Clinical application of serum Golgi protein 73 in patients with chronic liver diseases / 中华肝脏病杂志

Golgi protein 73 (GP73) is a transmembrane protein on the Golgi apparatus and can be cut and released into the blood. In recent years, an increasing number of clinical studies have shown that the elevated serum GP73 level is closely related to liver diseases. And thus GP73 is expected to be used as a new serum marker for assessing progress of chronic liver diseases. Herein, the clinical application of serum GP73 in chronic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma with different etiologies was reviewed based on available literatures; and a research outlook in this field is made.

Effect and Mechanism of Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang on Atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To study the effects of Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang （BBTT） on atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein-E knockout （ApoE^-/-） mice induced by high fat diet. Method:The atherosclerosis model of ApoE^-/- mice was established with high-fat diet， and BBTT was used for intervention. The pathological changes of aorta after atherosclerosis were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE）， oil red O and Masson staining. The changes of serum total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， high density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） and low density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer. The expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-<italic>α</italic> （TNF-<italic>α</italic>）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and oxidized low density lipoprotein （ox-LDL） were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Total tissue proteins were extracted， quantified by protein quantification （BCA） method， and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） protein was detected by Western blot. Thiobarbituric acid （TBA） method was used to detect the change of malondialdehyde （MDA） content. The change of superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity was detected by 2-（2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl）-3-（4-nitrophenyl）-5-（2，4-disulfobenzene）-2H tetrazole monosodium salt （WST-8） method. Result:Compared with the control group， there was a large amount of lipid accumulation in the blood vessels of the model group， the serum levels of TG， TC， HDL-C and LDL-C significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， the expression of MMP-9 protein in the blood vessels significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-<italic>α</italic> in the serum increased （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， the SOD activity was significantly reduced （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the levels of MDA and ox-LDL expression increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the model group， the treatment with BBTT could inhibit the accumulation of lipids in blood vessels， the TG levels were reduced in the high and medium dose groups of BBTT （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， high， medium and low dose groups significantly reduced the levels of LDL-C in serum （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， the expression of MMP-9 protein in blood vessels （<italic>P</italic><0.05） and IL-6 in serum （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， the high-dose group down-regulated the expression of TNF-<italic>α</italic> in serum （<italic>P</italic><0.01） and ox-LDL （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， both the high and medium-dose groups increased the level of MDA （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01） and the activity of SOD （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:BBTT has a certain intervention effect on the formation of atherosclerosis aortic plaque in ApoE^-/- mice， and its mechanism may be associated with reducing the TG and LDL-C levels， lowering blood lipid， down-regulating MMP-9 protein， protecting blood vessels from inflammatory damage， reducing ox-LDL and MDA levels， and improving SOD activity to play an antioxidant role.

Diagnosis and Treatment of 126 Cases of Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the clinicopathological features and prognosis of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma(ChRCC). Methods The clinical and pathological data of 126 patients with ChRCC treated in Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were retrospectively analyzed. Results The patients included 64 males and 62 females,with the age of 22-80 years(median of 52 years).The tumor was located on the right side in 70 cases and on the left side in 56 cases.Ultrasound,CT or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)were performed.Of the 110 cases receiving ultrasound examination,63,23,13,10,and 1 cases showed hypoecho,hyperecho,isoecho,uneven or mixed echo,and dark hypoecho,respectively.Color Doppler flow imaging showed no blood flow signal in 42 cases and low blood flow signal in 60 cases out of 68 cases with blood flow signal.Among the 54 cases receiving CT,50 cases showed equal density or low density and 4 cases showed high density with clear boundary.The enhanced scanning showed mild to moderate uniform or non-uniform reinforcement,mostly below the renal parenchyma,and still showed reinforcement in the delayed period.Among the 97 cases receiving MRI,96 cases showed hypo-or isointense signals and 1 case showed hyperintense signal in T1 weighted images;71 cases showed hyper-or isointense signals and 26 cases showed hypo-or isointense signals in T2 weighted images;93 cases showed hyperintense signals with obvious limited diffusion and 4 cases showed unobvious limited diffusion in diffusion weighted images.Mild to moderate uniform or non-uniform reinforcement was observed in most of the enhanced scans.All the 126 patients underwent surgical treatment,including 64 cases of nephron sparing surgery and 62 cases of radical surgery.Pathological examinations confirmed ChRCC for all the patients,including 91 cases of T1N0M0,15 cases of T2N0M0,and 20 cases of T3N0M0.The immunohistochemical assay demonstrated the positive expression rate of 48.2%(54/112)for CD10,92.3%(96/104)for CD117,8.0%(9/112)for vimentin,85.6%(95/111)for CK7,and 97.6%(83/85)for colloidal iron.Conclusions ChRCC is less common,with low level of malignancy and good prognosis.Since the clinical symptoms of ChRCC are not typical,MRI is an important means of imaging differential diagnosis,and the disease can be confirmed depending on pathological diagnosis.Surgery is the preferred treatment method,and currently there is no standard treatment regimen for metastatic patients.

