Safety and efficacy of topical diquafosol for the treatment of dry eye disease: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Dry eye disease (DED) is a common multi-factorial disease that is characterized by tear film instability. Diquafosol tetrasodium (DQS), an ophthalmic solution, has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of DED. The goal of this study was to provide an update on the safety and efficacy of topical 3% DQS in treating DED patients. A thorough search for all the published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to March 31, 2022 in CENTRAL, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases was performed. Data were reported as standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Modified Jadad scale was used for sensitivity analysis. Funnel plot and Egger’s regression test assessed the publication bias. Fourteen RCTs evaluating the safety and efficacy of topical 3% DQS treatment in DED patients were included. Eight included RCTs reported data on the DED after cataract surgery. Overall findings suggest that 3% DQS treatment in DED patients was associated with significantly better improvement at 4 weeks in tear breakup time, Schirmer test, fluorescein staining scores, and Rose Bengal staining score as compared to patients treated with others eye drops including artificial tears or 01% sodium hyaluronate. However, no significant difference in ocular surface disease index was observed. Our findings suggest that 3% DQS treatment is safer and had a superior efficacy compared to artificial tears or sodium hyaluronate for treating DED in general and DED after cataract surgery.

Application value of S-Detect combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 4 breast lesions / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To assess the value of S-Detect and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the differential diagnosis of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System(BI-RADS) 4 breast lesions.Methods:A total of 104 breast lesions in 100 patients diagnosed as BI-RADS category 4 by conventional ultrasound were prospectively enrolled, and all of them were received S-Detect and CEUS examination at the same time. Taking pathology as the gold standard, ROC curve was constructed to compare the diagnostic efficacy of conventional ultrasound, S-Detect, CEUS and their combination.Results:Among the 104 BI-RADS category 4 breast lesions, 63 were benign and 41 were malignant. The sensitivities of conventional ultrasound, S-Detect, CEUS and S-Detect combined with CEUS were 73.17%, 87.80%, 87.80%, 90.24%; the specificities were 57.14%, 60.32%, 68.25%, 77.78%; the positive predictive values were 52.63%, 59.02%, 64.29% and 72.55%; the negative predictive values were 76.60%, 88.37%, 89.59% and 92.45%; the accuracies were 63.46%, 71.15%, 75.96% and 82.69%; and the areas under the ROC curve (AUC) were 0.652, 0.741, 0.780 and 0.840. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of S-Detect and CEUS diagnosis were improved compared with conventional ultrasound. The AUC of combined diagnosis was higher than that of S-Detect, CEUS alone, and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05). The AUC of CEUS was higher than that of conventional ultrasound, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences in AUC between any two of other groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The combined application of S-Detect and CEUS could achieve complementary advantages, which is of great significance for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant in BI-RADS 4 breast lesions.

Deep learning applied to two-dimensional color Doppler flow imaging ultrasound images significantly improves diagnostic performance in the classification of breast masses: a multicenter study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The current deep learning diagnosis of breast masses is mainly reflected by the diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions. In China, breast masses are divided into four categories according to the treatment method: inflammatory masses, adenosis, benign tumors, and malignant tumors. These categorizations are important for guiding clinical treatment. In this study, we aimed to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) for classification of these four breast mass types using ultrasound (US) images.@*METHODS@#Taking breast biopsy or pathological examinations as the reference standard, CNNs were used to establish models for the four-way classification of 3623 breast cancer patients from 13 centers. The patients were randomly divided into training and test groups (n = 1810 vs. n = 1813). Separate models were created for two-dimensional (2D) images only, 2D and color Doppler flow imaging (2D-CDFI), and 2D-CDFI and pulsed wave Doppler (2D-CDFI-PW) images. The performance of these three models was compared using sensitivity, specificity, area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV), positive (LR+) and negative likelihood ratios (LR-), and the performance of the 2D model was further compared between masses of different sizes with above statistical indicators, between images from different hospitals with AUC, and with the performance of 37 radiologists.@*RESULTS@#The accuracies of the 2D, 2D-CDFI, and 2D-CDFI-PW models on the test set were 87.9%, 89.2%, and 88.7%, respectively. The AUCs for classification of benign tumors, malignant tumors, inflammatory masses, and adenosis were 0.90, 0.91, 0.90, and 0.89, respectively (95% confidence intervals [CIs], 0.87-0.91, 0.89-0.92, 0.87-0.91, and 0.86-0.90). The 2D-CDFI model showed better accuracy (89.2%) on the test set than the 2D (87.9%) and 2D-CDFI-PW (88.7%) models. The 2D model showed accuracy of 81.7% on breast masses ≤1 cm and 82.3% on breast masses >1 cm; there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.001). The accuracy of the CNN classifications for the test set (89.2%) was significantly higher than that of all the radiologists (30%).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The CNN may have high accuracy for classification of US images of breast masses and perform significantly better than human radiologists.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#Chictr.org, ChiCTR1900021375; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=33139.

