Plasma cytokine levels as markers of pathogenesis and treatment response in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease

We investigated the value of plasma cytokine levels as markers of pathogenesis and treatment response in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) pulmonary disease. Plasma cytokine levels were measured and compared among patients with NTM pulmonary disease (n=111), tuberculosis (TB) patients (n=50), and healthy individuals (n=40). Changes during treatment were monitored at 3 and 6 months after treatment. According to the treatment response, NTM patients were classified as 'resistance' or 'sensitivity' responders. The results revealed that five out of twelve cytokines exhibited significantly higher levels in NTM patients compared to controls. Among these, interleukin (IL)-6 demonstrated the strongest discriminating capacity for NTM. Furthermore, when combined with IL-1β, they efficiently distinguished between NTM drug-resistant and drug-sensitive patients, as well as between NTM and TB groups. Additionally, IL-6 levels initially rose and then decreased in the NTM drug-resistant group during the six months of treatment, similar to the behavior of IL-1β in the NTM drug-sensitive group. Subgroup analyses of the sensitive group with differential treatment responses revealed an increase in IL-10 levels in the six-month treatment responders. A high IL-6/IL-10 ratio was associated with increased disease severity of NTM and TB. Collectively, combinations of various plasma cytokines, specifically IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10, effectively distinguished NTM patients with varying mycobacterial burdens, with IL-6 and IL-10 emerging as potential biomarkers for early treatment response. The combination of IL-6 and IL-1β demonstrated the highest discriminatory value for distinguishing between NTM-resistant and NTM-sensitive groups as well as between NTM and TB groups.

Surveillance results of foodborne pathogens in market-sold food in Fuyang District / 预防医学

Objective@# To investigate the contamination of foodborne pathogens in market-sold food in Fuyang District, Hangzhou City, so as to provide insights into intensified supervision of food safety and management of foodborne diseases.@*Methods@# A total of 1 176 market-sold food samples belonging to 11 categories were collected from Fuyang District from 2019 to 2022, and nine foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Yersinia enterocolitica, were detected according to the National Handbook for Surveillance of Risk of Food Contamination and Hazardous Factors in 2019 and national criteria for food microbiological testing. The detection of foodborne pathogens was analyzed in food samples with different categories and sources. @*Results@#Foodborne pathogens were detected in 332 out of 1 176 market-sold food samples, with a detection rate of 28.23%, and the detection rates of V. parahaemolyticus, Enterobacter sakazakii, non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae, Y. enterocolitica, Vibrio vulnificus, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes were 39.47%, 36.92%, 35.48%, 34.09%, 13.85%, 12.26%, 8.58%, 6.65% and 2.53%. The detection rates of foodborne pathogens were 38.36%, 24.90%, 15.48%, 11.90%, 5.68%, 5.56%, 4.48%, 1.67%, 1.25% and 0.81% in aquatic food and its products, meat and meat products, local specialty food, catering food, flavoring, foods for special dietary uses, milk and milk products, egg and egg products, cooked food and other food, respectively, while foodborne pathogens were not detected in frozen drinks. In addition, the detection rates of foodborne pathogens were 24.97%, 15.19%, 9.88%, 7.89% and 7.23% in farmers' markets, supermarkets, online stores, vendors and restaurants, respectively. @*Conclusions@#A high detection rate of V. parahaemolyticus, E. sakazakii and non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae was found in market-sold food in Fuyang District from 2019 to 2022, and the contamination of foodborne pathogens was serious in aquatic food and its products, meat and meat products and local specialty food.

Effectiveness of Bian stone warming and ironing combined with aromatherapy on postpartum urinary retention among lying-in women with painless delivery / 预防医学

Objective@#To evaluate the effectiveness of Bian stone warming and ironing combined with aromatherapy on postpartum urinary retention among lying-in women with painless delivery, so as to provide the reference for preventing postpartum urinary retention after painless delivery.@*Methods@#Lying-in women who underwent painless delivery in the Hangzhou Women' s Hospital were randomly assigned into the intervention and control group. Participants in the intervention group were given Bian stone warming and ironing combined with essential oil aromatherapy, while participants in the control group were given routine nursing care. The first postpartum urination and urinary retention were recorded, nursing satisfaction was investigated using Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale, the quality of life was evaluated using The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF, and these indicators were compared between the two groups.@*Results@#There were 92 participants in the intervention group, with a mean age of (26.51±1.31) years and mean gestational age of (38.11±0.55) weeks, and 86 participants in the control group, with a mean age of (26.61±1.24) years and mean gestational age of (38.28±0.72) weeks. There was no statistically significant difference in the general data between the two groups (P>0.05). The time of first urination in the intervention group was shorter than that in the control group [(2.91±1.02) h vs. (3.76±1.68) h], the first postpartum urine volume was more than that in the control group [(160.56±21.03) mL vs. (142.43±18.42) mL], the residual urine volume of the bladder after the first urination was less than that in the control group [(73.20±17.03) mL vs. (85.46±20.24) mL], the incidence of urinary retention was lower than that in the control group (3.26% vs. 10.47%), nursing satisfaction was higher than that in the control group, and the increase in scores of all dimensions of quality of life was greater than that in the control group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). @*Conclusions@#Bian stone warming and ironing therapy combined with aromatherapy may effectively reduce the incidence of postpartum urinary retention, and improve nursing satisfaction and quality of life among lying-in women after painless delivery.