Analysis of the social and clinical factors affecting the age of children when receiving surgery for hypospadias: a retrospective study of 1611 cases in a single center / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

We aimed to explore the associations between the age at which children undergo surgery for hypospadias and a range of social and clinical factors in a single center. Our aim was to promote the early surgical treatment of children with hypospadias. For a 6-year period, social and clinical data were collected from all children undergoing surgery to repair hypospadias in Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (Chongqing, China), located in southwest of China. We analyzed the correlations between age at surgery and a range of social and clinical factors. A total of 1611 eligible cases were recruited, with a mean age of 54.3 months and a median age of 42 months: 234 cases (14.5%) were classified into a "timely operation" group, 419 (26.0%) cases into a "subtimely operation" group, and 958 (59.5%) cases into a "delayed operation" group. According to multivariate regression analyses, the higher the regional economic level, the closer the urethral opening to the perineum, and the higher the educational level of the guardians was, the younger the children were when they underwent the initial surgery for hypospadias; this was also the case for families without other children. Our subgroup analysis showed that the primary educational level of the guardians was a risk factor for subtimely surgery in their children (odds ratio [OR] = 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-2.15, P < 0.05). A lower regional economic level (OR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.26-2.78, P < 0.01), a lower educational level of the guardians (OR = 3.84, 95% CI: 2.31-6.41, P < 0.01), and an anterior-segment urethral opening (OR

Progress in pharmacodynamic basis, mechanism, and prediction of Q-markers of Zhenwu Decoction in treatment of chronic heart failure / 中国中药杂志

Zhenwu Decoction(ZWD) has a history of more than 1 800 years in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), which is used to treat various diseases characterized by Yangqi deficiency and exuberant water and dampness. It is currently the classic prescription for the treatment of chronic heart failure(CHF). This study provides a basis for the treatment of CHF with ZWD by elaborating the traditional efficacy, theoretical basis, and underlying mechanism of the prescription. Based on the research methods and judgment basis of quality markers(Q-markers) of Chinese medicine, the Q-markers of ZWD in the treatment of CHF were predicted from the aspects of transfer and traceability, specificity, effectiveness, compatibility environment, measurability, and processing. Demethyl-coclaurine,benzoylaconine, atractylenolide Ⅲ, paeoniflorin, 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, pachymic acid, and dehydrotumulosic acid can be used as Q-markers of ZWD for treating CHF. The result provides a reference for exploring the pharmacodynamic substances of ZWD in the treatment of CHF.

