Calculation of the Paternity Index for the Alleged Father Related to the Child's Mother / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To derive the paternity index (PI) calculation formula of the alleged father (AF) when the AF is a relative (parent/child, siblings, grandparent/grandchild, uncle/nephew, first cousins) of the child's biological mother.@*METHODS@#For the case when the AF is related to the child's biological mother, the existence of the relationship in the numerator and denominator hypothesis of PI was considered. The genotype frequency of the AF was calculated by using the frequency formula in which the mother's genotype was considered, while the random male in the denominator was substituted as another relative of the mother's same rank. The PI calculation formula was derived to eliminate the effect of the relationship between AF and the child's biological mother.@*RESULTS@#When the AF and the biological mother have first, second and tertiary kinship, a more conservative PI was obtained from the PI calculation formula derived in this study compared with the PI calculation method which did not consider kinship.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The calculation method provided in this study can eliminate the effect of the relation of the AF and mother on the PI in incest cases, to obtain more accurate and conservative identification conclusions.

Safety and feasibility of right colectomy via a transvaginal approach: early experience from a single center / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the safety and feasibility of performing right colectomy via a transvaginal approach. Methods: This was a retrospeltive cohort study. Data of 30 patients who had undergone transvaginal laparoscopic right colectomy (transvaginal group) and 23 women who had undergone laparoscopic right colectomy (laparoscopic group) from January 2019 to March 2022 in the Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital were collected retrospectively. The inclusion criteria for the transvaginal group were as follows: (1) post-menopausal woman; (2) transverse diameter of the tumor < 6 cm; and (3) diagnosis of benign polyps that were unresectable by endoscopy, mucinous tumors of the appendix, or confirmed right colon cancer not requiring D3 lymphadenectomy. The inclusion criteria for the laparoscopic group were as follows: (1) pathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma or high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia; (2) lesion located from the cecum to the right third of the transverse colon; and (3) clinically stage T1-4NanyM0. The exclusion criteria for the laparoscopic group were as follows: (1) distant metastasis discovered during surgical exploration; (2) multiple organ resection required or R0 resection not possible; or (3) conversion to open surgery required. Safety was evaluated on the basis of intra- and post-operative complications. Feasibility was assessed by postoperative recovery and quality of operative specimen. The body mass index was lower in the transvaginal than the laparoscopic group (22.0±3.1 kg/m2 vs. 24.1±2.6 kg/m2, t=2.617, P=0.012). Results: Among the 30 transvaginal laparoscopic right colectomies, 26 were pure transvaginal surgeries, three required laparoscopic assistance because of difficulties with anastomosis (n=2) or abdominal adhesions (n=1), and one required conversion to laparoscopic surgery because of vascular injury. Compared with the laparoscopic group, the transvaginal group had a longer surgery time (175.0 [147.5, 216.3] minutes vs. 120.0 [100.0, 120.0] minutes, U=63.000, P<0.001) and more blood loss (30.0 [10.0, 50.0] ml vs. 23.0 [10.0, 20.0] ml, U=208.000, P=0.011). The incidence of intraoperative complications (16.7% [5/30) vs. 0, P=0.061] was comparable between the two groups. In the transvaginal group, the sites of intraoperative injuries were bladder (n=3), ileocecal artery (n=1), and right uterine artery (n=1). The incidence of postoperative complications (20.0% [6/30] vs. 17.4% [4/23], χ2<0.001,P>0.999) was also comparable between the two groups. Clavien-Dindo grade III postoperative complications occurred in two patients in the transvaginal group (one patient had a pelvic hematoma that required embolization; the other had a vesico-vaginal fistula that required surgery). Postoperative visual analogue scale scores were significantly lower (P<0.001) in the transvaginal group. Times to first flatus, ambulation, and first intake and duration of postoperative hospital stay were comparable between the two groups (P>0.05). The proportion of specimens of moderate quality was 83.3% (25/30) in the transvaginal group and 100% (23/23) in the laparoscopic group; this difference is not significant (P=0.061). Among patients who underwent D2 lymph node dissection, the number of lymph nodes examined was comparable between the transvaginal (n=23) and laparoscopic groups (n=7) (18 [15, 27] vs. 20 [16, 29], U=69.500, P=0.589). Conclusion: Transvaginal right colon surgery is associated with less postoperative pain than laparoscopic surgery, but is not yet the preferred alternative because of the incidence of surgical complications.