Abnormal thymic stromal lymphopoietin expression in the gastrointestinal mucosa of patients with eosinophilic gastroenteritis / Expressão anormal da linfopoietina estromal tímica na mucosa gastrointestinal depacientes com gastroenterite e osinofílica

Abstract Objective: To investigate the differential expression of the thymic stromal lymphopoietin isoforms, short and long, and discern their biological implications under eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Methods: The expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and its two isoforms in tissues was assessed by quantitative RT-PCR in healthy controls (n = 24) and patients with eosinophilic gastroenteritis (n = 17). Results: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin mRNA was significantly reduced in eosinophilic gastroenteritis when compared with healthy controls (p < 0.0001). A significantly lower amount of short thymic stromal lymphopoietin mRNA was observed in eosinophilic gastroenteritis when compared with controls (p < 0.05), while a significantly higher amount of long thymic stromal lymphopoietin mRNA was observed in eosinophilic gastroenteritis when compared with controls (p < 0.05). Peak eosinophilic count is significantly positively correlated with the expression of long thymic stromal lymphopoietin mRNA in the gastrointestinal mucosal of patients with eosinophilic gastroenteritis (r s = 0.623, p < 0.005), while peak eosinophilic count is significantly negatively correlated with the expression of short thymic stromal lymphopoietin mRNA in the gastrointestinal mucosal of patients with eosinophilic gastroenteritis (r s = −0.4474, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Abnormal mucosal thymic stromal lymphopoietin expression may contribute to gastrointestinal mucosa damage in eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

Resumo Objetivo: Investigar a expressão diferencial das isoformas da linfopoietina estromal tímica, curta e longa, e discernir suas implicações biológicas na gastroenterite eosinofílica. Métodos: Avaliamos a expressão das isoformas da linfopoietina estromal tímica e suas duas isoformas através da técnica RT-PCR quantitativa em tecidos de controles saudáveis (n = 24) e pacientes com gastroenterite eosinofílica (n = 17). Resultados: Demonstramos que o RNAm das isoformas da linfopoietina estromal tímica estava significativamente reduzido na gastroenterite eosinofílica em comparação com os controles saudáveis (p < 0,0001). Também descobrimos uma quantidade significativamente menor de RNAm das isoformas da linfopoietina estromal tímica curta na gastroenterite eosinofílica em comparação com os controles (p < 0,05) e uma quantidade significativamente maior de RNAm das isoformas da linfopoietina estromal tímica longa na gastroenterite eosinofílica em comparação com os controles (p < 0,05). O pico da contagem eosinofílica está correlacionado positiva e significativamente com a expressão do RNAm das isoformas da linfopoietina estromal tímica longa na mucosa gastrointestinal de pacientes com gastroenterite eosinofílica (rs = 0,623, p < 0,005), enquanto o pico de contagem eosinofílica está negativa e significativamente correlacionado com a expressão do RNAm das isoformas da linfopoietina estromal tímica curta na mucosa gastrointestinal de pacientes com gastroenterite eosinofílica (rs = -0,4474, p < 0,05). Conclusões: A expressão anormal das isoformas da linfopoietina estromal tímica na mucosa pode contribuir para o dano da mucosa gastrointestinal na gastroenterite eosinofílica.

Progress of researches on the role of neutrophil extracellular traps in the immune responses against parasites / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) is a type of bead-like, fibrous and reticular substances that is actively released by activated inflammatory neutrophils during the stage of infections or inflammatory responses. NET, which is composed of chromatin DNA and multiple intracellular protein components, may wrap pathogens to limit their diffusions. Meanwhile, NET may kill pathogens via a wide range of antibacterial proteins, which is considered as the third antibacterial mechanism of neutrophils, in addition to phagocytosis and degranulation. Recent studies have shown the involvement of NET in the immune response against parasitic infections. This review summarizes the advances of NETs in the immune responses against parasitic infections, so as to provide insights into the elucidation of the pathogenesis and development of therapeutics of parasitic diseases.