Effects of exosomes from human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells on inflammatory response of mouse RAW264.7 cells and wound healing of full-thickness skin defects in mice / 中华烧伤杂志

Objective: To investigate the effects of exosomes from human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) on inflammatory response of mouse RAW264.7 cells and wound healing of full-thickness skin defects in mice. Methods: The experimental research methods were adopted. The discarded adipose tissue was collected from 3 female patients (aged 10-25 years) who underwent abdominal surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University. ADSCs were extracted from the adipose tissue by collagenase Ⅰ digestion and identified with flow cytometry. Exosomes were extracted from the human ADSCs by differential ultracentrifugation, the morphology of the exosomes was observed by transmission electron microscopy, the particle diameter of the exosomes was detected by nanoparticle tracking analyzer, and the protein expressions of CD9, CD63, tumor susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101), and β-actin were detected by Western blotting. The human ADSCs exosomes (ADSCs-Exos) and RAW264.7 cells were co-cultured for 12 h, and the uptake of RAW264.7 cells for human ADSCs-Exos was observed. The RAW264.7 cells were divided into phosphate buffer solution (PBS) group stimulated with PBS for suitable time, endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation 2 h group, LPS stimulation 4 h group, LPS stimulation 6 h group, LPS stimulation 12 h group, and LPS stimulation 24 h group stimulated with LPS for corresponding time, with 3 wells in each group, and the mRNA expressions of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), IL-6, and IL-10 were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. The RAW264.7 cells were divided into PBS group, LPS alone group, and LPS+ADSCs-Exos group, with 3 wells in each group, which were dealt correspondingly for the time screened out in the previous experiment, the mRNA expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, trasforming growth factor β (TGF-β,) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were detected by real time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR method, and the protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and arginase 1 (Arg1) were detected by Western blotting. Twenty-four 8-week-old male BALB/c mice were divided into PBS group and ADSCs-Exos group according to the random number table, with 12 mice in each group, and a full-thickness skin defect wound with area of 1 cm×1 cm was inflicted on the back of each mouse. Immediately after injury, the wounds of mice in the two groups were dealt correspondingly. On post injury day (PID) 1, the concentration of IL-1β and TNF-α in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the mRNA expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 were detected by real time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR method. On PID 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15, the wound healing was observed and the wound non-healing rate was calculated. On PID 15, the defect length of skin accessory and collagen volume fraction (CVF) were detected by hematoxylin eosin staining and Masson staining, respectively, the CD31 expression and neovascularization were detected by immunohistochemistry, and the ratio of Ki67 positive cells, the ratio of iNOS and Arg1 double positive cells, and the ratio of iNOS positive cells to Arg1 positive cells and their fluorescence intensities were detected by immunofluorescence method. The number of samples in animal experiments was 6. Data were statistically analyzed with analysis of variance for repeated measurement, one-way analysis of variance, and independent sample t test. Results: At 12 h of culture, the cells exhibited a typical spindle shape, which were verified as ADSCs with flow cytometry. The exosomes with a vesicular structure and particle diameters of 29-178 nm, were positively expressed CD9, CD63, and TSG101 and negatively expressed β-actin. After 12 h of co-culture, the human ADSCs-Exos were endocytosed into the cytoplasm by RAW264.7 cells. The mRNA expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 of RAW264.7 cells in LPS stimulation 2 h group, LPS stimulation 4 h group, LPS stimulation 6 h group, LPS stimulation 12 h group, and LPS stimulation 24 h group were significantly higher than those in PBS group (with t) values of 39.10, 14.55, 28.80, 4.74, 48.80, 22.97, 13.25, 36.34, 23.12, 18.71, 29.19, 41.08, 11.68, 18.06, 8.54, 43.45, 62.31, 22.52, 21.51, and 37.13, respectively, P<0.01). The stimulation 12 h with significant expressions of all the inflammatory factors was selected as the time point in the following experiment. After stimulation of 12 h, the mRNA expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 of RAW264.7 cells in LPS alone group were significantly higher than those in PBS group (with t values of 44.20, 51.26, 14.71, and 8.54, respectively, P<0.01); the mRNA expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 of RAW264.7 cells in LPS+ADSCs-Exos group were significantly lower than those in LPS alone group (with t values of 22.89, 25.51, and 8.03, respectively, P<0.01), while the mRNA expressions of IL-10, TGF-β, and VEGF were significantly higher than those in LPS alone group (with t values of 9.89, 13.12, and 7.14, respectively, P<0.01). After stimulation of 12 h, the protein expression of iNOS of RAW264.7 cells in LPS alone group was significantly higher than that in PBS group and LPS+ADSCs-Exos group, respectively (with t values of 11.20 and 5.06, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the protein expression of Arg1 was significantly lower than that in LPS+ADSCs-Exos group (t=15.01, P<0.01). On PID 1, the serum concentrations of IL-1β and TNF-α and the mRNA expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in wound tissue of mice in ADSCs-Exos group were significantly those in lower than PBS group (with t values of 15.44, 12.24, 9.24, 7.12, and 10.62, respectively, P<0.01). On PID 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 d, the wound non-healing rates of mice in ADSCs-Exos group were (73.2±4.1)%, (53.8±3.8)%, (42.1±5.1)%, (24.1±2.8)%, and 0, which were significantly lower than (82.5±3.8)%, (71.2±4.6)%, (52.9±4.1)%, (41.5±3.6)%, and (14.8±2.5)% in PBS group, respectively (with t values of 4.77, 8.93, 5.54, 7.63, and 7.59, respectively, P<0.01). On PID 15, the defect length of skin accessory in wounds of mice in PBS group was significantly longer than that in ADSCs-Exos group (t=9.50, P<0.01), and the CVF was significantly lower than that in ADSCs-Exos group (t=9.15, P<0.01). On PID 15, the CD31 expression and the number of new blood vessels (t=12.99, P<0.01), in wound tissue of mice in ADSCs-Exos group were significantly more than those in PBS group, and the ratio of Ki67 positive cells was significantly higher than that in PBS group (t=7.52, P<0.01). On PID 15, the ratio of iNOS and Arg1 double positive cells in wound tissue of mice in PBS group was (12.33±1.97)%, which was significantly higher than (1.78±0.29)% in ADSCs-Exos group (t=13.04, P<0.01), the ratio of iNOS positive cells and the fluorescence intensity of iNOS were obviously higher than those of ADSCs-Exos group, and the ratio of Arg1 positive cells and the fluorescence intensity of Arg1 were obviously lower than those of ADSCs-Exos group. Conclusions: The human ADSCs-Exos can alleviate inflammatory response of mouse RAW264.7 cells, decrease macrophage infiltration and secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, increase the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines to promote neovascularization and cell proliferation in full-thickness skin defect wounds of mice, hence accelerating wound healing.

