK) protein. Further co-transfection experiments confirmed that LITTIP plays a structural role in the formation of the LITTIP/Lgr6/HnRNPK complex. Moreover, LITTIP is able to promote the expression of LGR6 via the RNA-binding protein HnRNPK. Collectively, our results indicate that the intermittent PTH administration accelerates root regeneration via inhibiting Wnt pathway. The lncRNA LITTIP is identified to negatively regulate cementogenesis, which activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling via high expression of LGR6 promoted by HnRNPK.

Isolation, identification and prokaryotic expression of a bacteriocin-like substance from Bacillus licheniformis / 生物工程学报

The ban on addition of antibiotics in animal feed in China has made the search for new antibiotics substitutes, e.g. bacteriocin, a hot topic in research. The present study successfully isolated an antibacterial substance producing strain of Bacillus sp. from alpaca feces by agar diffusion method, using Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Micrococcus luteus and Listeria monocytogenes as indicator bacteria. The isolated strain was named as B. licheniformis SXAU06 based on colony morphology, Gram staining and 16S rRNA gene sequence. The antibacterial substance was isolated and purified through a series of procedures including (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, chloroform extraction, molecular interception and SDS-PAGE analysis. Bioinformatics analysis of the LC-MS/MS data indicated that the antibacterial substance was a bacteriocin-like substance (BLIS) with an approximate molecular weight of 14 kDa, and it was designated as BLIS_SXAU06. BLIS_SXAU06 exhibited high resistance to treatment of proteinase K, high temperature, high acidity and alkalinity. BLIS_SXAU06 was heterologously expressed in E. coli and the recombinant BLIS_SXAU06 exhibited effective antibacterial activity against S. aureus, S. epidermidis, M. luteus, and L. monocytogenes, showing potential to be investigated further.

Migration and spread of Bacillus cereus in mice with endophthalmitis and influence on inflammation / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the causes of strong pathogenicity of Bacillus cereus ( B. cereus) in a mouse model of B. cereus endophthalmitis and the factors that might be related to the prognosis of the disease. Methods:C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were injected with 1 μl PBS solution containing 100 CFU B. cereus into the vitreous cavity to construct traumatic endophthalmitis model, and a control group was set up by injecting the contralateral eyeball with 1 μl sterile PBS. A mouse model of Staphylococcus epidermidis ( S. epidermidis) endophthalmitis was constructed in the same way as disease control group. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the levels of inflammatory cytokines at different time points. Histology, electroretinogram and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect the progression of endophthalmitis and retinal function at different time points. Results:B. cereus grew significantly faster than S. epidermidis in the eyes of C57BL/6 mice and gradually moved to the cornea 12 h after infection. The results of transmission electron microscopy showed that many more B. cereus were found in the iris with sparse pigment particles, while S. epidermidis could not be detected in the anterior segment after infection. The electroretinogram results showed that the amplitude of A wave and B wave of mice with B. cereus endophthalmitis decreased significantly 6 h after infection, and the B wave could not be detected 12 h after infection. Moreover, the amplitude reduction at different time points was significantly larger than that in the S. epidermidis endophthalmitis group. Histological examination found that compared with the S. epidermidis endophthalmitis group, the mice with B. cereus endophthalmitis had significantly increased inflammatory cells in the anterior chamber and vitreous cavity with a higher degree of infiltration, which was more destructive to the tissue structure. ELISA results showed that the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) was significantly stronger in the B. cereus endophthalmitis group than in the S. epidermidis endophthalmitis group, suggesting that a much more severe inflammation was induced. The expression of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β at the transcription and protein levels in the mouse model of B. cereus endophthalmitis were significantly higher than those in the mice with S. epidermidis endophthalmitis. Conclusions:B. cereus could induce severe endophthalmitis and tissue destruction in the eye due to its rapid growth and migration ability, which was an important factor leading to vision loss.

Associations of negative life events and coping styles with sleep quality among Chinese adolescents: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND@#Limited published research has examined the relationships of negative life events and coping styles with sleep quality in Chinese junior high school students. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of poor sleep quality and to clarify the role of coping styles between negative life events and sleep quality.@*METHODS@#A cross-sectional study of 3081 students was conducted in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, Southeastern China. Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index were applied to assess negative life events, coping styles, and sleep quality, respectively. Descriptive analyses, independent-samples t tests, one-way analyses of variance, Pearson correlation analyses, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were applied to analyze the data.@*RESULTS@#The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 26.7%. Negative life events (B = 0.038, P 0.05). The association between negative life events and sleep quality was mediated by negative coping styles.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Our results indicated that poor sleep quality was common in these Chinese adolescents. Negative life events and negative coping style were associated with an increased prevalence of poor sleep quality, while the positive coping style was related to a decreased prevalence of poor sleep quality. A negative coping style mediated the association between negative life events and sleep quality.

Establishment and associated factors of health records among young Chinese migrants

BACKGROUND@#Most Chinese migrants have been faced with obstacles to getting access to local public health services. Young migrants among internal migrants make a major contribution to the economy. However, the establishment of their health records has been ignored. This research was aimed at exploring the status and associated factors of the establishment of health records among young Chinese migrants.@*METHODS@#Data were obtained from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS). Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were performed to investigate the associated factors of the establishment of health records among young Chinese migrants.@*RESULTS@#Approximately 30.2% of young migrants had their health records established in inflow communities. Urban residence, medical insurance (insured), and lower average monthly household income were attributed to the establishment of more health records. Young migrants who were in northeast China and across provinces and immigrated for working or engaging in trade were less likely to have health records established. Young migrants who participated in social activities and public affairs activities and took type of people in touch as natives in the inflow area showed a higher possibility of establishing health records. Meanwhile, receiving health education and hearing about national basic public health services (BPHSs) were beneficial for establishing the health records of more young migrants.@*CONCLUSION@#This study showed that the health records of young migrants had a relatively low establishment rate. Sociodemographic and migration characteristics, health status, public health services, and social integration factors were all related to the health record establishment of young Chinese migrants.

