Exploration of CT imaging features of cystic pulmonary nodules and establishment of a prediction model for benign and malignant pulmonary nodules / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective To explore the CT imaging features and independent risk factors for cystic pulmonary nodules and establish a malignant probability prediction model. Methods The patients with cystic pulmonary nodules admitted to the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the First People's Hospital of Neijiang from January 2017 to February 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. They were divided into a malignant group and a benign group according to the pathological results. The clinical data and preoperative chest CT imaging features of the two groups were collected, and the independent risk factors for malignant cystic pulmonary nodules were screened out by logistic regression analysis, so as to establish a prediction model for benign and malignant cystic pulmonary nodules. Results A total of 107 patients were enrolled. There were 76 patients in the malignant group, including 36 males and 40 females, with an average age of 59.65±11.74 years. There were 31 patients in the benign group, including 16 males and 15 females, with an average age of 58.96±13.91 years. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that the special CT imaging features such as cystic wall nodules [OR=3.538, 95%CI (1.231, 10.164), P=0.019], short burrs [OR=4.106, 95%CI (1.454, 11.598), P=0.008], cystic wall morphology [OR=6.978, 95%CI (2.374, 20.505), P<0.001], and the number of cysts [OR=4.179, 95%CI (1.438, 12.146), P=0.009] were independent risk factors for cystic lung cancer. A prediction model was established: P=ex/(1+ex), X=–2.453+1.264×cystic wall nodules+1.412×short burrs+1.943×cystic wall morphology+1.430×the number of cysts. The area under the receiver operating charateristic curve was 0.830, the sensitivity was 82.9%, and the specificity was 74.2%. Conclusion Cystic wall nodules, short burrs, cystic wall morphology, and the number of cysts are the independent risk factors for cystic lung cancer, and the established prediction model can be used as a screening method for cystic pulmonary nodules.

A predictive model of lymph node metastasis after thoracoscopic surgery for lung adenocarcinoma with a diameter≤3 cm / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To predict the probability of lymph node metastasis after thoracoscopic surgery in patients with lung adenocarcinoma based on nomogram. Methods    We analyzed the clinical data of the patients with lung adenocarcinoma treated in the department of thoracic surgery of our hospital from June 2018 to May 2021. The patients were randomly divided into a training group and a validation group. The variables that may affect the lymph node metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma were screened out by univariate logistic regression, and then the clinical prediction model was constructed by multivariate logistic regression. The nomogram was used to show the model visually, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve and clinical decision curve to evaluate the calibration degree and practicability of the model. Results    Finally 249 patients were collected, including 117 males aged 53.15±13.95 years and 132 females aged 47.36±13.10 years. There were 180 patients in the training group, and 69 patients in the validation group. There was a significant correlation between the 6 clinicopathological characteristics and lymph node metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma in the univariate logistic regression. The area under the ROC curve in the training group was 0.863, suggesting the ability to distinguish lymph node metastasis, which was confirmed in the validation group (area under the ROC curve was 0.847). The nomogram and clinical decision curve also performed well in the follow-up analysis, which proved its potential clinical value. Conclusion    This study provides a nomogram combined with clinicopathological characteristics, which can be used to predict the risk of lymph node metastasis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma with a diameter≤3 cm.

Parotid duct anastomosis with an epidural catheter as a stent and evaluation of postoperative gland function / 口腔疾病防治

Objective @#To investigate the feasibility of epidural catheters in parotid gland duct anastomosis and the function of the affected side gland after parotid gland duct anastomosis. @* Methods@# Thirteen patients who were treated in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Xuzhou Central Hospital using an epidural catheter as the scaffold for parotid gland catheter anastomosis were enrolled from Jan. 2019 to June 2021. The swelling, salivary fistula and catheter patency in the parotid gland area were evaluated two weeks after the operation. 99mTcO4- single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was used for quantitative detection of salivary gland secretion function@*Results@# Thirteen patients had no swelling or salivary fistula in the parotid gland area of the affected side two weeks after the operation, and the catheter secretion was unobstructed. There was no significant difference in the uptake rate between the parotid gland on the affected side and the parotid gland on the healthy side (t = -0.859, P = 0.399), and there was no significant difference in the excretion rate between the parotid gland on the affected side and the parotid gland on the healthy side (t = 0.693, P = 0.495). The parotid gland excretion function of the affected side was excellent three months after the operation.@*Conclusion @#Parotid duct anastomosis with an epidural catheter as the stent has good feasibility, and parotid gland secretion function recovers well after the operation, which is worthy of clinical application.