Analysis of correlation between childhood abuse and adolescent psychological capital / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand current situation and relations of childhood abuse and psychological capital, providing scientific basis for adolescent mental health promotion.@*Methods@#Stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 1 894 students from junior high schools and senior high schools in Harbin. Questionnaire survey was conducted by using Childhood Trauma QuestionnaireShort Form (CTQ-SF) and Positive Psychological Capital (PPQ).@*Results@#The total rate of childhood abuse among adolescents in the region was 98.3%. In addition to emotional abuse, scores of other dimensions of childhood abuse were higher for boys than for girls(P<0.01). Childhood abuse in rural area was higher than those in urban area except physical abuse(P<0.05). High psychological capital was observed among participants with boys higher in selfefficacy and resilience than that of girls(P<0.05). Psychological capital in urban students was higher than rural students(P<0.05). Except for the negative correlation between sexual abuse and resilience, all other dimensions of childhood abuse were negatively correlated with four dimensions of psychological capital. Stepwise regression analysis showed that emotional abuse, emotional neglect and physical neglect was negatively correlated with all dimensions of psychological capital(P<0.01); Sexual abuse showed negative association with selfefficacy and optimism(P<0.01).@*Conclusion@#Childhood abuse is closely related to psychological capital among adolescents in Harbin, suggesting exposure to childhood abuse might confer detrimental effects on psychological capital development.

Correlation between Ultrasound-guided Fine-needle Aspiration Combined with BRAF Detection and Invasive Pathological Features of Papillary Thyroid Cancer / 中国医学科学院学报

To analyze the potential associations of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration(FNA),BRAF gene mutation detection,and the combination of these two techniques with the clinicopathological features of papillary thyroid cancer(PTC). Methods Patients with PTC confirmed by surgery from April 2016 to July 2017 were included in this study.The relationship between clinicopathological features and BRAF mutation,FNA results,and the combination of them were explored. Results The sensitivity of FNA was 86.3%(227/263)and the mutation rate of BRAF was 85.9%(226/263)in 263 patients with PTC.The mutation rate of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma(PTMC)was 91.1%(153/168)and that of non-PTMC was 76.8%(73/95).A total of 225 patients underwent lymph node dissection.The lymph node metastasis rate was 35.6%(80/225),and it was 23.8%(34/143)in PTMC,56.1%(46/82)in non-PTMC;in addition,9.9%(26/263)of PTC patients had extracapsular invasion.BRAF mutation rate was higher in patients with the following features:aged over 45 years(=0.043);the tumor was FNA diagnosed as malignant or suspected malignant(=0.011);the tumor had a maximum diameter of ≤1 cm(=0.001);and the primary tumor was in stage T(=0.039);however,there was no significant difference in BRAF mutation rate among patients with different sex,capsule invasion,or lymph node metastasis.The diagnostic sensitivity of FNA was not statistically different under different clinical and pathological characteristics.The clinicopathologic features of FNA and BRAF double-positive patients were not significantly different from those of other patients. Conclusion FNA-confirmed malignancy,BRAF gene mutation,and their double-positive results are not correlated with the invasive pathological features of PTC,and thus their roles in guiding an extended operation(or not)are limited.

The correlation of the related signaling pathways and prognosis in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective： ：To detect the gene mutation in cholangiocarcinoma patients using the next generation sequencing (NGS) technology, and to analyze its correlation to the prognosis of the patients. Methods: From June 2016 to June 2018, 40 patients diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma received NGS examination to screen the possible mutations (single base mutation, structural variation, copy number variation and gene fusion, etc.). The disease control rates (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of the patients, who received the first line therapy, were retrospectively reviewed to analyze the relationship between signaling pathway as well as its genetic variation and the prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma patients. Results: The median PFS of patients with and without TP53 mutation was 11.0 and 8.3 months, respectively (P=0.332), while OS was 14.3 and 32.9 months, respectively (P=0.041). The median PFS of patients with and without PI3K mutations was 8.3 and 11.0 months, respectively (P=0.285), while OS was 14.3 and 37.0 months, respectively (P=0.020). The median PFS of patients with and without mTOR pathway mutations was 6.3 and 10.3 months, respectively (P=0.020), while OS was 15.6 and 19.6 months, respectively (P=0.892). There was no significant effect of pathway-related gene mutations on patients’survival. Conclusion: The prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma patients with TP53 and PI3K pathway activation had obviously poor prognosis than those without. No significant difference was observed between the patients with and without mTOR pathway activation and IDH mutation.