Research progress on relationship between exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and allergic diseases / 环境与职业医学

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), as a group of persistent organic pollutants among environmental endocrine disruptors, are widely used in industrial production and daily life. PFASs are widely and persistently present in the environment and organisms due to their bioaccumulation, long half-life, and low degradability properties. Published studies have proved that PFASs have immunotoxicity, endocrine toxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and hepatotoxicity. At present, several epidemiological studies have been conducted on the effects of PFASs on allergic diseases, the research endpoints include asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and the expression of allergic biomarkers such as serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), but no consistent results have been observed yet. PFASs have the potential to activate several signaling pathways, including the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and JAK/STAT pathways. These mechanisms, along with increasing mast cell calcium influx and sex hormone synergistic effects, may contribute to immunomodulation in allergic diseases. At present, the exact human effect of PFASs exposure on allergic diseases and the related mechanisms are still uncertain. This review focused on the impacts of PFASs on asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis and their possible mechanisms, so as to provide research ideas for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of allergic diseases.

Risk factors of postoperative surgical site infection in colon cancer based on a single center database / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To explore the incidence and risk factors of postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) after colon cancer surgery. Methods: A retrospective case-control study was performed. Patients diagnosed with colon cancer who underwent radical surgery between January 2016 and May 2021 were included, and demographic characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory tests, surgical data and postoperative complications were extracted from the specialized prospective database at Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Case exclusion criteria: (1) simultaneously multiple primary colon cancer; (2) segmental resection, subtotal colectomy, or total colectomy; (3) patients undergoing colostomy/ileostomy during the operation or in the state of colostomy/ileostomy before the operation; (4) patients receiving natural orifice specimen extraction surgery or transvaginal colon surgery; (5) patients with the history of colectomy; (6) emergency operation due to intestinal obstruction, perforation and acute bleeding; (7) intestinal diversion operation; (8) benign lesions confirmed by postoperative pathology; (9) patients not following the colorectal clinical pathway of our department for intestinal preparation and antibiotic application. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were used to determine the risk factors of SSI after colon cancer surgery. Results: A total of 1291 patients were enrolled in the study. 94.3% (1217/1291) of cases received laparoscopic surgery. The incidence of overall SSI was 5.3% (69/1291). According to tumor location, the incidence of SSI in the right colon, transverse colon, left colon and sigmoid colon was 8.6% (40/465), 5.2% (11/213), 7.1% (7/98) and 2.1% (11/515) respectively. According to resection range, the incidence of SSI after right hemicolectomy, transverse colectomy, left hemicolectomy and sigmoid colectomy was 8.2% (48/588), 4.5% (2/44), 4.8% (8 /167) and 2.2% (11/492) respectively. Univariate analysis showed that preoperative BUN≥7.14 mmol/L, tumor site, resection range, intestinal anastomotic approach, postoperative diarrhea, anastomotic leakage, postoperative pneumonia, and anastomotic technique were related to SSI (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that anastomotic leakage (OR=22.074, 95%CI: 6.172-78.953, P<0.001), pneumonia (OR=4.100, 95%CI: 1.546-10.869, P=0.005), intracorporeal anastomosis (OR=5.288, 95%CI: 2.919-9.577,P<0.001) were independent risk factors of SSI. Subgroup analysis showed that in right hemicolectomy, the incidence of SSI in intracorporeal anastomosis was 19.8% (32/162), which was significantly higher than that in extracorporeal anastomosis (3.8%, 16/426, χ(2)=40.064, P<0.001). In transverse colectomy [5.0% (2/40) vs. 0, χ(2)=0.210, P=1.000], left hemicolectomy [5.4% (8/148) vs. 0, χ(2)=1.079, P=0.599] and sigmoid colectomy [2.1% (10/482) vs. 10.0% (1/10), χ(2)=2.815, P=0.204], no significant differences of SSI incidence were found between intracorporeal anastomosis and extracorporeal anastomosis (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The incidence of SSI increases with the resection range from sigmoid colectomy to right hemicolectomy. Intracorporeal anastomosis and postoperative anastomotic leakage are independent risk factors of SSI. Attentions should be paid to the possibility of postoperative pneumonia and actively effective treatment measures should be carried out.