Clinical efficacy of 595-nm pulsed-dye laser in treatment of childhood facial spider nevi: a retrospective study of 110 patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Spider nevi (SN) are quite common in children. SN are treated via different techniques, and complete removal often requires multiple treatments. However, few studies have evaluated the treatment of SN. The present study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of a 595-nm pulsed-dye laser (PDL) for treating facial SN in children.@*METHODS@#A total of 110 children aged 0.2 to 12 years with facial SN were treated with a 595-nm PDL in a single institution from January 2016 to February 2018. In accordance with the treatment method, the patients were retrospectively divided into the small-spot-combined-with-large-spot group (SL-group) and the large-spot group (L-group). Patients with poor therapeutic results were re-treated every 6 weeks until the lesions disappeared. The minimum follow-up period was 1 year. The groups were compared using independent-samples t tests, Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test, and Fisher exact probability test.@*RESULTS@#The therapeutic efficacy was significantly higher in the SL-group than in the L-group, with clearance rates of 90.9% and 53.0% after the primary treatment, respectively (χ = 17.937, P < 0.001). For skin lesions with a central spider body diameter ≥1 mm, the once-treatment cure rates were 100% in the SL-group and 34.8% in the L-group (χ = 20.780, P < 0.001). For skin lesions with a central spider body diameter <1 mm, the once-treatment cure rates were 82.6% in the SL-group and 62.8% in the L-group (χ = 3.961, P = 0.138). The rates of adverse reactions and recurrence did not differ between the two groups (P = 0.141 and P = 1.000, respectively).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The 595-nm PDL might be a safe and effective treatment option for facial SN in children. The small-spot-combined-with-large-spot method is especially suitable for SN with a central spider body diameter ≥1 mm.

Determination of plasma protein binding rates of nine compounds of Inula cappa extraction based on method of equilibrium dialysis / 中国中药杂志

To determine the plasma protein binding rate of the nine compounds in Inula cappa extraction by the method of equilibrium dialysis. The proteins in plasma samples were precipitated by methanol, and the ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) was developed for determination of the concentrations of the nine active compounds, namely chlorogenic acid, scopolin, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, 1,3-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, galuteolin, 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, with the internal standard of puerarin. We found that all components have a good linearity(r≥0.999), and accuracy, precision, extraction recovery and stability conformed to the requirements of determination, without endogenous compounds disturbing within the range of optimum concentration. This suggested that the method was stable and reliable, and could be used for the determination of the plasma protein binding rates of the nine active compounds in rat and human plasma of I. cappa. The plasma protein binding rates of the nine active compounds in rat and human plasma respectively were(41.07±0.046)%-(94.95±0.008)%, and(37.66±0.043)%-(97.46±0.013)%. According to the results, there were differences in the plasma protein binding rates of the nine compounds in I. cappa extraction between rat and human.

Regulatory factor X5 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by transactivating tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein theta and suppressing apoptosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Our previous studies have shown that regulatory factor X5 (RFX5), a classical transcription regulator of MHCII genes, was obviously overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors. However, the role of RFX5 in the carcinogenesis and progress of HCC remains unknown. This study aimed to reveal its biological significance and the underlying mechanism in HCC.@*METHODS@#RFX5 mRNA expression level and copy number variation in HCC tumors and cell lines were determined by analyzing deposited data sets in the Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus database. The biological significance of RFX5 in HCC was investigated by monitoring the colony formation and subcutaneous tumor growth capacity when RFX5 was silenced with lentiviral short hairpin RNA and CRISPR/Cas9 system in HCC cell lines. The downstream gene transcriptionally activated by RFX5 in HCC cells was determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay. The involvement of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein theta (YWHAQ) in HCC development was further determined by performing colony formation rescue assay and subcutaneous tumor growth rescue experiment. The association of YWHAQ with recurrence-free survival of patients with HCC was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Moreover, apoptosis level and the protein level of p53 pathway were determined to reveal the mechanism of RFX5 in driving HCC development.@*RESULTS@#RFX5 was amplified and highly overexpressed in HCC tumor tissues compared with the corresponding non-tumor tissues. The mRNA expression level of RFX5 was significantly correlated with its DNA copy number (r = 0.4, P < 0.001). Functional study demonstrated that RFX5 was required for both clonogenic forming in vitro and subcutaneous tumor growth in vivo of HCC cells. Further study identified YWHAQ, namely 14-3-3 tau, as a key downstream transcriptional target gene of RFX5, which was tightly regulated by RFX5 in HCC. Moreover, overexpression of YWHAQ largely rescued the clonogenic growth of HCC cells that was suppressed by RFX5 knockdown. In addition, overexpression of YWHAQ in primary tumor was linked to poor prognosis of patients with HCC. These results demonstrated that YWHAQ was a downstream effector of RFX5 in HCC. Notably, RFX5-YWHAQ pathway could protect cells from apoptosis by suppressing the p53 and Bax in HCC.@*CONCLUSION@#RFX5 is a putative HCC driver gene that plays an important role in the development and progression of HCC by transactivating YWHAQ and suppressing apoptosis.

