Effects of Foxp3 gene silencing on the expression of inflammatory cytokines and the proliferation and migration of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts in an inflammatory environment / 华西口腔医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#This study aimed to clarify the effects of Foxp3 silencing on the expression of inflammatory cytokines in human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLFs) in an inflammatory environment and on cell proliferation and invasiveness, as well as to explore the role of Foxp3 gene in the development of periodontitis.@*METHODS@#An small interfering RNA (siRNA) construct specific for Foxp3 was transfected into hPDLFs. Foxp3 silencing efficiency was verified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting, and the siRNA with the optimum silencing effect of Foxp3 gene was screened. Using lipopolysaccharide to simulate an inflammatory environment in vitro, CCK-8 detected the effect of silencing Foxp3 on hPDLFs proliferation under inflammatory conditions. Wound-healing experiments and transwell assays were conducted to detect the effect of silencing Foxp3 on hPDLF migration under inflammatory conditions. The expression of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 was detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting under inflammatory conditions.@*RESULTS@#After siRNA transfection, RT-PCR and Western blotting analyses showed that the expression of Foxp3 mRNA in the Foxp3-si3 group decreased significantly (t=21.03, P<0.000 1), and the protein expression of Foxp3 also decreased significantly (t=12.8, P<0.001). In the inflammatory environment, Foxp3 gene silencing had no significant effect on hPDLFs proliferation (P>0.05), and Foxp3 gene silencing promoted hPDLFs migration (P<0.05). Moreover, the expression of IL-6 and IL-8 increased (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#In an inflammatory environment, Foxp3 gene silencing promoted hPDLFs migration but had no significant effect on hPDLFs proliferation. The expression of inflammatory factors expressed in hPDLFs increased after Foxp3 gene silencing, indicating that Foxp3 gene inhibited inflammation in periodontitis.

Correlation analysis between Naples prognostic score and treatment outcomes for locally advanced rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To analyze the correlation between the Naples prognostic score (NPS) after preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and evaluate the prognostic value of NPS in LARC.Methods:136 patients with LARC meeting the recruitment criteria from 2015 to 2020 were selected. Serum albumin, total cholesterol (TC) were collected and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio were calculated. All patients were scored and graded according to the NPS rule. The survival rate was calculated with Kaplan- Meier method. Multivariate prognostic analysis was performed by Cox models. Results:There was no significant correlation between NPS score and tumor regression or pathological complete response (pCR) of LARC patients after neoadjuvant therapy ( P=0.192, P=0.163). However, Cox multivariate analysis showed that NPS was an independent risk factor for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of LARC ( P=0.009, P=0.003), and hierarchical analysis suggested that LARC patients with lower NPS score obtained better prognosis. Besides NPS, tumor size was also an independent risk factor for OS, and tumor size and N stage were the independent risk factors for DFS. Conclusion:NPS has no correlation with tumor regression or pCR for LARC after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, whereas it could serve as an effective predictor for long-term prognosis of LARC.

Meta-analysis of coffee intake and all cancer mortality in East Asian population / 预防医学

Objective @#To explore the association between coffee intake and all cancer mortality in East Asian populations. @*Methods @#We searched literatures which assessed the relationship between coffee intake and cancer mortality in Asian populations published by December 10th,2018 from China National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wanfang Database,VIP Database and PubMed. We conducted category and dose-response meta-analyses using Stata 15.0. @*Results @#A total of 335 relevant articles were retrieved; five articles were finally included in the meta-analyses,of which four were carried out in Japanese population and one in Singaporean Chinese population. The total sample size of the five articles was 361 802,and the number of deaths from cancer was 17 664. The results showed that coffee intake reduced the risk of all cancer mortality in East Asian populations（RR=0.93,95%CI：0.87-0.99）. There was no statistical significant association between coffee intake and all cancer mortality in East Asian men（RR=0.94,95%CI：0.77-1.15）. Among East Asian women,coffee consumption reduced the risk of all cancer mortality by 12%（RR=0.88,95%CI：0.81-0.95）. All cancer mortality risk decreased with the increase of coffee intake,and reached the lowest point at one and a half cups of coffee per day（RR=0.92,95%CI：0.86-0.98）. @*Conclusion @#Coffee intake reduced the risk of all cancer mortality in East Asian populations,which was obviously found in East Asian women. Drinking one and a half cups of coffee a day had the lowest risk of all cancer mortality.

Effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion on facial function score in patients with facial paralysis / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective:To observe and compare the therapeutic efficacies of heat-sensitive moxibustion plus Western medication, dry Western medication, and acupuncture plus TDP in treating peripheral facial palsy (FP). Methods:Ninety FP patients were randomized into a Western medication group, a heat-sensitive moxibustion group, and an acupuncture group by using sealed envelope, 30 cases in each group. The Western medication group was intervened by conventional Western medication; the heat-sensitive moxibustion group was by heat-sensitive moxibustion in addition to the same Western medication; the acupuncture group was by the Western medication plus acupuncture and TDP radiation. For the three groups, 6-day treatment was taken as a treatment course, with a 2-day interval between 2 courses, and totally 4 treatment courses were observed. Results: After intervention, the modified Portmann scores were changed significantly in the three groups (P<0.05), and the improvements in the heat-sensitive moxibustion group and the acupuncture group were both superior to that in the Western medication group. The recovery plus markedly effective rate of the acupuncture group was significantly different from that of the Western medication group (P<0.05), and there was a significant difference in comparing the recovery plus markedly effective rate between the heat-sensitive moxibustion group and acupuncture group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Heat-sensitive moxibustion is effective in treatment peripheral facial paralysis, and this method is free of pain, causing no adverse reactions, and worth promotion in clinic.

Effect of Acupuncture at Affected-limb Gallbladder Meridian Points on the Recovery of Lower Limb Function in Hemiplegia Patientswith Cerebral Infarction / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at affected-limb gallbladder meridian points and its effect on the recovery of lower limb function in treating hemiplegia patients with cerebral infarction. Methods Sixty hemiplegia patients with cerebral infarction were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 30 cases each. The treatment group received acupuncture at the gallbladder meridian points of the affected-side lower limb as main therapy and the control group, conventional acupuncture. After two courses of treatment, a pre-/post-treatment change in the Lower Extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment score was observed in the two groups and post-treatment walking paces, pace lengths and incidences of strephenopodia were compared between the two groups.Results There was a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment difference in the Lower Extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment score in the two groups (P<0.01). There was a statistically significant post-treatment difference in the Lower Extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment score between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in walking pace, pace length and the incidence of strephenopodia between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture at affected-limb gallbladder meridian points can improve lower limb function and reduce the incidence of strephenopodia in hemiplegia patients with cerebral infarction.