Characteristics of "difficult pelvis" in radical operation for mid-low rectal cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

In the radical resection of mid-low rectal cancer, due to the narrow pelvic space and thick mesorectum, it is difficult to expose the operation field. In recent years, with the development of laparoscopic surgery and surgical instruments, the surgeons' requirements for precise anatomical planes, neuroprotection, and functional preservation have become higher and higher. Colorectal surgeons will face more "difficult pelvic" challenges during surgery. Therefore, this article reviews the related research progress of "difficult pelvis" in radical resection of rectal cancer, analyzes the possible anatomical factors leading to the occurrence of "difficult pelvis", and explains the clinical significance of the researches on "difficult pelvis".

Relationship between health risk behaviors and mental health of middle school students / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand mental health status of middle school students in Weifang, and to analyze its association with health risk behaviors, and to provide a reference basis for the effective prevention of mental health problems.@*Methods@#Using the self-designed questionnaire and Kessler l0 (K10), a total of 3 185 middle school students in Weifang selected by using stratified clustered sampling were investigated. Chi-square test and binary Logistic regression was used for statistical analysis.@*Results@#Among the middle school students in Weifang, 1 634(51.3%) reported good mental health, 854(26.8%) in moderate level, 394(12.4%) reported poor mental health, and 303(9.5%) reported very poor mental health. Sleep duration and smoking were associated with mental health of middle school students (P<0.05). Logistic regression analyses showed that, compared with adolescents with sleep duration less than 8 h, mental health among students whose sleep duration ≥8 h was better(OR=0.36); compared with non-smokers, students who smoked showed worse mental health status (OR=3.53).@*Conclusion@#Health-risk behaviors are closely related to mental health of middle school students. Relevant departments should strengthen education and publicity of healthy lifestyles, and pay close attention to the impact of health risk behaviors on mental health.

Bioinformatics analysis of the microRNAs and target genes of microRNAs in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma / 解剖学报

Objective To identify potential microRNAs (miRNAs) in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma and to construct a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network to better understand its potential molecular mechanisms. Methods Two microarray datasets of SACC were downloaded from the database Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and the differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNA were analyzed by the R language. FunRich 3. 1. 3 software was used to enrich and analyze the transcription factors of differential miRNAs and to predict the target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs. The target genes of differential miRNAs in SACC were utilized to perform Gene Onotology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses, and protein-protein interaction. The miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed in Cytoscape 3.7.0. Results A total of 144 differentially expressed miRNA (DEMs) and 1216 differentially expressed mRNA (DEGs) were screened. The enrichment analysis of KEGG signaling pathway revealed that target genes were mainly involved in the regulation of Rapi signaling pathway, mitogen active protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway, and regulation of actin cytoskeleton. STRING protein interaction analysis shows that ACSL1, SCD, MGLL, FABP4 may be the key proteins in the protein interaction network. Conclusion Differentially expressed miRNA and mRNA between SACC tissues and normal tissues were screened out and the signaling pathways and functions of these differential molecules were found in our research.

Effect of methyl eugenol on nasal mucosal aquaporin 5 in rats with allergic rhinitis / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of methyl eugenol on the expression of aquaporin (AQP) 5 in nasal mucosa of rats with allergic rhinitis and to explore its significance.@*METHODS@#In the study, 128 Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group, AR model control group, budesonide positive control group, 80 mg/kg group, 40 mg/kg group, 20 mg/kg group and 10 mg/kg group, and ovalbumin (OVA) was used to establish the model of allergic rhinitis. After successful modeling, castor oil, budesonide and corresponding doses of methyl eugenol were given respectively. After 1, 2 and 4 weeks of administration, the distribution of AQP5 in nasal mucosa was observed by immunohistochemistry. The expression of AQP5 in nasal mucosa of each group was compared by Western blotting. The expression of AQP5 mRNA was compared with real-time PCR.@*RESULTS@#AQP5 was mainly located in the glandular epithelium and ductal epithelial cell membrane and cytoplasm. The expression of AQP5 and AQP5 mRNA in nasal mucosa of the rats in the model control group was lower than that in the normal control group (P<0.05). AQP5 and AQP5 mRNA in nasal mucosa of the rats in each treatment group were higher than those in the model control group in varying degrees. The expression of AQP5 in the budesonide group was not significantly different from that in the normal control group 1, 2 and 4 weeks after drug intervention (P>0.05), but there was significant difference between the budesonide group and the model control group (P<0.05). The expression of AQP5 mRNA in the budesonide group was significantly different from that in the normal control group and the model control group (P<0.05).After 2 weeks of intervention, the expression of AQP5 in each dose group of methyleugenol was not significantly different from that in the budesonide group (P>0.05). After 1 week of intervention, there was no significant difference in AQP5 mRNA between the 20 mg/kg group and the normal control group (P>0.05), but there was significant difference between the 20 mg/kg group and the model control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Methyl eugenol may increase the degree of edema of the nasal mucosa by reducing the expression of AQP5 and reduce the secretion of glands, thus alleviating the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, sneezing and runny nose.