Clinical efficacy of 595-nm pulsed-dye laser in treatment of childhood facial spider nevi: a retrospective study of 110 patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#Spider nevi (SN) are quite common in children. SN are treated via different techniques, and complete removal often requires multiple treatments. However, few studies have evaluated the treatment of SN. The present study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of a 595-nm pulsed-dye laser (PDL) for treating facial SN in children.@*Methods@#A total of 110 children aged 0.2 to 12 years with facial SN were treated with a 595-nm PDL in a single institution from January 2016 to February 2018. In accordance with the treatment method, the patients were retrospectively divided into the small-spot-combined-with-large-spot group (SL-group) and the large-spot group (L-group). Patients with poor therapeutic results were retreated every 6 weeks until the lesions disappeared. The minimum follow-up period was 1 year. The groups were compared using independent-samples t tests, Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test, and Fisher exact probability test.@*Results@#The therapeutic efficacy was significantly higher in the SL-group than in the L-group, with clearance rates of 90.9% and 53.0% after the primary treatment, respectively (χ2= 17.937, P < 0.001). For skin lesions with a central spider body diameter ≥1 mm, the once-treatment cure rates were 100% in the SL-group and 34.8% in the L-group (χ2 = 20.780, P < 0.001). For skin lesions with a central spider body diameter <1 mm, the once-treatment cure rates were 82.6% in the SL-group and 62.8% in the L-group (χ2 = 3.961, P = 0.138). The rates of adverse reactions and recurrence did not differ between the two groups (P = 0.141 and P = 1.000, respectively).@*Conclusions@#The 595-nm PDL might be a safe and effective treatment option for facial SN in children. The small-spot-combined-with-large-spot method is especially suitable for SN with a central spider body diameter ≥1 mm.

Regulatory factor X5 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by transactivating tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein theta and suppressing apoptosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#Our previous studies have shown that regulatory factor X5 (RFX5), a classical transcription regulator of MHCII genes, was obviously overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors. However, the role of RFX5 in the carcinogenesis and progress of HCC remains unknown. This study aimed to reveal its biological significance and the underlying mechanism in HCC.@*Methods@#RFX5 mRNA expression level and copy number variation in HCC tumors and cell lines were determined by analyzing deposited data sets in the Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus database. The biological significance of RFX5 in HCC was investigated by monitoring the colony formation and subcutaneous tumor growth capacity when RFX5 was silenced with lentiviral short hairpin RNA and CRISPR/Cas9 system in HCC cell lines. The downstream gene transcriptionally activated by RFX5 in HCC cells was determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay. The involvement of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein theta (YWHAQ) in HCC development was further determined by performing colony formation rescue assay and subcutaneous tumor growth rescue experiment. The association of YWHAQ with recurrence-free survival of patients with HCC was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Moreover, apoptosis level and the protein level of p53 pathway were determined to reveal the mechanism of RFX5 in driving HCC development.@*Results@#RFX5 was amplified and highly overexpressed in HCC tumor tissues compared with the corresponding non-tumor tissues. The mRNA expression level of RFX5 was significantly correlated with its DNA copy number (r = 0.4, P < 0.001). Functional study demonstrated that RFX5 was required for both clonogenic forming in vitro and subcutaneous tumor growth in vivo of HCC cells. Further study identified YWHAQ, namely 14-3-3 tau, as a key downstream transcriptional target gene of RFX5, which was tightly regulated by RFX5 in HCC. Moreover, overexpression of YWHAQ largely rescued the clonogenic growth of HCC cells that was suppressed by RFX5 knockdown. In addition, overexpression of YWHAQ in primary tumor was linked to poor prognosis of patients with HCC. These results demonstrated that YWHAQ was a downstream effector of RFX5 in HCC. Notably, RFX5-YWHAQ pathway could protect cells from apoptosis by suppressing the p53 and Bax in HCC.@*Conclusion@#RFX5 is a putative HCC driver gene that plays an important role in the development and progression of HCC by transactivating YWHAQ and suppressing apoptosis.