Preliminary application of contrast-enhanced transcranial color-coded sonography in subacute intracerebral hemorrhage / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective To observe the ultrasonographic findings of patients with basal ganglia hemorrhage by transcranial color-code sonography ( TCCS) and contrast-enhanced transcranial color-code sonography (CE-TCCS) ,and to evaluate the clinical value of TCCS and CE-TCCS in assessing the cerebral perfusion with basal ganglia hemorrhage . Methods Eighty-two patients with basal ganglia hemorrhage were selected ,and hematoma was seen in 58 patients (70 .7％ ) . Forty-six cases of bilateral TCCS with clear display of basal ganglia through temporal window were selected . CE-TCCS was used to observe cerebral perfusion of edema zone ,edema zone edge and peripheral brain parenchyma . Results The bilateral rate displayed by TCCS was 79 .3％ . Among 58 cases ,30 cases had ventricular compression ,14 cases had hematoma rupture into ventricle ,8 cases had midline displacement ,and 10 cases had no complication change . The cerebral perfusion in edema areas around hematoma was reduced by CE-TCCS ,but the degree of reduction was different . There were reduced in a step-like manner in the cerebral perfusion from edema zone and edema zone edge to peripheral brain tissue . Conclusions CE-TCCS is a new method for clinical diagnosis and monitoring the progress of treatments of cerebral hematoma .

Three-dimensional ultrasonography for evaluation of development of fetal anal sphincter / 中华医学超声杂志（电子版）

Objective To investigate the capability oftomography ultrasound (TUI) in evaluating the development of the normal anorectal structure to provide a reference for prenatal diagnosis of imperforate anus.Methods From June 2017 to July 2018,315 singleton pregnant women at 19-40 weeks of gestational age were selected from Beijing Tiantan Hospital,and they ranged in age from 23 to 40 years,with an average age of 29±3 years.The TUI technique was applied to measure the fetal anal sphincter diameter (ASD),anal canal diameter (ACD),and anal canal length (ACL).The correlation between ASD,ACD,or ACL and gestational age was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis,and the regression equation and curve were established.The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95％ confidence interval (CI) were used to evaluate the repeatability of the measurement ofASD,ACD,and ACL.Results The display rate of fetal anorectum in all fetuses by the TUI technique was 97.8％ (308/315).Pearson correlation analysis showed that the normal fetal ASD,ACD,and ACL were positively correlated with the gestational age of the fetus,and the regression equations are:ASD,Y=-0.001X2 + 0.421X-1.726 (r=0.83,P ＜ 0.01);ACD,Y=0.418X-4.207 (r=0.89,P ＜ 0.01);and ACL,Y=0.526X-1.062 (r=0.87,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion TUI for assessment of fetal anorectum is feasible.This method can be applied to improve the display rate of fetal anorectum.

Ultrasound-guided Radiofrequency Ablation for Cervical Lymph Nodes Metastasis from Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To assess the effectiveness and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for nonsurgical treatment of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) in the neck from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods Totally 45 PTC patients who had been treated with total thyroidectomy and radioiodine therapy were enrolled in this retrospective study. A total of 71 metastatic LNs in the neck from PTC were confirmed by percutaneous biopsy. Follow-up consisted of conventional ultrasound,contrast-enhanced ultrasound,and thyroglobulin (Tg) measurement 1,3 and 6 months after RFA and then every 6 months. Results All 45 patients were successfully treated,without immediate or later major complications occurred. During the follow-up [(23±5) months;range:12-30 months)],there was no evidence of recurrence at ablated sites. The mean volume reduction ratio (VRR) was significantly reduced during the follow-up. Significant differences in the VRR were found between every two follow-up visits (P<0.001). Furthermore,46 metastatic LNs (64.8%) completely disappeared and 25 metastatic lymph nodes (35.2%) remained as small scar-like lesions at the last follow-up visit. After RFA,mean serum Tg level decreased from (11.3±6.3)ng/ml (range:0.8-19.4 ng/ml) to (1.3±0.9)ng/ml (range:0.2-3.9 ng/ml) at the last follow-up visit (P<0.001). Conclusion Ultrasound-guided percutaneous RFA is a safe and effective therapy for patients with cervical LNs metastasis from PTC.