Analysis of willingness-to-pay for the treatment of acute facial inflammatory dermatoses with red and yellow light from light-emitting diodes / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To analyze the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the treatment of acute facial inflammatory dermatoses with red and yellow light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and to evaluate their cost-effectiveness.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted on outpatients with or without acute facial inflammatory dermatoses, which mainly manifested as erythema and swelling, in Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital from August 2019 to June 2020. The WTP for the treatment of acute facial inflammatory dermatoses of varying severity with red and yellow light from LEDs were investigated, clinical data on the prevalence of facial skin diseases, previous medical visits and quality of life were collected, and a benefit-cost analysis was conducted. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate factors influencing the patients′ WTP for the LED treatment.Results:The median WTP of the subjects was 200, 300 and 300 RMB yuan for 1-session treatment of three cases of acute facial inflammatory dermatoses of increasing severity assumed to require 1-, 3-, and 5-session LED treatments respectively, and the WTP for 1-session treatment of case 2 and case 3 was higher than the cost of 1-session LED treatment (217 RMB yuan). The subjects with high family incomes (≥ 100 000 RMB yuan/year) were significantly more willing to pay for the treatment than those with low family incomes (< 100 000 RMB yuan/year) (case 1: 40.46% vs. 27.50%, χ2 = 7.00, P = 0.008; case 2: 60.69% vs. 44.5%, χ2 = 9.75, P = 0.002; case 3: 51.20% vs. 48.8%, χ2 = 6.54, P = 0.011), and the subjects who never suffered from facial inflammatory dermatoses were significantly more willing to pay for the treatment than those who ever suffered (case 1: 35.49% vs. 28.82%, χ2 = 1.56, P = 0.212; case 2: 56.10% vs. 42.34%, χ2 = 5.92, P = 0.015; case 3: 68.32% vs. 56.75%, χ2 = 4.58, P = 0.032). No significant difference in the WTP was observed among patients with different facial dermatoses, different degrees of impairment on quality of life, or different treatment experience (all P>0.05) . Conclusion:The cost of red and yellow light from LEDs for the treatment of acute facial inflammatory dermatoses manifesting as erythema and swelling was highly acceptable in this population, and it was worthy of clinical promotion.

JAK-STAT signaling pathway and rosacea / 中华皮肤科杂志

Studies have shown that rosacea is related to inflammatory factors, neurovascular function, micro-ecological environment and other factors. The Janus kinase (JAK) -signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway involves a variety of inflammatory cytokines, and plays an important role in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and immune regulation. This review summarizes the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and explores its potential role in rosacea.

Effects of thoracic segment epidural anesthesia on inflammatory factors in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the effects of thoracic segment epidural anesthesia on inflammatory factors in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery.Methods:The clinical data of 136 patients who underwent lung cancer surgery in the Second People's Hospital of Liaocheng from June 2020 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to anesthesia methods, these patients were divided into an observation group ( n = 89) and a control group ( n = 47). The observation group was given thoracic segment epidural anesthesia, while the control group was given remifentanil infusion anesthesia. The tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels in the epithelial lining fluid collected from the non-dependent lung, the plasma levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and malondialdehyde, arterial partial pressure of oxygen/inhaled oxygen fraction, the incidence of complications, the incidence of re-operations, numeric rating scale score, and the length of hospital stay were compared between the two groups. The effects of different anesthesia methods on lung cancer surgery were evaluated. Results:In each group, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 levels in the epithelial lining fluid were significantly increased 30 minutes after termination of one-lung ventilation (T2) compared with those measured before one-lung ventilation (T1) ( t = 7.71, 77.10, 7.59, 3.41, 57.51, 5.74, all P < 0.05). In the observation group, TNF- α [(1.59 ± 0.53) ng/L, (1.89 ± 0.64) ng/L] measured at T1 and T2, IL-6 [(2.96 ± 0.82) ng/L] and IL-10 [(1.99 ± 0.53) ng/L] measured at T1 were significantly higher compared with those measured at the corresponding time points in the control group ( t = 10.45, 2.59, 2.00, 7.19, all P < 0.05). In the observation group, IL-6 measured at T2 [(38.91 ± 5.84) ng/L] was significantly lower than that in the control group ( t = 33.25, P < 0.001), and IL-10 measured at T2 [(2.51 ± 0.67) ng/L] was slightly, but not significantly higher than that in the control group ( P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the plasma level of TNF- α measured at T1 and T2 between the two groups (both P > 0.05). Plasma levels of IL-6 in the two groups [(42.98 ± 5.29) ng/L, (27.93 ± 4.17) ng/L] measured at T2 were significantly increased compared with those measured at T1 ( t = 54.14, 61.06, both P < 0.001). In the observation group, TNF-α measured at T2 [(1.60 ± 0.56) ng/L] and IL-6 measured at T1 and T2 [(0.92 ± 0.16) ng/L, (27.93 ± 4.17) ng/L] were significantly lower compared with the control group ( t = 3.39, 6.96, 18.20, all P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in plasma level of malondialdehyde, arterial partial pressure of oxygen/inhaled oxygen fraction, numeric rating scale score, the incidence of complications, the incidence of re-operation, and the length of hospital stay between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Conclusion:Thoracic segment epidural anesthesia can reduce the local inflammatory response of the lung during lung cancer surgery.