Effect of Upregulated DNA Replication and Sister Chromatid Cohesion 1 Expression on Proliferation and Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#DNA replication and sister chromatid cohesion 1 (DSCC1) (also called DCC1) is a component of an alternative replication factor C complex that loads proliferating cell nuclear antigen onto DNA during S phase of the cell cycle. It is located at 8q24 and frequently amplified in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the role of DSCC1 in the carcinogenesis and progress of HCC has not been fully investigated. Here, we aimed to assert the importance of DSCC1 in the HCC.@*Methods@#In this study, copy number variation data and RNA sequencing data were used to calculate the DNA copy number and mRNA expression of DSCC1 in HCC. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry analysis were used to determine the mRNA and protein level of DSCC1 in HCC. The Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to assess the association of DSCC1 with the overall survival (OS) of HCC patients. Moreover, lentiviral shRNA was used to knockdown DSCC1, and then, colony-forming assay, cell cycle assay, and cell proliferation assay were performed to evaluate the impact of DSCC1 silencing on HCC cell lines.@*Results@#We found that DSCC1 was amplified and highly expressed in HCC tumor tissues than in nontumor tissues. We then found that the overexpression of both mRNA and protein of DSCC1 was linked to the bad prognosis of HCC patients. Astonishingly, the protein level of DSCC1 was an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio, 1.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-2.74; P = 0.007). Furthermore, the clonogenic capacity of DSCC1-amplified HCC cell lines (MHCC-97H, MHCC-97L, and Hep3B) was significantly inhibited by transduction of a lentiviral shRNA that targets DSCC1. We also showed that knockdown of DSCC1 induced G0-G1 cell cycle arrest (increased from 60% to more than 80%) and greatly inhibited the proliferation of HCC cell lines.@*Conclusion@#These results suggest that DSCC1 is a putative HCC driver gene that promotes proliferation and is associated with poor prognosis in HCC.

Comparison of different bowel preparation methods for capsule endoscopy / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To explore the optimal bowel preparation for capsule endoscopy (CE). Methods 102 patients were recruited for CE and randomly divided into 3 groups. The group A (n = 40) : patients received polyethylene glycol electrolyte powder (PEG) 137.12 g dissolved in 2 000 ml water at 21:00 one day prior to CE, and taken PEG 68.56 g dissolved in 1 000 ml of water four hours before the procedure. Group B (n = 32): patients received PEG 205.68 g dissolved in 3 000 ml of water four hours prior to CE. Group C (n = 30): patients used a 500 ml 20% mannitol and 2 500 ml water bowel preparation four hours prior to CE. All patients were treated with 120 mg simethicone immediately after swallowing CE. The incidences of adverse events, small-bowel preparation quality and transit time were analyzed. Results The adverse effects rate in each group was similar (15.00%, 15.63% vs 16.67%, P > 0.05). The small-bowel preparation quality was better in both B and C groups than A group (P < 0.05). In the C Group, small-bowel preparation quality was slightly better than the B group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). In comparison with patients in both B and C groups, those in A group had a longer small-bowel transit time (P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference between B and C group (P > 0.05). Conclusion Bowel cleansing effect was better in single dose regimen than split dose protocol. The single dose regimen of 500 ml 20% Mannitol for bowel preparation is suitable prior to CE.