The effect and influencing factors of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules / 中华医学超声杂志（电子版）

Objective To explore the curative effect and influencing factors of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation(PRFA)for benign thyroid nodules in order to improve the effect of thyroid benign nodule ablation treatment.Methods The study included 482 benign thyroid nodules.The largest diameter of benign thyroid nodules ranges from 0.7 to 9.2 cm.Two hundred and fifty-eight nodules were solid nodules,224 nodules were cystic-solid nodules,and 96 thyroid nodules combined with the background of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.The patients of this study included 356 females and 126 males,the ages of the study population ranged from 14 to 82 years old.In order to observe the local pain,swelling,skin infection,hoarseness and other complications of the thyroid nodules with PRFA,we conducted conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound immediately and followed up in 1,3,6,12,18 and 24 months after the treatment.Besides,the nodule volume reduction ratio was calculated,and the effects of gender,age,nodule size,cystic proportion,and the background of Hashimoto's thyroiditis on the treatment were analyzed.Results The volume of benign thyroid nodules after the PRFA treatment was significantly reduced after 1,3,6,12,18,24 months,and their nodule volume reduction ratio(VRR)was(51.2±5.7)%(1 months),(69.7±4.3)%(3 months),(84.6±3.7)%(6 months),(89.3±2.9)%(12 months),(93.7±1.6)%(18 months)and(94.9±1.4)%(24 months),respectively.The thyroid nodules were divided into 3 groups according to the cystic portion,significant differences were found in the volume reduction rate at 1,3,6,12,18 and 24 months after PRFA(F=66.858,69.101,19.410,49.559,146.653 and 309.950 respectively,all P＜0.001),the more cystic portion was,the faster the lesion shrinked.The nodules with the cystic portion ＜ 20%were grouped according to the maximum diameter(≤3 cm/＞3 cm),and the background of Hashimoto's disease; and significant differences were found in the volume reduction rate at 1,3,6,12,18 and 24 months after PRFA(the t values for different size groups were 9.710,8.925,9.899,12.734,17.226 and 42.580,respectively,the t values for whether there is a background of Hashimoto's disease were 66.858,69.101,19.410,49.559,146.653,309.950,respectively,all P ＜ 0.001).The VRR of nodules of which the maximum diameter ≤ 3 cm,or without Hashimoto's thyroiditis was larger after radiofrequency ablation.The nodules of which the maximum diameter≤3 cm and with the cystic portion ＜20%were grouped according to different genders(male or female)and different ages(≤40 or＞40 years old),and the mean VRR of the nodules between different gender and age groups are not significantly different(P＞0.05).Conclusions Ultrasound guided PRFA is a safe and effective minimally invasive therapy for benign thyroid nodules.

Immunohistochemically stained sections against different anti-Mam-A epitopes for in situ breast cancer diagnosis / 军事医学

Objective To investigate the difference between mammary gland tissues and breast cancer tissues.Methods Monoclonal antibodies against Mam-A immunized epitopes were screened for immunohistochemical staining of normal breast tissues and breast cancer tissues.The average optical density was used as an index to identify the quantitative data by computer-aided technology to screen epitope-specific antibodies with significant difference in staining characteristics between two types of tissues.Furthermore the feasibility and effectiveness of breast cancer diagnosis were evaluated.Results Four anti-Mam-A epitope-specific monoclonal antibodies,mAb1152,mAb11617,mAb995 and mAb656,were obtained.Immunohistochemical staining showed that the average density of mAb1152,mAb11617 and mAb995 was significantly different between the two types of tissues.The difference was significant between normal breast tissues and breast cancer tissues under the same conditions.The results showed that mAb11617 was better than mAb1152 and mAb995.At the best working point,mAb11617 was the best,the specificity was 90％ and the sensitivity was 59.62％.Further analysis showed that the sensitivity of mAb11617 combined with mAb995 in the diagnosis of in situ breast cancer was 81.48％ and the specificity was 90％,which was of great diagnostic significance.Conclusion There is significant difference between breast tissues and breast cancer tissues in Mam-A protein immunological activity or expression.This difference,which can be recognized by the specific antibody staining and computer aided technology,is of important diagnostic value.