Expression of HLA-G in the peripheral blood and cancerous tissues of patients with papillary thyroid cancer / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective:To examine the expression of human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) in the peripheral blood and cancerous tissues of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) .Methods:The expression of soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) in the peripheral blood of 50 individuals with PTC (PTC group) , 25 patients with benign thyroid tumors (BTT group) from Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Beilun branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University and 20 healthy controls (healthy control group) from physical examination center was assessed by ELISA. Immunohistochemical examination of HLA-G levels was also performed on tissue specimens from patients in the PTC and BTT groups, and their correlation with clinicopathological features of thyroid cancer was analyzed. SPSS 19.0 was used for statistical analysis. The measurement data of normal distribution were tested by two independent samples t test. Chi square test was used to compare the rates between the two groups. Results:The sHLA-G expression in peripheral blood was 21.33 (±5.54) , 22.73 (±4.99) , and 18.29 (±4.43) ng/mL in the preoperative PTC, BTT, and healthy control groups, respectively. Compared to the healthy group, sHLA-G levels were considerably higher in the PTC and BTT groups, with statistically significant differences (totally P < 0.05) . There was no significant difference in statistically sHLA-G levels between the BTT and PTC groups ( P > 0.05) . The positive HLA-G expression rate in PTC tissues was 78% (39/50) . There was no evidence of HLA-G expression in common tissues adjacent to PTC. HLA-G was not expressed in benign tumors. HLA-G was linked with the PTC tumor diameter, and the rate of positive expression was considerably greater with tumor diameters >1 cm than with those ≤1 cm ( P<0.05) . The rate of HLA-G positive expression was not significantly correlated with sex, age, multiple foci, extra-glandular invasion, metastasis of lymph nodes, or the TNM stage in PTC individuals ( P > 0.05) . Conclusions:HLA-G is significantly expressed at high levels in PTC tissues, is correlated with the tumor diameter, and may probably have a significant role in this disease. Peripheral blood sHLA-G may be associated with thyroid tumorigenesis, and its value in PTC requires further verification.

Refractory pneumoparotid in children: a case report and literature review / 口腔疾病防治

Objective @#To discuss the treatment of pneumoparotid and to provide a reference for clinical practice. @*Methods@# A case of refractory pneumoparotid was reported, and the diagnosis and treatment of parotid emphysema were reviewed and analyzed in combination with the literature.@*Results @#This child had parotid gland enlargement without any obvious cause for more than 1 month. Conservative treatment, such as anti-inflammatory agents, psychological interventions and physical compression were ineffective. The patient had a history of cerebral palsy with epilepsy and involuntary cheek bulging behavior. Therefore, we considered it a refractory case. It was cured after parotid duct ligation and partial parotidectomy of the superficial lobe. A literature review showed that a pneumoparotid is a rare parotid enlargement. Most of the clinical cases were considered to be caused by the return of air into the parotid gland through the parotid duct due to an increase in oral pressure. The diagnosis of pneumoparotid mainly depends on intermittent parotid gland swelling and other clinical manifestations and imaging examination methods, such as ultrasound, CT, MRI and angiography. Its treatment mainly includes conservative anti-inflammatory treatment, physical therapy and psychological intervention. Surgical treatment is indicated for refractory parotid emphysema.@*Conclusion@# Pneumoparotid cases may further develop into parotid inflammation, which is generally treated conservatively. For some severe, recurrent and poor compliance cases, surgical treatment is sometimes needed.