Establishment of reference values of tongue muscle thickness with ultrasonography measurement and evaluation of tongue fasciculation through the submental way in Chinese healthy adults and its clinical application / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To establish a method which could measure tongue muscle thickness and evaluate the fasciculation of the tongue muscle by submental way ultrasonic detection , and to obtain the reference values of tongue muscle thickness in healthy volunteers , exploring its clinical application in the patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).Methods In two-hundred healthy volunteers who took physical examination at the Medical Examination Center of Peking University Third Hospital , the tongue thickness was determined by measuring the distance between the upper and lower surfaces of the lingual muscles in the center of the plane perpendicular to the Frankfurt horizontal plane of the frontal section with a 3.5 MHz convex array transducer .The fasciculation of tongue muscle was evaluated using a 7.5 MHz linear array transducer in the same position .This method was used to measure the thickness of tongue muscle and to evaluate tongue muscle fasciculation in 30 patients with ALS who visited neurological clinic with the diagnosis of possible or definite ALS according to revised El Escorial criteria during the same period .We compared the tongue muscle thickness between 30 ALS patients and the same number of age-and gender-matched healthy volunteers .Results The mean value of tongue muscle thickness of males was significantly higher than that of females ((4.09 ±0.52) cm vs (3.70 ±0.56) cm, t=5.108, P<0.01), but there was no significant difference in the tongue muscle thickness between the different age groups .The mean value of tongue muscle thickness was significantly correlated with the body mass index value in healthy subjects ( r=0.412, P<0.01).No tongue muscle fibrillation was detected in healthy volunteers .In ALS group, the tongue was significantly thinner than that in healthy subjects ((3.77 ±0.58) cm vs (4.05 ±0.49) cm, t=-0.253, P<0.05).Of the total 30 ALS patients, we recognized tongue muscle fasciculation in 12 (40%).Conclusion The method to measure tongue muscle thickness and evaluate tongue musclefibrillation is reliable , and has good clinical application value in related diseases such as ALS .

The Relationship between HIF-2α and VEGF with Radiographic Severity in the Primary Osteoarthritic Knee

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of hypoxia-inducible factor-2 (HIF-2α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with radiographic severity in primary osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Expression of these two factors in cartilage samples from OA knee joints was examined at mRNA and protein levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Knee joints were examined using plain radiographs, and OA severity was assessed using the Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) grading system. Specimens were collected from 29 patients (31 knees) who underwent total knee replacement because of severe medial OA of the knee (KL grades 3 and 4), 16 patients who underwent knee arthroscopy (KL grade 2), and 5 patients with traumatic knees (KL grade 0). HIF-2α and VEGF expression was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. RESULTS: Cartilage degeneration correlated with the radiographic severity grade. OA severity, determined using the Mankin scale, correlated positively with the KL grade (r=0.8790, p<0.01), and HIF-2α and VEGF levels with the radiographic severity of knee OA (r=0.7001, p<0.05; r=0.6647, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In OA cartilage, HIF-2α and VEGF mRNA and protein levels were significantly and positively correlated. The expression of both factors correlated positively with the KL grade. HIF-2α and VEGF, therefore, may serve as biochemical markers as well as potential therapeutic targets in knee OA.

Clinical study of midbrain sonographic images of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To observe the characteristics of midbrain hyperechogenicity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients by transcranial sonography (TCS).Methods A total of 107 ALS patients,enrolled from January to July 2015 in Beijing University Third Hospital,with the diagnosis of possible or definite ALS according to revised E1 Escorial criteria were examined by transcrinal B-mode sonography.The area of midbrain and substantia nigra and the area ratio of hyper-substantia nigra/midbrain (S/M) were measured and compared between ALS and 40 age-and gender-matched controls.Results There were 29.0％ (31/107) of ALS patients and 7.5％ (3/40) of controls who displayed abnormal midbrain hyperechogenic areas for groups comparison (x2 =22.708,P ＜ 0.01).The hyperechogenic substantia nigra area and S/M were (0.40 ± 0.14) cm2 and 9.5％ (6.0％,13.0％) in ALS group,whereas (0.20 ± 0.06) cm2 and 5.0％ (2％,6.0％) in control group respectively,the difference between the two groups being statistically significant (t =12.727,Z =16.545,both P ＜0.01).No correlations of hyperechogenic area sizes in ALS patients were found in regard to age,gender,ALS duration or ALS Functional Rating Scale score (r=0.043,-0.088,0.018,0.202;P=0.251,0.512,0.894,0.190).However,there was significant correlation between TCS severity and ALS subtype (bulbar vs spinal form,r =0.386,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion Hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra was found in patients with sporadic ALS with a frequency higher than in controls.