GATA3-IL-13 pathway gene polymorphisms are associated with serum IL-13 and asthma / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:Asthma is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease .The data show that involvement of the GATA 3-IL-13 gene in asthma is biologically plausible .The objective of this study is investigated the association of GATA 3-IL13 gene polymorphisms and IL-13 levels with asthma;assess the correlations between GATA 3-IL-13 gene SNPs polymorphisms and serum levels of IL-13 in population of Xinjiang (China).Methods:A case group of 279 patients and 277 healthy controls were genotyped to perform using the MassARRAY SNP genotyping system.In 279 asthma patients and 277 controls,IL-13 levels were measured by ELISA.Data were analyzed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) 22.0 (IBM,NY,USA) and Graph Pad Prism 6.0.Results:Patients were found that IL-13 levels were associated with asthma in asthmatic and the IL-13 ( rs2066960 AA ) , GATA3 ( rs3781093 CC) genotype was associated with a notably increased risk of asthma compared with the CC (rs2066960),TT (rs3781093) genotype (P<0.05).Similarly,IL-13(rs2066960) C-A alleles were significantly associated with risk of asthma (P<0.05).However,the rs3781093 C-T alleles had no obvious differences (P>0.05).In addition,the patients carrying the rs2066960 AA genotype presented with higher IL-13 levels compared to the CC group .Conclusion:This result suggests that the rs 2066960 C-A variant is associated with IL-33 levels in patients with asthma .

Establishment and application of a drug screening model for anti-prostate cancer agents targeting androgen receptor / 药学学报

Androgen receptor (AR) plays an important role in the maintenance of prostate function and development of prostate cancer. AR is the key target in the therapy of prostate cancer. In this study, a cell-based screening assay was established by dual-luciferase reporter system to analyze the activity of AR. In the screening assay, we detected the anti-prostate cancer activities of rhodiola root extract, wild kiwifruit root extract and tripterygium wilfordii root extract, which may provide a new strategy for the treatment of prostate cancer.

The mechanisms of drug resistance in prostate cancer / 药学学报

Drug therapy is one of the efficient methods for prostate cancer treatment. However, drug resistance greatly hindered the treatment of prostate cancer patients. Herein, the mechanisms of drug resistance in prostate cancer have been exhaustively reviewed, and that can provide an alternative strategy and new targets for anti-prostate cancer therapy.

The accessory gene regulator (agr) controls Staphylococcus aureus virulence in a murine intracranial abscesses model

Background: Intracranial abscesses are associated with high mortality. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the main pathogens that cause intracranial infection. Until now, there is no report to identify the key effectors of S. aureus during the intracranial infection. Methods: The murine intracranial abscesses model induced by S. aureus was constructed. The vital sign and survival rate of mice were observed to evaluate the infection. Histological examination was used to diagnose the pathological alterations of mouse tissues. The sensitivity of S. aureus to whole blood was evaluated by whole-blood killing assay. Results: In murine intracranial abscesses model, it was shown that the mortality caused by the accessory gene regulator (agr) locus deficient strain was significant decreased compared with its parent strain. Moreover, we found that RNAIII, the effector of agr system, was essential for the intracranial infection caused by S. aureus. In the further investigation, it was shown that restoration the expression of α-toxin in agr deficient strain could partially recover the mortality in the murine intracranial abscesses model. Conclusion: Our data suggested that the agr system of S. aureus is an important virulence determinant in the induction and mortality of intracranial abscesses in mice. .