Applications and recent advances in transdermal drug delivery systems for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease predominantly based on joint lesions with an extremely high disability and deformity rate. Several drugs have been used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, but their use is limited by suboptimal bioavailability, serious adverse effects, and nonnegligible first-pass effects. In contrast, transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDSs) can avoid these drawbacks and improve patient compliance, making them a promising option for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Of course, TDDSs also face unique challenges, as the physiological barrier of the skin makes drug delivery somewhat limited. To overcome this barrier and maximize drug delivery efficiency, TDDSs have evolved in terms of the principle of transdermal facilitation and transdermal facilitation technology, and different generations of TDDSs have been derived, which have significantly improved transdermal efficiency and even achieved individualized controlled drug delivery. In this review, we summarize the different generations of transdermal drug delivery systems, the corresponding transdermal strategies, and their applications in the treatment of RA.

Increased human neutrophil lipocalin and its clinical relevance in adult-onset Still's disease / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Human neutrophil lipocalin (HNL) has been used extensively to differentiate acute bacterial infection from febrile diseases as a biomarker to reflect the activation of the neutrophil. The serum HNL levels in the adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) patients with and without infection, as well as the healthy controls (HCs), were analyzed statistically in this study to evaluate the value of HNL for the diagnosis of AOSD.@*METHODS@#A total of 129 AOSD patients were enrolled, from whom blood samples were drawn and the AOSD diagnosis was confirmed through the review of the medical records, where the systemic score, demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory parameters were also collected for the patients; in addition, a total of 40 HCs were recruited among the blood donors from the healthcare center with the relevant information collected. The HNL test was done for the blood samples with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the analyses were done for the correlations of HNL with clinical manifestations and diagnostic effectiveness.@*RESULTS@#The serum HNL increased significantly in the patients with only AOSD as compared with that in the HCs (139.76 ± 8.99 ng/mL vs . 55.92 ± 6.12 ng/mL; P  < 0.001). The serum HNL level was correlated with the white blood cell (WBC) count ( r  = 0.335, P  < 0.001), neutrophil count ( r  = 0.334, P  < 0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( r  = 0.241, P  = 0.022), C-reactive protein ( r  = 0.442, P  < 0.0001), and systemic score ( r  = 0.343, P  < 0.0001) in the AOSD patients significantly. Patients with fever, leukocytosis ≥15,000/mm 3 , and myalgia in the HNL-positive group were observed relatively more than those in the HNL-negative group ( P  = 0.009, P  = 0.023, and P  = 0.007, respectively). HNL was a more sensitive indicator than ferritin and C-reactive protein (CRP) to differentiate the AOSD patients with bacterial infection from AOSD-only patients, and the Youden index was 0.6 for HNL and 0.29 for CRP.@*CONCLUSION@#Serum HNL can be used as a biomarker for the diagnosis of the AOSD, and HNL is also observed to be associated with the disease activity.

Analysis on Protocol Violation in Pediatric Clinical Trials and Its Countermeasures / 中国医学伦理学

By collecting 475 protocol violation reports of pediatric clinical trials accepted by the ethics committee of a grade A tertiary hospital from January 2016 to December 2022, and conducting classification statistics of the responsible body, types of violation, and natures of violation, this paper analyzed and discussed the specific reasons and response measures for protocol violation. The results showed that the most common types of protocol violation included missed medication and incorrect medication dosage for pediatric research participants, missed laboratory inspection, over-windowed follow-up, and non-compliance with inclusion/exclusion criteria. And the responsibility bodies were pediatric research participants and/or their guardians, followed by the researchers. Besides, the sponsor, clinical trial coordinator, and other factors also contributed to protocol violation. Establishing awareness of responsible body, emphasizing subject management, building sound quality control system, and strengthening ethical supervision are the main countermeasures to prevent and reduce protocol violation in pediatric clinical trials, which helps to protect the safety and rights of pediatric research participants and promote standardized research in pediatric clinical trials.