Mechanisms of Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix) in treating diabetic nephropathy complicated with depression based on network pharmacology / 数字中医药（英文）

@#Objective To predict the molecular mechanism of Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix) in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN) complicated with depression based on network pharmacology. Methods The components of Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix) were identified from the Integrated Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCMIP), Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and relevant literature. The component targets were detected by combining the SwissTargetPrediction and PubChem databases. Disease targets were collected from the Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), DisGeNET, and Ensembl databases with “diabetic nephropathy” and “depression” as keywords. The disease-component targets were mapped using Venny 2.1.0 to obtain potential targets. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database and Cytoscape 3.7.2. The co-expression genes of the key targets were collected based on the COXPRESdb 7.3. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed for potential targets using R language. Target-component docking was verified and evaluated using Discovery Studio 4.5. Results According to the databases and literature reports, Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix) contained 65 active components, and had 155 related targets for the treatment of DN complicated with depression. PPI screening showed that the key targets included serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (AKT1), signal transducer and activator transcription 3 (STAT3), interleukin 6 (IL-6), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), etc. GO enrichment analysis mainly involved biological processes, such as lipid metabolism, protein secretion regulation, cell homeostasis, and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase activity. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis included the role of the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complements, insulin resistance (IR), neurotrophin signal path, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, relaxin signaling pathway, epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), etc. Molecular docking showed that the target had high affinity for stachyose, manninotriose, verbascose, nigerose, etc. Conclusion Based on network parmacology, this study preliminarily predict the effects of Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix) in treating DN complicated with depression by regulating inflammation, glucose metabolism, nution nerve, etc.

Bioinorganic chemistry strategies in antiviral drug discovery / 药学学报

Over the course of human civilization, viral infections have been a part of human life and still represent one of the heaviest burdens for human and society, with a huge devastating socioeconomic impact. Inorganic and bioinorganic chemistry have made important contributions to medical science and human health in the past half century. In this paper, we selected the representative cases in recent years, and reviewed the research progress of antiviral drug discovery from the perspective of bioinorganic chemistry.