The inhibition of 18β-sodium glycyrrhetinic acid on thymic stromal lymphopoietin expression in the nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis rats / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective@#To explore the effect of 18β-sodium glycyrrhetinic acid on thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis (AR) rats.@*Methods@#One hundred Wistar rats,half male and half female,were randomly divided into 5 groups by random number table method: control group, AR model group,budesonide group,18β-sodium glycyrrhetinic acid at dose of 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg groups, with 20 rats in each group. AR animal models were established by ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization in the other four experimental groups. After successful modeling, budesonide and 18β-sodium glycyrrhetinic acid were given in each group,and the detection time points were 2 weeks and 4 weeks. The distribution of TSLP in rat nasal mucosa was detected by immunohistochemistry,and the expression of TSLP in rat nasal mucosa was determined by Western blot at the protein level. The expression of TSLP-mRNA in rat nasal mucosa was detected and compared by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) at mRNA level. The concentrations of IL-4 and OVA-sIgE in rat serum were measured and compared by ELISA. One-way analysis of variance and the least significant difference method were used for the comparison among groups, LSD t test was used for the comparison between the two groups,and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).@*Results@#Immunohistochemistry confirmed existence of TSLP in rat nasal mucosa, especially in epithelial cells,endothelial cells and epithelial cilia. Western blot and RT-PCR suggested that the expression of TSLP and TSLP-mRNA in nasal mucosa of AR model group was significantly higher than that of control group (2 weeks TSLP: 1.795 9±0.131 4 vs 0.990 5±0.164 2, 4 weeks TSLP: 1.809 7±0.253 4 vs 0.870 3±0.124 4; 2 weeks TSLP-mRNA:4.582 9±0.697 7 vs 1.108 7±0.081 1, 4 weeks TSLP-mRNA:4.814 4±0.662 8 vs 1.001 0±0.155 3; all P<0.05). After 2 weeks and 4 weeks of drug intervention,the expression of TSLP and TSLP-mRNA was inhibited in nasal mucosa of budesonide group,18β-sodium sodium glycyrrhetinic acid at dose of 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg group,which was significantly different from that of AR model group (2 weeks TSLP: (0.897 8±0.081 8)/(1.072 1±0.113 6)/(1.396 6±0.133 9) vs 1.795 9±0.131 4; 4 weeks TSLP: (1.191 0±0.161 3)/(1.141 0±0.152 3)/(1.200 5±0.189 6) vs 1.809 7±0.253 4; 2 weeks TSLP-mRNA: (1.175 6±0.100 9)/(1.254 4±0.078 2)/(2.037 2±0.559 2) vs 4.582 9±0.697 7; 4 weeks TSLP-mRNA: (1.158 3±0.104 3)/(1.224 0±0.034 0)/(1.275 2±0.099 6) vs 4.814 4±0.662 8; all P<0.05), and not significantly different from control group. With the inhibition of TSLP, the concentrations of IL-4 and OVA-sIgE in rat serum were also decreased.@*Conclusion@#18β-sodium glycyrrhetinic acid has obvious inhibitory effect on TSLP in nasal mucosa of AR rats, which can control Th2 type immune inflammatory reaction.

Molecular Identification of Polygonum chinensis Using DNA Barcoding / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To identify Polygonum chinensis and its adulterants by ITS2 sequences. METHODS: Total genomic DNA of P. chinensis was extracted using the plant genomic DNA kit. The internal transcribed spacer 2(ITS2) regions were amplified. The variable site of ITS2 regions were analysed through MEGA 6.0 software. The intra-versus inter-specific genetic distances of the ITS2 regions was calculated based on the kimura 2-parameter(K2P) model. Neighbor-Joining phylogenetic trees were constructed using MEGA6.0. RESULTS: The intraspecific variation of P. chinensis was small. However, the interspecific variation of P. chinensis and its adulterants was small distinct. The secondary structure of ITS2 of P. chinensis and its adulterants has significant difference. NJ trees can identify P. chinensis and its adulterants. CONCLUSION: ITS2 Regions can be used to authenticate P. chinensis and its adulterants which provide new METHODS for the identification of P. chinensis. The standard DNA barcodes of P. chinensis are establishment which would lay the foundation of identification and safety clinical drug application of P. chinensis.