Drug-resistance of MDR-TB in Xi’an between 2018 and 2020 and the impact of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control on it / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To understand the epidemic status of drug-resistant Mycobacteriun tuberculosis in Xi’an in the past three years, and the impact of COVID-19 epidemic during 2020 so as to provide basic information for local multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) prevention and treatment. 【Methods】 Tuberculosis (TB) detected by sputum culture, the corresponding drug susceptibility tests data, and basic clinical information of TB patients diagnosed in Xi’an from January 2018 to October 2020 were collected from the management system; then the epidemic status and the drug resistance status were analyzed. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between the patients’ treatment history and the drug resistance of TB strains, and the trend of changes in the drug resistance rate in retreated patients. 【Results】 In the past three years, there was a total drug resistance rate of 25.3% in 5 146 strains of MTB, and 24.8% in treatment initiation and 38.22% in retreatment, respectively. The treatment initiation patients showed a decreased MDR-TB detection rate, and the retreated patients had an increased MDR-TB detection rate. The spectrum of MDR-TB in the retreated patients gradually became more complicated, and the resistance rate of second-line drugs such as Kanamycin and Ofloxacin gradually increased. There were 10 drug-resistant combinations mainly in H+R+S and H+R+S+E. During the year 2020 of COVID-19 epidemic, the number of initial and retreated patients decreased significantly compared with that in 2018 and 2019, but with no difference in the drug-resistance rate. There was an increasing detection rate of PDR and MDR-TB strains in the retreated patients. Multinomial logistic regression results showed that in 2020 the retreated patients had 4.28 times of developing PDR-TB (P=0.001, 95% CI=1.417-12.930), and 5.378 times of developing MDR-TB (P<0.001, 95% CI=2.641-10.952) than patients of treatment initiation. 【Conclusion】 In the past three years, the prevention and control of drug-resistant TB in Xi’an has achieved some progress, but drug resistance in retreated patients is still serious. To avoid and reduce the development of drug-resistant TB, precise and active intervention measures should be taken, and health management of TB patients should be strengthened, especially during the current period of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control.

Parathyroid hormone increases alveolar bone homoeostasis during orthodontic tooth movement in rats with periodontitis via crosstalk between STAT3 and β-catenin / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Periodontitis patients are at risk of alveolar bone loss during orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate whether intermittent parathyroid hormone (1-34) treatment (iPTH) could reduce alveolar bone loss during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) in individuals with periodontitis and the underlying mechanism. A rat model of OTM in the context of periodontitis was established and alveolar bone loss was observed. The control, iPTH and iPTH + stattic groups received injections of vehicle, PTH and vehicle, or PTH and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibitor stattic, respectively. iPTH prevented alveolar bone loss by enhancing osteogenesis and suppressing bone resorption in the alveolar bone during OTM in rats with periodontitis. This effect of iPTH was along with STAT3 activation and reduced by a local injection of stattic. iPTH promoted osteoblastic differentiation and might further regulate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in a STAT3-dependent manner. The findings of this study suggest that iPTH might reduce alveolar bone loss during OTM in rats with periodontitis through STAT3/β-catenin crosstalk.

Clinical analysis of 4 cases of Wernekink commissure syndrome / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Wernekink commissure syndrome (WCS) is very rare. Four patients with WCS, admitted to our hospital from April to May 2018, were chosen for this study, and their clinical manifestations, imaging features, and etiology were retrospectively analyzed based on the literatures. All patients with WCS manifested as bilateral cerebellar ataxia such as symmetrical limb and trunk ataxia, but the degree of ataxia was asymmetrical distribution based on the anatomy. Dysarthria was the main and constant clinical manifestation of the syndrome. Ophthalmoplegia had great variability, and WCS with oculomotor nerve palsy may be considered as atypical WCS. The incidence of olivary degeneration and palatine myoclonus is relatively low, which may be related to the difference in the reported time intervals of cases. Changes in consciousness and emotion may be the characteristic of neglected WCS, which should be paid more attention. Cerebral infarction is the main etiology of WCS. We reported that cerebral infarction and WCS was the first symptom in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We should pay more attention to special etiology in diagnosis and treatment of WCS.

The clinical observation of the effects of maternal serum vitamin D levels on the developing nervous system in infants / 重庆医学

Objective To investigate the effect of maternal serum vitamin D (VD)levels on the developing nervous system in in-fants.Methods A total of 1 012 pregnant women's serum VD levels of early pregnancy were given the right amount of VD supple-mentation according to the results.They were divided into 3 groups (normal,deficiency and insufficiency group)according to the third trimester VD levels;and their infants 6-8 months were tested on the developmental quotient (DQ),mental index (MI)and other neurological development index by the Developmental Screening Test for child under six(DST).Results There were up to 94.17% of pregnant women in early pregnancy had severe VD deficiency,the average levels was (16.21 ± 7.54)ng/mL;Although VD levels was increased after supplements,there were 46.25% of pregnant women still deficient in VD.The average DQ score of 1 020 infants was 92.67±16.45 and M1 score was 97.53±17.04,which accorded with normal distribution.The rate of the infants born by mothers who had the normal VD levels were superior to those with VD deficiency and insufficiency on the quotients of out-standing and smart,and there was a significant difference between them(P 0.05).The level of VD was positively correlated with DQ and MI,and the correlation coefficients are 0.63 and 0.2(slightly correlated),respectively.Conclusion It should be pay more attention to monitoring the VD levels of the pregnant women during the pregnancy,and for lack should be promptly added.