Health literacy, screen time and associated factors among middle school students in Yinchuan / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the status and influencing factors of health literacy of middle school students in Yinchuan City, to provide reference for health literacy improvement of middle school students in this region.@*Methods@#Using stratified cluster sampling method, 2 003 middle school students from three districts of Yinchuan were investigated to complete the questionnaire survey.The survey included basic characteristics, health literacy and screen time status.@*Results@#The total score of Chinese Adolescent Interactive Health Literacy Questionnaire was(101.3±17.5). The proportion of high, medium and low level of health literacy were 25.0%, 51.2% and 23.9% respectively;the proportion of long screen time exposure among middle school students was 52.5%. The health literacy level of junior middle school students, middle school students with father or mother education level of high school or above and appropriate screen time were higher than those of the corresponding group（χ 2=49.90，14.59，16.53，46.73，P<0.01）. Logistic regression analysis showed that education group, grade, father s or mother s education level and long screen time exposure were associated with middle school students health literacy level(P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#The health literacy level of middle school students in Yinchuan City needs to be further improved and targeted health education should be carried out from school, family and society.

Comparative permeability of three saikosaponins and corresponding saikogenins in Caco-2 model by a validated UHPLC-MS/MS method / 药物分析学报

Saikosaponins (SSs) are the main active components extracted from Bupleuri Radix (BR) which has been used as an important herbal drug in Asian countries for thousands of years.It has been reported that the intestinal bacteria plays an important role in the in vivo disposal of oral SSs.Although the deglycosylated derivatives (saikogenins,SGs) of SSs metabolized by the intestinal bacteria are speculated to be the main components absorbed into the blood after oral administration of SSs,no studies have been reported on the characteristics of SGs for their intestinal absorption,and those for SSs are also limited.Therefore,a rapid UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed to investigate and compare the apparent permeability of three common SSs (SSa,SSd,SSb2) and their corresponding SGs (SGF,SGG,SGD) through a bidirectional transport experiment on Caco-2 cell monolayer model.The method was validated according to the latest FDA guidelines and applied to quantify the six analytes in transport medium samples extracted via liquid-liquid extraction (LLE).The apparent permeability coefficient (Papp) determined in this study indicated that the permeability of SGs improved to the moderate class compared to the corresponding parent compounds,predicting a higher in vivo absorption.Moreover,the efflux ratio (ER) value demonstrated an active uptake of SSd and the three SGs,while a passive diffusion of SSa and SSb2.

High-throughput sequencing analysis of the microbiota of subgingival plaque in patients with periodontitis / 口腔疾病防治

Objective @# To detect the composition of the subgingival microbiota in generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP) and severe chronic periodontitis (SCP) patients tested by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies, analyze its diversity and function by using bioinformatics, and observe changes in the subgingival microbiota before and after periodontal initial therapy.@* Methods@#Eleven patients with GAgP and 14 patients with SCP who visited the Department of Periodontics in Stomatological Hospital of Kunming Medical University from September 2018 to May 2019 were recruited, and subgingival plaque samples were collected at baseline and 6 weeks after initial therapy. Then, the genomic DNA was distracted and sequenced by the Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing platform. QIIME (quantitative insights in microbial ecology), Mothur, SPSS and other software were used to analyze community information. LEfSe difference analysis (linear discriminant analysis effect size), network analysis, and the KEGG PATHWAY database (https://www.kegg.jp/kegg/pathway.html) were used to predict community function. @* Results @# At baseline, the dominant microbiota of GAgP and SCP patients were similar, including Bacteroidetes, Porphyromonas and Porphyromonas endodontalis. Six weeks after initial therapy, as the periodontal pocket became shallower, the variation trend of the microbiota of GAgP and SCP patients was similar. The relative abundance of gram-negative bacteria, such as Bacteroidetes, Porphyromonas and Porphyromonas endodontalis, decreased, while the relative abundance of gram-positive bacteria, such as Proteobacteria, Actinomyces and Rothia aeria, increased. Actinobacteria were significantly increased biomarkers of the subgingival microbiota in GAgP after treatment. Streptococcus is an important genus that connects the microbiota related to periodontitis and the microbiota related to periodontal health. Community function prediction result showed that initial treatment can reduce the functions of amino acid metabolism, methane metabolism, and peptidase in GAgP and SCP patients.@*Conclusion@#The subgingival microbiota of GAgP and SCP patients are similar. Streptococcus, as an early colonizer, may play an important role in promoting plaque biofilm formation and maturation in the process of subgingival flora from health to imbalance. Initial therapy can change the composition and structure of the subgingival microbiota, reduce community diversity, and reduce the functions of amino acid metabolism, methane metabolism, and peptidase in GAgP and SCP patients.