Clinical decision on a patient with ALK+diffuse large B cell lymphoma / 中国肿瘤临床

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a rare and distinct variant of DLBCL. It is classified as a unique subtype of DLBCL in the 2008 WHO classification of lymphomas. No standard and effective therapeutic regi-men is available for ALK+DLBCL because it shows a more aggressive clinical course and frequent relapse. Therefore, a standardized and individualized treatment is needed to benefit more patients diagnosed with ALK+DLBCL through a multiple disciplinary team. This arti-cle presents a case of an ALK+DLBCL patient who relapsed after transplantation and was successfully treated with the ALK kinase inhibi-tor Crizotinib.

Effect of methyleugenol on expression of MUC5AC in nasal mucosa of rats with allergic rhinitis / 浙江大学学报·医学版

To investigate the effect of methyleugenol on expression of MUC5AC in nasal mucosa of rats with allergic rhinitis (AR).Seventy-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:normal control group, AR group, loratadine group, low-dose methyleugenol group, middle-dose methyleugenol group and high-dose methyleugenol group with 12 rats in each group. AR was induced by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin in latter 5 groups. 10 mg loratadine q.d was given to rats in loratadine group by gavage; and 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg methyleugenol were given by gavege q.d to rats in low-, middle-and high-dose methyleugenol groups, respectively. Nasal mucosa samples were obtained from rats at 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks after drug intervention. The expression of MUC5AC protein and mRNA in nasal mucosa was detected by immunohistochemistry and real-time fluorescence quota PCR (RT-PCR), respectively.Compared with AR, the percentage of cells staining positively for MUC5AC protein and the relative quantity of MUC5AC mRNA in middle-and high-dose methyleugenol groups were significantly decreased after 2 and 4 weeks of drug intervention (<0.05), but no such decrease was observed in low-dose methyleugenol group at all time points (>0.05). The percentage of cells with positive expression of MUC5AC protein and mRNA in loratadine group were significantly decreased after 1 week of administration (<0.05). The percentage of cells with positive MUC5AC protein in middle-dose methyleugenol group was higher than that in loratadine group (<0.05) after 6 week of drug intervention, but the difference was not seen in high-dose group (>0.05). There was no significant difference in relative quantities of MUC5AC mRNA after 4 weeks of administration between high-and middle-dose methyeugenol groups and loratadine group (>0.05).Methyleugenol can attenuate AR through inhibiting the expression of MUC5AC mRNA and protein in nasal mucosa of AR rats.

Molecular identification of Dalbergiae Odoriferae lignum and its adulterants using the ITS2 sequence / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To identify Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum and its adulterants using DNA barcoding. METHODS: ITS2 is one of the popular DNA barcoding in the identification of traditional Chinese medicine. In this paper, the ITS2 regions of Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum and its adulterants were amplified and sequenced bi-directional. The length and GC content of ITS2 sequence were analyzed through MEGA5.0 software. The genetic distances were computed by kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model. Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum and its adulterants have been identified through the species identification system for traditional Chinese medicine and neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree. RESULTS: The sequence lengths of ITS2 of Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum were 216 bp, and the GC content was 68.5%. The minimum K2P interspecific genetic distances of Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum and its adulterants were 0.009, which was larger than that of the intraspecific genetic distances of Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum. The Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum and its adulterants can be obviously identified using the Species identification System and NJ phylogenetic trees. CONCLUSION: ITS2 Regions as DNA barcode can identify Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum and its adulterants accurately.

Identification of peucedani radix, peucedani decursivi radix and its adulterants using ITS2 sequence / 中国中药杂志