Effect of danshen injection on adult cardiac stem cell transplantation in myocardial infarction mice / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of combined use of Danshen Injection (Dl) on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mice undergoing adult cardiac stem cell transplantation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty mice were randomly divided into 3 groups, 10 in each group, i.e., the high dose Dl group (at the daily dose of 5 g/kg) , the low dose Dl group (at the daily dose of 0. 5 g/kg), and the model control group. The AMI model was constructed by surgical ligation of the left anterior descending artery, and 2 x 10(6) -3 x 10(6) cardiac stem cells in vitro cultured were injected to the peripheral infracted zone immediately after successful modeling. All mice were administered with Dl by gastrogavage one week before myocardial infarction (Ml) and one week after Ml. Mice were sacrificed one week after Ml. Immunostaining was performed. The microvessel density (MVD) was detected using CD31 . The cell proliferation was detected using Ki67. The myocardial fibrosis degree was detected using Masson staining. The cell apoptosis of peripheral infracted zone was detected by TUNEL. Protein expressions of Akt and phospho-Akt were detected using Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MVD and Ki67 positive cell number increased more in the high dose DI group than in the low dose DI group and the model control group (P < 0.05). The myocardial fibrosis degree and the cell apoptosis of peripheral infracted zone significantly decreased in the high dose DI group than in the low dose DI group and the model control group (P <0. 05). The phospho-Akt expression level significantly increased in the high dose DI group than in the low dose DI group and the model control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model control group, the total Akt level significantly increased in the high dose and low dose DI groups (P < 0.05). But there was no statistical difference the high dose DI group and the low dose DI group (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Treating AMI by adult cardiac stem cell transplantation combined with DI could increase the MVD and cell proliferation, reduce cell apoptosis and fibrosis levels, thus improving the transplantation efficiency of adult cardiac stem cells.</p>

Preparation technology of matrine self-microemulsifying drugs / 中草药

Objective: To develop the matrine self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) and evaluate its quality. Methods: The solubility test and pseudoternary phase diagram were utilized to select proper matrine microemulsions prescription. On this basis, matrine-SMEDDS was formulated and HPLC method was used to determine the drug content in matrine-SMEDDS; The appearance, morphology, particle size, particle size distribution, Zeta potential, drug loading, and stability of matrine in the liposome were studied. Results: The best prescription of matrine-SMEDDS was matrine-oleic-ethyloleate-EL-40-isopropanol (0.5:0.15:0.15:0.35:0.35). The selected matrine-SMEDDS was transparent liquid with good liquidity and stability and could form O/W type microemulsion with water, with an average particle size of (68.00 ± 0.07) nm (n = 3). The average drug loading was 42.689 mg/mL (n = 3). Conclusion: The preparation technology is simple and stable, and provides a strong foundation for research of matrine-SMEDDS.