Consumption of nutritional supplements among the residents aged eighteen years and below in Tongzhou District / 预防医学

Objective@#To understand the consumption of nutritional supplements among the residents aged eighteen years and below in Tongzhou District of Beijing,so as to provide reference for supplements exposure assessment and health education.@* Methods@# A hundred people aged 18 years and below were selected from each of the eight neighborhood committees of Tongzhou Town,Tongzhou District,Beijing. The questionnaire for the Nutritional Supplements Guidelines for Chinese Residents Study was used to collect the rate of taking nutritional supplements,influencing factors,types and frequency. @*Results@#The rate of taking nutritional supplements was 44.16%. The rates of taking nutritional supplements in people aged 0-5 years,6-12 years and 13-18 years were 45.56%,42.86% and 41.00%,respectively,without statistically significant difference among them （P>0.05）. The rates of taking nutritional supplements in males and females were 44.82% and 43.49%,without statistically significant difference between them （P>0.05）. The Results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that annual per capita household income of more than 50 000 yuan （OR=1.688,95%CI: 1.171-2.435） and parents taking nutritional supplements （OR=4.104,95%CI: 3.023-5.573） were the promoting factors for the intake of nutritional supplements in people aged 18 years and below. The rates of taking calcium,vitamin D and multivitamin were 26.10%,21.56% and 8.31%,respectively. There were 272 （80.00%） people taking 1-2 kinds of supplements,and 200 （58.82%） people taking them daily. @*Conclusions@#In Tongzhou District,44.16% of the population aged 18 years and below takes nutritional supplements,mainly calcium and vitamin D. Family income and whether their parents taking or not are determinants.

Effect evaluation of two labor analgesia methods with Doula services / 预防医学

Objective @#To evaluate the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation ( TENS ) and waterbirth with Doula services on the outcome of delivery. @*Methods@#From July 2018 to December 2019, 150 primiparas in Hangzhou Women's Hospital were randomly divided into three groups: TENS, waterbirth and control groups. They were given TENS, waterbirth and conventional midwifery, accompanied by Doula services. The visual analogue scores ( VAS ) , length of labor stages and neonatal asphyxia were compared.@*Results@#It finally included 45 cases in the TENS group, 45 cases in the waterbirth group and 44 cases in the control group. There were no significant differences in gestational weeks, age, height, weight, fetal biparietal diameter and newborn birth weight among the three groups ( P>0.05 ) . The VAS scores of TENS group and waterbirth group were lower than those of the control group ( P<0.05 ) , but there were no significant differences between the two groups ( P>0.05 ) with the cervix open to 2.5-3 cm, 5-7 cm ( 0.5 hours later ) and 10 cm. There was no interaction between the analgesia methods and cervix diameter ( P>0.05 ) . The duration of the first stage of labor in the TENS group and the waterbirth group was less than that in the control group ( P<0.05 ) , and there was no significant difference between the TENS group and the waterbirth group ( P>0.05 ) . The asphyxia rate of neonates in TENS group, waterbirth group and control group were 2.22%, 2.22% and 4.55%, respectively, with no significant difference ( P>0.05 ) . @*Conclusion@#Under Doula services, both TENS and waterbirth can effectively relieve the pain of delivery and shorten the first stage of labor, without obvious differences.

Effect of sustained intensive therapy with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis: a 5-year real-world consecutive study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Intensive therapy with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has been reported to improve the outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, real-world study on the effect of intensive therapy on RA sustained remission is still lacking. This study aimed to investigate the outcome of sustained intensive DMARD therapy (SUIT) for RA in a real-world 5-year consecutive cohort.@*METHODS@#Based on a consecutive cohort of 610 out-patients with RA, remission of RA was assessed in 541 patients from 2012 to 2017, by dividing into SUIT, non-SUIT, and intermittent SUIT (Int-SUIT) groups. Changes in the disease activity scores were evaluated by 28-joint disease activity score based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR), 28-joint disease activity score based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP), and clinical deep remission criteria (CliDR). Cumulative remission rates between different groups were compared using Kaplan-Meier curves and predictive factors of sustained remission were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.@*RESULTS@#The remission rates of the SUIT group decreased from 12.0% (65/541) to 5.6% (20/359) based on DAS28-ESR, from 14.0% (76/541) to 7.2% (26/359) based on DAS28-CRP, and from 8.5% (46/541) to 3.1% (11/359) based on CliDR, respectively, with a gradually decreasing trend during the 5 years. The SUIT regimen led to a significantly higher cumulative remission rate than non-SUIT regimen based on DAS28-ESR (39.7% vs. 19.5%, P = 0.001), DAS28-CRP (42.0% vs. 19.6%, P = 0.001), and CliDR (24.5% vs. 8.7%, P = 0.001). The cumulative remission rates of patients treated with SUIT regimen were significantly higher than those treated with Int-SUIT regimen based on DAS28-ESR (39.7% vs. 25.7%, P = 0.043) and CliDR (24.5% vs. 14.2%, P = 0.047), but there was no significant difference between the two groups based on DAS28-CRP (42.0% vs. 27.4%, P = 0.066). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the use of SUIT regimen was an independent favorable predictor according to different remission definitions (for DAS28-ESR: odds ratio [OR], 2.215, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.271-3.861, P = 0.005; for DAS28-CRP: OR, 1.520, 95% CI: 1.345-1.783, P = 0.002; for CliDR: OR, 1.525, 95% CI: 1.314-1.875, P = 0.013).@*CONCLUSION@#Sustained intensive treatment of RA is an optimal strategy in daily practice and will lead to an increased remission rate.