In order to identify Peucedani Radix, Peucedani Decursivi Radix and their adulterants, the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) regions of Peucedani Radix, Peucedani Decursivi Radix and their adulterants were amplified and bidirectionally sequenced based on the Principles for Molecular Identification of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica Using DNA Barcoding, which has been promulgated by Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission. Sequences were analyzed and assembled by Codon Code Aligner V3. 7.1. The relevant data were analyzed by MEGA 5. 0. Species identification analyses were performed by using the nearest distance methods and neighbor-joining (NJ) methods. The result showed that the ITS2 sequence lengths of Peucedani Radix were 229-230 bp and the average intra-specific genetic distances were 0.005. The ITS2 sequence lengths of Peucedani Decursivi Radix were 227 bp and the sequences contained no variation site. The average inter-specific K2P genetic distance of Peucedani Radix, Peucedani Decursivi Radix and their adulterants species were 0.044 and 0.065 respectively. The minimum inter-specific divergence is larger than the maximum intra-specific divergence of Peucedani Decursivi Radix. The nearest distance methods and NJ trees results indicated that Peucedani Radix, Peucedani Decursivi Radix and their adulterants species could be identification clearly. The ITS2 regions can stably and accurately distinguish Peucedani Radix, Peucedani Decursivi Radix and their adulterants.

Prognostic significance of absolute lymphocyte count in the diagno-sis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma / 中国肿瘤临床

Objective: We investigated the clinical significance and prognostic value of peripheral blood absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) in the diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Methods:The medical records of 143 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were reviewed. These patients were diagnosed and underwent surgery in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, China, between February 2002 and April 2008. The correlation between different ALC levels and clinical features was statisti-cally analyzed. Results:Patients with low ALC (<1.0×109/L) at diagnosis showed B symptoms, an international prognostic index score of ≥2, advanced clinical stage (Ann Arbor III/IV), high lactate dehydrogenase level, and high β2-microglobulin level (P<0.05). Pa-tients with high ALC (≥1.0 × 109/L) responded well to treatment (P=0.003). In multivariate analysis, Ann Arbor stage and ALC level were independent prognostic factors of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Patients with low ALC often exhibited advanced clinical stage (Ann ArborⅢ/Ⅳ). Conclusions:ALC level obtained at diagnosis is a novel, powerful prognostic factor of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Application study of ITS/ITS2 barcodes in identification of Zanthoxmli Pericarpium / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy and stability of ITS/ITS2 barcodes in identification of Zanthoxmli Pericarpium. METHODS: Total genomic DNAs from samples were extracted by using improved DNA extraction kits. ITS regions were amplified, and the ITS2 sequences were obtained by using the hidden Markov model (HMM) based on annotation method from the ITS sequences. The inter- and intra-specific variation of the Zanthoxmli Pericarpium and its adulterants were analyzed. Zanthoxmli Pericarpium was i-dentified through the Species identification System for Traditional Chinese Medicine and neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic trees. RESULTS: The lengths of ITS/ITS2 sequence of Zanthoxmli Pericarpium were 618-620 bp and 224 bp. The intra-specific genetic distances were smaller than inter-specific ones in ITS/ITS2 regions of Z. schinifolium and Z. bungeanum. Zanthoxmli Pericarpium and its adulterants could be easily differentiated according to the nearest distance, the Species Identification System for Traditional Chinese Medicine and the NJ trees methods. CONCLUSION: ITS/ITS2 regions as DNA barcodes can stably and accurately distinguish Zanthoxmli Pericarpium and its adulterants.

Variation in serum visfatin levels 24 hours after coronary stent implantation / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Coronary stent implantation can cause blood vessel damage and wal reconstruction, leading to vascular stent restenosis. Studies have found that visfatin is associated with inflammatory reaction, and exhibits an increased expression at the site of plaque rupture in acute myocardial infarction. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the influence of percutaneous coronary intervention on the levels of visfatin in patients with coronary heart disease. METHODS:Thirty patients with acute myocardial infarction within 12 hours after the onset of the chest pain, 30 patients with unstable pectoris and 30 patients with stable angina pectoris were included. Al patients were successfuly treated by percutaneous coronary intervention. Meanwhile, 30 patients only undergoing coronary angiography but not stenting treatment were selected, and another 30 patients without any treatment served as normal control group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:According to enzyme-linked immunosorbent method, the visfatin levels of acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, stable angina and coronary angiography groups continue to rise at pre-operation, 30 minutes, 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours after operation, al of which were higher than that in the normal control group (P < 0.05). The results confirmed that within 24 hours after coronary stent implantation the visfatin levels continue to rise.