Correlation between interleukin-28B genetic polymorphisms and primary hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interleukin-28B (IL-28B) gene and the susceptibility to primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 300 histologically confirmed HCC cases (from November 2001 to April 2010) and 310 healthy controls with no history of chronic hepatitis B or hepatocellular carcinoma (2009-2010) were selected from a hospital in Guilin and a hospital in Beijing for this case-control study.139 HCC patients in the case group had complete clinical tracking data. All the subjects were Han Chinese, with no age or gender restrictions.2 ml peripheral blood samples were drawn from each subject with informed consent. SNP of rs12972991, rs4803223, rs8099917 and rs12979860 four loci in IL-28B gene were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The frequencies of C allele at rs12972991, G allele at rs8099917 and G allele at rs4803223 were 6.7% (40/598), 7.9% (47/598) and 10.0% (59/588) respectively in case group; all higher than the corresponding frequencies in control group, separately 2.9% (18/618), 4.1% (25/616) and 3.6% (21/608). The differences were statistically significant (χ2=9.542, 7.858, 20.736, P values all<0.05). The above alleles could increase the risk of HCC, and the OR (95%CI) values were separately 1.67 (1.13-2.46), 1.49 (1.08-2.06) and 2.91 (1.79-4.72). The genotype frequencies of AC+CC at rs12972991, GT+GG at rs8099917, GA+GG at rs4803223 were 13.0% (39/299), 14.7% (44/299) and 19.0% (56/296) respectively in case group; while the frequencies were lower in control group, separately 5.8% (18/309), 8.1% (25/308) and 6.6% (20/304). The differences were statistically significant (χ2=9.319, 6.557, 20.948, P values all<0.05). These genotypes may increase the risk of HCC, and the adjusted OR (95%CI) values were 2.24 (1.31-3.83), 1.81 (1.14-2.88) and 2.90 (1.78-4.70), respectively. The stratified analysis of the clinical data indicated that the frequency of genotype GA+GG at rs4803223 was 50.0% (13/26) in patients of tumor thrombosis in portal vein (TTPV), higher than the frequency of genotype AA (21.1%, 23/109). The difference was statistically significant (χ2=8.965, P=0.003).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results suggested that IL-28B gene polymorphisms was correlated to the susceptibility to HCC in Chinese Han ethnic population. Among them, GA + GG genotype at rs4803223 could increase the risk of TTPV in HCC patients.</p>

Radiological imaging in evaluation of etiologies for cerebral infarction after non-cardiac surgeries / 中华内科杂志

Objective To investigate the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction after non-cardiac surgeries according to imaging.Methods Retrospective analyses of clinical and imaging data of 17 patients with postoperative cerebral infarction(average 68 years old,total incidence 0.049％)from departments of orthopedics and general surgery were conducted during 52 months.Results Cerebral infarction occurred 39.1 hours after operation on average.Among the 17 patients,eight were detected with disturbance of consciousness,ten with hemiplegia,six with speech disorder and two with unilateral sensory disturbance.Six (35.3％)had blood lipids tests.Five(29.4％)had neck vascular ultrasound and one had intracranial magnetic resonance angiography(MRA).When discharged,one patient was declared death and ten had impaired neurological function in various degrees.Among six patients with previous stroke,one(16.7％)received neurological consultation before surgery.According to the image manifestation,ten cases were territory circulation infarcts,four centrum ovale infarcts and three watershed infarcts.Conclusions This study suggests that total incidence of cerebral infarction after non-cardiac surgeries is lower than previously reported and there is greater involvement of atherosclerosis.Patients' conditions should be closely observed within at least four days after surgeries.Preoperative assessment should be strengthened in order to avoid occurrence of postoperative cerebral infarction.

Status of iron metabolism and erythropoietic proliferation in children with various genotypes of thalassemia / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the status of iron metabolism and erythropoietic proliferation in children with various genotypes of thalassemia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum concentrations of ferritin (SF), transferrin receptor (sTfR) and erythropoietin (EPO) were measured in 158 children with thalassemia. The differences in the concentrations of the three indices among children with different genotypes of thalassemia were compared. The correlations of the hemoglobin level with sereum SF, sTfR and EPO levels were assessed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 158 children with thalassemia, 52(32.9%) were diagnosed with alpha-thalassemia minor, 27(17.1%) with HbH disease, 59(37.4%) with beta-thalassemia minor, 13(8.2%) with beta-thalassemia major, and 7(4.4%) with combining alpha beta thalassemia. The SF levels in children with HbH disease or beta-thalassemia major were significantly higher than those in the other thalassemia groups (P<0.01). The sTfR levels in children with beta-thalassemia major were the highest when compared with those in the other thalassemia groups (P<0.05). The EPO levels in children with beta-thalassemia major were also the highest when compared with those in the other thalassemia groups (P<0.01). There was a negative correlation between hemoglobin and EPO levels in children with HbH disease (r=-0.656, P<0.01) and beta-thalassemia major (r=-0.641; P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The status of iron metabolism and erythropoietic proliferation is different in children with different genotypes of thalassemia. A combined measurement of SF, sTfR and EPO may reflect the status of erythropoietic proliferation.</p>