Changes in fundus microcirculation of myopic adolescents after wearing orthokeratology observed by optical coherence tomography angiography / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To observe changes in fundus microcirculation of myopic adolescents after wearing orthokeratology by applying optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA).METHODS: Prospective study. A total of 40 cases(40 eyes)of adolescents with low to moderate myopia who chose orthokeratology to correct visual acuity at our hospital from April 2021 to June 2022 were collected. The uncorrected distant visual acuity and axial length were evaluated at 1, 3 and 6mo before and after wearing orthokeratology, respectively. Furthermore, the changes in superficial vessel density(SVD), deep vessel density(DVD), central retinal thickness(CRT), foveal avascular zone area(FAZ-A), foveal avascular zone perimeter(FAZ-P), retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL)thickness and radial peripapillary capillaries density(RPCD)were observed by applying OCTA.RESULTS: The uncorrected distant visual acuity was significantly improved at 1, 3 and 6mo after wearing orthokeratology(P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in axial length before and after wearing orthokeratology(P>0.05). Moreover, there were significant differences in both SVD of fovea quadrant and DVD of fovea and lower quadrant(P<0.01), but there were no differences in CRT, FAZ-A and FAZ-P, RNFL thickness and RPCD(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Wearing orthokeratology can significantly improve visual acuity and increase local retinal vessel density in the macula in adolescents with low to moderate myopia.

Exploration and Practice of the "One Combination, Two Highlights, Three Combinations, Four in One" Innovative Talents Training Mode in Forensic Medicine / 法医学杂志

Talent is one of the basic and strategic supports for building a modern socialist country in all aspects. Since the 1980s, the establishment of forensic medicine major and the cultivation of innovative talents in forensic medicine have become hot topics in higher education in forensic medicine. Over the past 43 years, the forensic medicine team of Shanxi Medical University has adhered to the joint education of public security and colleges, and made collaborative innovation, forming a training mode of "One Combination, Two Highlights, Three Combinations, Four in One" for innovative talents in forensic medicine. It has carried out "5+3/X" integrated reform, and formed a relatively complete talent training innovation mode and management system in teaching, scientific research, identification, major, discipline, team, platform and cultural construction. It has made a historic contribution to China's higher forensic education, accumulated valuable experience for the construction of first-class major and first-class discipline of forensic medicine, and provided strong support for the construction of the national new forensic talent training system. The popularization of this training mode is conducive to the rapid and sustainable development of forensic science, and provides more excellent forensic talents for national building, regional social development and the discipline construction of forensic science.

Chemoprevention of colorectal cancer in general population and high-risk population: a systematic review and network meta-analysis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Many nutritional supplements and pharmacological agents have been reported to show preventive effects on colorectal adenoma and colorectal cancer (CRC). We performed a network meta-analysis to summarize such evidence and assess the efficacy and safety of these agents.@*METHODS@#We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for studies published in English until October 31, 2021 that fit our inclusion criteria. We performed a systematic review and network meta-analysis to assess the comparative efficacy and safety of candidate agents (low-dose aspirin [Asp], high-dose Asp, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors [coxibs], calcium, vitamin D, folic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid [UDCA], estrogen, and progesterone, alone or in combination) for preventing colorectal adenoma and CRC. Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool was employed to evaluate the quality of each included study.@*RESULTS@#Thirty-two randomized controlled trials (278,694 participants) comparing 13 different interventions were included. Coxibs significantly reduced the risk of colorectal adenoma (risk ratio [RR]: 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44-0.79, six trials involving 5486 participants), advanced adenoma (RR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43-0.92, four trials involving 4723 participants), and metachronous adenoma (RR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.43-0.79, five trials involving 5258 participants) compared with placebo. Coxibs also significantly increased the risk of severe adverse events (RR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.13-1.47, six trials involving 7109 participants). Other interventions, including Asp, folic acid, UDCA, vitamin D, and calcium, did not reduce the risk of colorectal adenoma in the general and high-risk populations compared with placebo.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Considering the balance between benefits and harms, regular use of coxibs for prevention of colorectal adenoma was not supported by the current evidence. Benefit of low-dose Asp for chemoprevention of colorectal adenoma still requires further evidence.@*REGISTRATION@#PROSPERO, No. CRD42022296376.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis: Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a gastrointestinal disorder of unclear etiology that is characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the stomach and small intestine, and consists of mucosal, muscular, and serosal subtypes. Eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract is a fundamental histopathological characteristic of EGE and is driven by several T-helper type 2 (Th2)-dependent cytokines and induced by food allergy. Due to the lack of a diagnostic gold standard, EGE has a high rate of delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. However, several new diagnostic strategies have been developed, such as novel genetic biomarkers and imaging tests. Although dietary therapy and corticosteroids remain the common choices for EGE treatment, recent decades have seen the emergence of novel treatment alternatives, such as biologics that target particular molecules involved in the pathogenic process. Preliminary investigations and clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of biologics and provided additional insights for the era of refractory or corticosteroid-dependent EGE biologics.