Homocysteine and IgA nephropathy: observational and Mendelian randomization analyses / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#High levels of plasma homocysteine occur almost uniformly in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common form of primary glomerulonephritis and a common cause of ESRD in young adults. Here, we aimed to detect whether homocysteine was elevated and associated with clinical-pathologic manifestations of IgAN patients and tested its causal effects using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.@*METHODS@#For observational analysis, 108 IgAN patients, 30 lupus nephritis (LN) patients, 50 minimal change disease (MCD) patients, and 206 healthy controls were recruited from April 2014 to April 2015. Their plasma homocysteine was measured and clinical-pathologic manifestations were collected from medical records. For MR analysis, we further included 1686 IgAN patients. The missense variant methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T (rs1801133) was selected as an instrument, which was genotyped by TaqMan allele discrimination assays.@*RESULTS@#Majority of IgAN patients (93.52%, 101/108) showed elevated levels of plasma homocysteine (>10 μmol/L). Plasma homocysteine in IgAN patients was significantly higher than that in MCD patients (median: 18.32 vs. 11.15 μmol/L, Z = -5.29, P < 0.01) and in healthy controls (median: 18.32 vs. 10.00 μmol/L, Z = -8.76, P < 0.01), but comparable with those in LN patients (median: 18.32 L vs. 14.50 μmol/L, Z = -1.32, P = 0.19). Significant differences were observed in sub-groups of IgAN patients according to quartiles of plasma homocysteine for male ratio (22.22% vs. 51.85% vs. 70.37% vs. 70.37%, χ = 14.29, P < 0.01), serum creatinine (median: 77.00 vs. 100.00 vs. 129.00 vs. 150.00 μmol/L, χ = 34.06, P < 0.01), estimated glomerular filtration rate (median: 100.52 vs. 74.23 vs. 52.68 vs. 42.67 mL·min·1.73 m, χ = 21.75, P < 0.01), systolic blood pressure (median: 120.00 vs. 120.00 vs. 125.00 vs. 130.00 mmHg, χ = 2.97, P = 0.05), diastolic blood pressure (median 80.00 vs. 75.00 vs. 80.00 vs. 81.00 mmHg, χ = 11.47, P < 0.01), and pathologic tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis (T) (T0/T1/T2: 62.96%/33.33%/3.70% vs. 29.63%/40.74%/29.63% vs. 24.00%/48.00%/28.00% vs. 14.81%/37.04%/48.15%, χ = 17.66, P < 0.01). The coefficient of each rs1801133-T allele on homocysteine levels after controlling age and sex was 7.12 (P < 0.01). MR estimates showed causal positive effects of homocysteine on serum creatine (β = 0.76, P = 0.02), systolic blood pressure (β = 0.26, P = 0.02), diastolic blood pressure (β = 0.20, P = 0.01), and pathologic T lesion (β = 0.01, P = 0.01) in IgAN.@*CONCLUSIONS@#By observational and MR analyses, consistent results were observed for associations of plasma homocysteine with serum creatinine, blood pressures, and pathologic T lesion in IgAN patients.

Up-regulated miR-106b inhibits ox-LDL-induced endothelial cell apoptosis in atherosclerosis