Molecular identification of Corni Fructus and its adulterants by ITS/ITS2 sequences / 中国天然药物

UNLABELLED@#The DNA barcoding method was used to accurately and rapidly identify Corni Fructus and its adulterants.@*METHODS@#Genomic DNA extracted from Corni Fructus and its adulterants were used as templates. The ITS (internal trascribed spacer) regions were amplified using polymerase chain reaction. Sequence assembly was performed using CodonCode Aligner V 3.5.4. Genetic distances were computed using MEGA V 5.0. Species identification was conducted using neighbor-joining (NJ) trees.@*RESULTS@#The ITS sequence length of Corni Fructus was 659 bp. The average intra-specific genetic distance of Corni Fructus was 0.005, markedly lower than the inter-specific genetic distance between Corni Fructus and its adulterants (0.357). The ITS2 sequence length of Corni Fructus was 250 bp. No variation was found among the different samples. The interspecific genetic distance of ITS2 between Corni Fructus and its adulterants was 0.571. NJ trees and BLAST results indicated that Corni Fructus and its adulterants can be easily differentiated with monophyly.@*CONCLUSION@#ITS/ITS2 regions can accurately and efficiently distinguish Corni Fructus and its adulterants. In addition, the results not only established the foundation for the clinical safety in the utilization of Corni Fructus, but also provided reference for molecular identification of other Chinese herbal medicine and Chinese herbal pieces.

Impaired effect of BHC80 gene knock-down on the cardiac development in zebrafish / 生理学报

The effect of BHC80 (a component of BRAF-HDAC complex) on development was not well studied, because BHC80 gene knock-out mice died in one day after birth. Interestingly, zebrafish embryos can live, even if their important organs like cardiac system has severe dysfunction, as 25%-40% O2 are supplied through their skin. Therefore, a model of BHC80 gene knock-down zebrafish embryos was established to explore the effect of BHC80 on the early embryonic development. BHC80-morpholino antisense oligonucleotides 2 (BHC80-MO2) was designed and injected into zebrafish embryos to interrupt the correct translation of BHC80 mRNA at one or two cells stage, which was proved by RT-PCR analysis. Two control groups, including non-injection group and control-MO (con-MO) injection group, and four different doses of BHC80-MO2 injection groups, including 4 ng, 6 ng, 8 ng and 10 ng per embryo were set up. The embryonic heart phenotype and cardiac function were monitored, analyzed and compared between con-MO and BHC80-MO2 groups by fluorescence microscope in vmhc:gfp transgenic zebrafish which express green fluorescent protein in ventricle. The results showed that BHC80-MO2 microinjection effectively knocked down the BHC80 gene expression, because the BHC80-MO2 group emerged a new 249 bp band which reduced 51 bp compared to 300 bp band of con-MO group in RT-PCR analysis, and the 51 bp was the extron 10. The abnormal embryo rate rose with the increase of BHC80-MO2 dosage. The proper BHC80-MO2 injection dosage was 8 ng per embryo, as minor embryos had abnormal phenotype in 4 ng and 6 ng per embryo groups and most embryos died in 10 ng per embryo group. BHC80-MO2 embryos exhibited abnormal cardiac phenotype, including imbalance of the proportion of heart ventricle to atrium, incomplete D-loop, even tubular heart, slow heart rates and cardiac dysfunction. The results from a model of BHC80 gene knock-down zebrafish embryos show that the abnormal cardiac phenotype and cardiac dysfunction of BHC80-MO2 embryos may be one of the probable reasons for the BHC80 gene knock-out mice death, which would provide a good research model to clarify the mechanism of cardiac development.

Molecular identification of Cynomorii herba using ITS2 DNA barcoding / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the Cynomorii Herba and its analogues species using DNA barcoding technique.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Total genomic DNA extracted from all materials using the DNA extraction kit. The internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) regions were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and purified PCR products were sequenced bi-directionally. Sequence assembly and consensus sequence generation were performed using the CodonCode Aligner 3.7.1. The Kimura 2-Parameter (K2P) distances and GC content were computed using MEGA 5. 0. Species identification analyses were conducted through the species identification system for traditional Chinese medicine and neighbor-joining (NJ) trees.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The ITS2 sequence lengths of Cynomorii Herba were 229 bp. The average intra-specific genetic distances of Cynomorii Herba were 0.003. The average inter-specific genetic distances between Cynomorii Herba and its adulterants species were 0.760. The results showed that the minimum inter-specific divergence is larger than the maximum intra-specific divergence. The species identification system for traditional Chinese medicine and NJ trees results indicated that Cynomorii Herba and its adulterants species can be easily identification.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The ITS2 region is an efficient barcode for identification of Cynomorii Herba, which provide a new technique to ensure clinical safety in utilization of traditional Chinese medicine.</p>