Effect mechanism of acupuncture for anti-asthmatic airway remodeling based on TGF-β1 / Smad3 signaling pathway / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of acupuncture at "Feishu" (BL 13) + "Dingchuan" (EX-B 1) and "Kongzui" (LU 6) + "Yuji" (LU 10) for the airway remodeling in asthma rats based on the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/ Smad family member 3 (Smad3) signaling pathway; and explore the efficacy difference between the two acupoint combinations.@*METHODS@#Forty SPF male SD rats, aged 4 weeks, were randomly divided into a blank group (n = 10) and a modeling group (n = 30). The ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization method was used to establish asthma model in the modeling group. After successful model preparation, the rats of the modeling group were randomized into a model group, an acupuncture at "Feishu" (BL 13) + "Dingchuan" (EX-B 1) (AAF) group, and acupuncture at "Kongzui" (LU 6)+"Yuji" (LU 10) (AAK) group, with 10 rats in each one. Starting from day 15 of the experiment, 5 min after motivating, acupuncture was applied to "Feishu" (BL 13) + "Dingchuan" (EX-B 1) and "Kongzui" (LU 6)+"Yuji" (LU 10) in the AAF group and the AAK group respectively. The intervention was delivered for 30 min each time, once daily, lasting 3 weeks consecutively. Using lung function detector, the airway resistance (RL) and dynamic compliance (Cdyn) of the lungs were detected. The histomorphology of lung tissues was detected with HE staining and Masson staining, and the mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and Smad3 in lung tissues was detected with the real-time PCR and Western blot methods.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the blank group, RL was increased and Cdyn was decreased in the rats of the model group (P<0.01); and RL was reduced and Cdyn was increased in the AAF group and the AAK group when compared with those in the model group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The rats of the model group had bronchial lumen stenosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen fibre hyperplasia and thickened smooth muscle in the lung tissues when compared with those in the blank group; and in comparison with the model group, all of the above morphological changes were attenuated in the AAF group and the AAK group. Besides, these morphological changes of the lung tissues were more alleviated in the AAF group when compared with those in the AAK group. In comparison with the blank group, the mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and Smad3 of the lung tissues was increased in the model group (P<0.01), and it was reduced in the AAF group and the AAK group when compared with that in the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01). The mRNA expression of TGF-β1 and Smad3 was lower in the AAF group when compared with that in the AAK group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture at either "Feishu" (BL 13)+"Dingchuan" (EX-B 1) or "Kongzui" (LU 6)+"Yuji" (LU 10) reduces the airway remodeling in the rats with asthma, which may be related to the down-regulation of mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and Smad3. The better efficacy is obtained with acupuncture at "Feishu" (BL 13)+"Dingchuan" (EX-B 1).

Irregular-Shaped Fe3O4 Nanoparticles-Mediated Magneto-Mecha nical Force for Killing Tumor Cell / 医用生物力学

Objective To investigate tumor cell killing effect of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles with cubic phase through magneto-mechanical force under a low-frequency vibrating magnetic field ( VMF). Methods A kind of strong magnetic and irregular-shaped Fe3O4 nanoparticles with cubic phase was synthesized by coprecipitation method. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles were exposed to a self-developed VMF and cell killing efficiency of the Fe3O4-mediated magneto-mechanical force was investigated. Results VMF alone had no effects on cell viability. After Fe3O4 nanoparticles were added, the cell viability significantly decreased with prolonging the VMF treatment time and increasing the Fe3O4 nanoparticle concentration. Lactate dehydrogenase released by damaged cells also increased with prolonging the VMF exposure time. Conclusions The irregular-shaped Fe3O4 nanoparticles can transfer magneto-mechanical force to tumor cells under VMF, cause structural damage of cells and result in cell death. The VMF generator developed in this study has simple structure and it is safe for use and convenient for operation. The developed magnetic nanoparticles and the corresponding cancer cell killing technique have the potential for clinical transformation.