This research aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of microRNA (miR)-106b in cell apoptosis of atherosclerosis (AS). Human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were divided into control group, oxidized-low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL) group, miR-106b NC+ox-LDL group, miR-106b mimics+ox-LDL group, miR-106b mimics+PTEN+ox-LDL group, and miR-106b mimics+empty+ox-LDL group. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, cholecystokinin, TdT-mediated biotinylated nick end-labeling assay, luciferase reporter gene assay, and flow cytometry analysis were performed to determine the morphology, proliferation, and apoptosis in HSECs. Moreover, the levels of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), Bcl-2, p-P13K, and p-AKT in HAECs were detected by western blot. MiR-106b was down-regulated in ox-LDL-induced HAECs. PTEN was the target gene of miR-106b-5p. Overexpression of PTEN inhibited the anti-apoptotic effect of miR-106b. Compared with the control group, the proportion and number of HAECs apoptosis and Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9 expression in ox-LDL and miR-106b mimics+PTEN+ox-LDL groups were significantly increased (all P<0.05). Moreover, the activity of HAECs and Bcl-2 were decreased significantly (all P<0.05). Overexpression of miR-106b in ox-LDL-induced AS inhibited endothelial cell apoptosis. Furthermore, miR-106b might activate the PI3K/AKT pathway by down-regulating the expression of PTEN in ox-LDL-induced HAECs.

Changrui enema inhibits inflammation-induced angiogenesis in acute radiation proctitis by regulating NF-κB and VEGF

Abstract Purpose Changrui enema, a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, is used as a supplementary treatment for acute radiation proctitis (ARP). Herein we explored the inhibition effects of Changrui enema on NF-κB and VEGF in ARP mice. Methods A total of 120 C57BL/6 mice were divided randomly into normal mice group, ARP mice group, western medicine enema group (dexamethasone combined with gentamicin), and Changrui enema group. ARP mice were established by pelvic local irradiation. The expression of IL-1β, NF-κB, VEGF, AQP1, AQP3, p-ERK1/2 and p-JNK was determined by immunohistochemistry or western blot. Results The study firstly found that Changrui enema alleviated ARP mice. The expression of IL-1β, NF-κB, VEGF, AQP1 and p-ERK1/2 was increased in ARP mice, and was reserved by Changrui enema. However, the expression of AQP3 and p-JNK was decreased in ARP mice, and was up-regulated by Changrui enema. Conclusions Changrui enema is an effective treatment with fewer side effects for ARP. The mechanism of Changrui enema may be related to the inhibition of inflammation-induced angiogenesis. Changrui enema inhibits IL-1β and NF-κB expression as well as VEGF expression. Interestingly, AQP1 promotes angiogenesis, while AQP3 inhibits inflammation. Changrui enema probably inhibits AQP1 expression by down-regulating p-ERK1/2, and improves AQP3 expression by up-regulating p-JNK.

Calycosin down-regulates c-Met to suppress development of glioblastomas

The current case–control study sought the association of BDNF rs6265 and MC4R rs17782313 with metabolic syndrome(MetS), MetS components and other related metabolic parameters in a sample of Pakistani subjects. Fasting high-densitylipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and homeostatic model assessment of insulin sensitivity showed a significantly lowermean whereas body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP),fasting blood glucose, insulin, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very-low-density lipoproteincholesterol, triglycerides (TG), cholesterol to HDL-C ratio, TG to HDL-C ratio, homeostatic model assessment of insulinresistance, visceral adiposity index, lipid accumulation product and the product of TG and glucose showed a significantlyhigher mean in the presence of MetS. Reduced HDL-C appeared as the most frequent and hypertriglyceridemia as the leastfrequent component of MetS whereas clustering of reduced HDL-C ? abdominal obesity (AO) ? hyperglycemia appearedas the most prevalent combination of MetS components. Moreover, BDNF rs6265 showed BMI and gender independentassociation with increased risk of MetS in Pakistani individuals whereas MC4R rs17782313 showed BMI and genderdependent association with increased risk of MetS in Pakistani females. In addition, BDNF rs6265 and MC4R rs17782313showed gender-dependent associations with decreased risk of having low HDL-C in males and increased risk of havingabdominal obesity in females, respectively. However, no association was observed for metabolic variables other thancomponents of MetS across genotypes of both BDNF rs6265 and MC4R rs17782313.

Molecular simulation and spectroscopic studies on the interaction between perfluorohexadecanoic acid and human serum albumin

In the present study, the interaction between Perfluorohexadecanoic acid (PFHxDA) and human serum albumin (HAS) was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy, molecular docking, dynamic simulation and circular dichroism (CD). The interaction character and the effect on human serum albumin conformation were measured by simulating the physiological condition (pH= 7.4). Experiments and simulation results revealed that PFHxDA molecules and HSA have regular fluorescence quenching, and the quenching mechanism is static quenching and non-radiative energy transfer. Thermodynamic analysis revealed the binding behavior was mainly governed by hydrophobic forces. Specific binding site experiments showed that the binding site of PFHxDA was a site I of HSA. The results from the CD spectrum demonstrated that PFHxDA changed the molecular conformation of HSA, which is consistent with the results obtained by molecular docking and dynamic simulation.