Molecular characterization and drug-resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in Xuzhou, China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

To understand the genetic diversity and drug resistance status of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) circulating in Xuzhou of China, the spacer-oligonucleotide typing (Spoligotyping) and multi-loci VNTRs (variable number tandem repeats) analysis (MLVA) were utilized for the genotyping of the isolates. Drug susceptibility test (DST) was performed by the proportion method on the Lowenstein-Jensen (L-J) medium using isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and streptomycin. By Spoligotyping, 287 M. tuberculosis isolates were differentiated into 14 clusters. Then with 15-loci MLVA, these strains could be divided into 32 clusters, 228 genotypes. Of 15 VNTRs, 6 loci had the highly discriminatory powers, 6 loci presented moderate discrimination and 3 loci demonstrated less polymorphism. The DST results showed that 46 strains were resistant to at least one first-line anti-tuberculosis agent. There was a difference in the isoniazid resistance between Beijing and non-Beijing genotype strains. We concluded that the combination of Spoligotyping and 15 VNTR loci as the genotyping in our study was applicable for this region, the drug resistant isolates were identified, and the Beijing family was the most prevalent genotype in the rural counties of Xuzhou.

Etiological analysis of influenza surveillance data in Xuzhou from 2005 to 2011 / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the prevalence and subtypes of influenza viruses in Xuzhou city from 2005 to 2011 and to provide the scientific supports for influenza prevention and control in this religion.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The throat swab samples were collected from the influenza-like cases from national influenza like illness sentinel hospital in Xuzhou. The samples were used for influenza virus isolation and identification, sent on the national flu center to confirm according to the "national influenza surveillance program" and "influenza virus and experimental technology".</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>From Oct. 2005 to Dec. 2011, a total of 9561 swab specimens were collected in which 1152 strains were identified for influenza viruses with total isolated rate of 12.0%. Among these strains, 708 strains were A1 (H1N1) subtype (14.2%), 466 strains were A3 (H3N2) subtype (40.5%), 78 strains were new H1N1 subtype (6.8%), 362 strains were BV (Victoia) subtype (31.4%) and 82 strains were BY (Yamagate) subtype (7.1%). The top detection rate (25.9%) arose in 2007, secondary detection rate (17.4%) occurred at 2009 and the lowest one (2.3%) appeared in 2011. From the winter of 2005 to the spring of 2006 A1 (H1N1) subtype had appeared as predominant strains but in the winter of 2006 the predominant strains were BV subtype. It changed to A3 subtype in 2007 to 2009 and the other three dominant strains were A1, BV and BY in 2008. In the winter of 2009, both A3 (H3N2) and new H1N1 subtype were predominant strains. BV subtype was predominant strains in 2010 to 2011. The prevalence of A3 subtype appeared in all the year while prevalence of BV only arose in the spring and winter. So the detection rate was high in January (34.4%) but low in August (2.2%). The influenza population is correlated with age, the highest detection rate arose in 5-age group and the lowest detection rate appeared in 25-age group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Influenza subtype A1, A3, New H1N1 are all appeared as predominant strains in Xuzhou city from 2005 to 2010. Besides, the prevalence of BV subtype is stronger in recently.</p>

Analysis on pathogen detection for 53 influenza outbreaks / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>In order to provide a scientific basis for influenza prevention and control, analyzing the epidemic characteristics and laws of influenza outbreaks in Xuzhou area during 2005-2011.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Using fluorescent-PCR method to detect influenza virus nucleic acid on Nasopharyngeal swab specimens collected from influenza outbreak cases during 2005-2011 and fast classifying influenza virus A1 (H1N1), A3 (H3N2), new H1N1 BV (Victoria) and BY (Yamagate) on subtypes. At the same time, isolating the influenza virus with MDCK cells, and sending them to the National Influenza Center for review, after the preliminary identification of the isolated influenza virus.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>During 2005-2011, there are 53 influenza outbreaks in Xuzhou area, which caused by influenza virus subtype BV accounting for 26.42% (14/53), A3 accounting for 49.1% (26/53), A3 and A1 mixture accounting for 3.77% (2/53) and the new H1N1 accounting for 20.75% (11/53). The outbreaks in 2007 and 2009 mainly caused by A3, and show that the winter spring (January) and summer autumn (September) as two popular peaks during 2005-2011; BV mainly causes the outbreaks from Feb. to Jun.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In Xuzhou area, since the winter of 2005, influenza virus subtype BV, the A3, and new H1N1 has alternately as mainly predominant strain, caused local influenza outbreaks. In which BV has increased trend year by year during 2005-2011. The students in primary and secondary schools are the major crowd of influenza outbreaks. Fluorescent-PCR detection methods could be a preferred method for reliable and rapid diagnostic of epidemic influenza outbreaks.</p>