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis deficiency 15 caused by GPAA1 gene mutation: a rare disease study / 中国当代儿科杂志

A boy, aged 6 years, attended the hospital due to global developmental delay for 6 years and recurrent fever and convulsions for 5 years. The boy was found to have delayed mental and motor development at the age of 3 months and experienced recurrent fever and convulsions since the age of 1 year, with intermittent canker sores and purulent tonsillitis. During the fever period, blood tests showed elevated white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which returned to normal after the fever subsides. Electroencephalography showed epilepsy, and genetic testing showed compound heterozygous mutations in the GPAA1 gene. The boy was finally diagnosed with glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis deficiency 15 (GPIBD15) and periodic fever. The patient did not respond well to antiepileptic treatment, but showed successful fever control with glucocorticoid therapy. This article reports the first case of GPIBD15 caused by GPAA1 gene mutation in China and summarizes the genetic features, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of this disease, which provides a reference for the early diagnosis and treatment of GPIBD15.

Advances in immunotherapy of thymic tumors / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Thymic epithelial tumor is a rare anterior mediastinal tumor. Surgery is the most important treatment for thymic tumors. However, non-surgical treatment is still an inevitable choice for unresectable advanced thymic tumors. The traditional treatment methods include chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but the effect is limited. With the development of immunotherapy therapy, some studies have attempted the exploration of immunotherapy for thymic tumors. Because of the low incidence rate of thymic tumors, these studies are mostly small retrospective analyses. This article review the clinical and basic research progress of immunotherapy for thymic tumors

Predictive value of mucosal vascular pattern under narrow-band imaging colonoscopy in colonic epithelial proliferation of patients with ulcerative colitis / 中华消化杂志

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of mucosal vascular pattern (MVP) in colonic epithelial proliferation of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) under narrow-band imaging (NBI) colonoscopy.Methods:From December 1, 2012 to January 31, 2015, 42 patients with UC visiting Peking Union Medical College Hospital and receiving NBI colonoscopy were selected. The images of 119 colorectal lesions of all the patients under the conventional white light and NBI endoscopy were collected and at least one biopsy of each lesion was obtained for histological assessment. All the endoscopic images were randomly allocated to one endoscopist (associated chief physician) for the MVP and the Mayo endoscopic score (MES) assessment. The degree of mucosal inflammation was graded from 0 to 4 according to the histological colitis score. The degree and distribution of Ki-67 expression were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK)- q test and Spearman rank correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results:Under NBI colonoscopy, the MVP of patients with UC was divided into clear type, obscure type and absent type. According to the morphology of mucosal glandular duct, the absent type was divided into crypt opening subtype and villous subtype. There was a positive correlation between MVP under NBI mode and the MES under white light mode ( r=0.80, P<0.001). The Ki-67 staining indexes of MVP obscure type, absent type, crypt opening subtype and villous subtype of absent type were all higher than that of MVP clear type (30.3±12.8, 45.9±12.5, 45.5±12.1 and 46.3±13.1 vs. 15.6±7.3), and the differences were statistically significant (SNK- q test, all P<0.001); and the Ki-67 staining indexes of MVP absent type, crypt opening subtype and villous subtype of MVP absent type were all higher than that of MVP obscure type, and the differences were statistically significant (SNK- q test, all P<0.001). There was a positive correlation between the MVP type under NBI colonoscopy and the distribution of Ki-67 expression ( r=0.49, P<0.001). The Ki-67 staining indexes of inflammation grade 2, 3 and 4 were higher than that of grade 1 (28.8±10.9, 40.2±11.6 and 49.5±10.3 vs. 17.1±8.4), and the difference was statistically significant (SNK- q test, all P<0.001); the Ki-67 staining indexes of inflammation grade 3 and 4 were higher than that of grade 2, and Ki-67 staining index of inflammation grade 4 was higher than that of grade 3, and the differences were statistically significant (SNK- q test, all P<0.001). The distribution of Ki-67 expression was positively correlated with the degree of histological inflammation ( r=0.56, P<0.001). Conclusions:The MVP under NBI colonoscopy may indirectly predict the colonic epithelial proliferation of patients with UC, which may be closely related to the degree of mucosal inflammation.