Research progress in protein-energy metabolism and intestinal mucosa immunization in kidney diseases / 中国实用内科杂志

Immunometabolism, focusing on the changes in intracellular metabolic pathways in immune cells that alter their function, is one of the most important research fields in recent years. Researches on the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids,and proteins of immune cells shed important light on a better understanding of the physiological and pathological mechanisms of several diseases. For example, innate and adaptive immunity have been recently confirmed to be involved in obesity, further increasing risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurodegenerative disease. Interactions between metabolic aberrations and chronic kidney diseases always lead to a vicious spiral in disease etiology and progression. Up to date, emerging evidence has also indicated a therapeutic role of immune-metabolism. In this perspective,we aim to discuss some of these novel findings, with a special focus on how protein metabolism shaping immune system and gut microbiome in kidney disease. We hope the readers find our account understandable, interesting and thought-provoking for their own research.

Family history of rheumatic diseases in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a large scale cross-sectional study / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the associations between the family history of rheumatic diseases and clinical features in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).@*METHODS@#In total, eight hundred and ninety patients with RA were enrolled. The demographic and clinical data were collected, including gender, age, height, body weight, age of disease onset, history of smoking and drinking, family history of rheumatic diseases, clinical and laboratory features, pain and global visual analogue scale (VAS), and multi-dimensional health assessment questionnaire (MDHAQ). Finally, 803 patients were completed the dataset and were included in the study.@*RESULTS@#In this cohort, the male/female ratio was 1:3.5, and the age of onset was (45.09±14.50) years. A total of 123 (15.32%) patients were accompanied with family history of rheumatic diseases, including RA, spondyloarthritis, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis. The percentages of first degree, second degree and both first and second degree relatives were 91 (73.98%), 22 (17.89%), and 10 (8.13%) respectively. The most common disease was RA (70.73%), followed by other rheumatic diseases (21.95%), and RA combined with other rheumatic diseases (7.32%). The clinical and laboratory characteristics were compared between the patients with and without family history. The onset-age of the subjects was significantly different between those with and without family history of rheumatic diseases (39.97 ±13.68 vs. 46.01±14.46; P<0.01), which meant that the onset-age in patients with family history was 6.04 years earlier than that in patients without family history. The patients with family history had higher positive rate of rheumatoid factor (RF) compared with those without family history (78.48% vs. 66.67%, P<0.05). By adjusting with gender, body mass index (BMI), smoking and alcohol drinking, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody and RF level, the age at disease onset in the patients with family history was 4.54 years earlier than that in the patients without family history (β=-4.54; 95%CI:-8.70, -0.38; P<0.05). Further hierarchical regression analysis showed that, the age at onset of the RA patients with family history was 10.02 years earlier than that without family history among the smoking patients (β= -10.02; 95%CI:-17.60, -2.43; P=0.01), while the age at onset of the RA patients with family history was 3.27 years earlier than that without family history among the never smoking patients (β=-3.27; 95%CI:-8.37, 1.82; P=0.21).@*CONCLUSION@#The family history of rheumatic diseases is a risk factor for early onset of RA, and may interact with smoking.

Trans-ethnic analysis of susceptibility variants in IgA nephropathy / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the genetic architecture of susceptibility variants of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) in Chinese and Europeans.@*METHODS@#We selected the independent genome-wide significant variants of IgAN in European population as candidate variants. Their associations, risk alleles, risk allele frequencies, odds ratios and population attributable risk scores were derived and calculated, then compared with those in the current Chinese population, including 1 194 IgAN patients and 902 controls. Using the significant variants, genetic risk scores were calculated and compared between the East Asians and the Europeans. The correlation between the genetic risk scores and clinical manifestations was also evaluated.@*RESULTS@#There were 16 independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in 11 loci showing significantly association with susceptibility to IgAN in the Europeans. 93.75% (15/16) of them also showed significant associations in the Chinese (P<0.05). The effects of all the associated SNPs were in the same direction, either risk or being protective for IgAN, between the Chinese and the Europeans. On the contrary, remarkable higher risk allelic odds ratio (P=1.94×10-2), higher risk allele frequency (P=3.09×10-2), and higher population attributable risk (P=3.03×10-4) were observed for most of the associated SNPs in the Chinese than in the Europeans. Furthermore, genetic risk scores were significantly larger in the Asian populations compared with the Europeans (P=1.78×10-163). While there was no significance among the subpopulations in both the East Asians and the Europeans. Compared with the healthy controls, the genetic risk score in the IgAN patients was significantly larger (P=3.60×10-27). Clinical analysis showed the genetic risk score was positively associated with serum levels of IgA and IgA1, phases of chronic kidney disease and Haas grades.@*CONCLUSION@#Our study provides further evidence in the shared genetic architecture between Chinese and Europeans, while differences with respect to the effect sizes and risk allele frequencies across ethnicities, contributing partially to the differences of disease prevalence.