Correlation between serum beta 2-microglobulin level and cerebral microbleeds in the elderly / 中华老年心脑血管病杂志

Objective To explore the correlation between serum beta 2-microglobulin(B2M)level and cerebral microbleeds(CMB)in the elderly.Methods A retrospective analysis of 636 elderly patients with chronic diseases admitted to the Department of Neurology of our hospital from Janu-ary 2020 to November 2022 was made.On the second day after admission,venous blood samples were collected to detect the serum B2M level,and brain magnetic resonance susceptibility weigh-ted imaging was performed.Then these patients were assigned into CMB group(82 cases)and CMB-free group(554 cases).Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify the inde-pendent risk factors for CMB.Results Binary logistic regression analysis showed that serum B2M level was an independent risk factor for CMB in elderly patients(Model 1:β=0.179,OR=1.196,95％CI:1.017-1.407,P=0.031;Model 2:β=0.215,OR=1.240,95％CI:1.048-1.468,P=0.012)after adjusting confounding factors.ROC curve analysis indicated that the optimal cutoff value of serum B2M level in diagnosing CMB was 1.805 mg/L,with a sensitivity of 70.7％and a specificity of 52.5％,and an AUC value of 0.657(95％CI:0.595-0.719,P＜0.01).Conclusion The increment of serum B2M level is closely related to CMB in the elderly population,so the pro-tein can be used as one of indicators for prediction of CMB in the population.

Association between preoperative serum β 2-microglobulin concentrations and postoperative delirium in elderly patients / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the association between preoperative serum β 2-microglobulin (β 2MG) concentrations and postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients. Methods:The study selected patients who underwent knee or hip arthroplasty under spinal-epidural anesthesia on an elective basis at Qingdao Municipal Hospital from May 2021 to November 2022. The patients were divided into a POD group and a non-POD group based on the occurrence of POD. The study was conducted as part of the Perioperative Neurocognitive Impairment and Biomarkers Lifestyle Cohort, which was a nested case-control study. The study collected baseline data from two groups of patients and analyzed the differences between them. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for POD. The stability of the regression model was tested using sensitivity analysis. The mediation model was used to examine whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers mediated the relationship between β 2MG and POD. The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn and the area under the curve was calculated to evaluate the accuracy of preoperative β 2MG concentrations and CSF biomarker concentration in predicting POD. Results:There were 57 cases in POD group and 449 cases in non-POD group. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that the increased β 2MG and CSF total tau protein (t-tau) concentrations were risk factors for POD, and the increased CSF β-amyloid 42 concentration was a protective factor for POD after adjustment for multiple confounders such as age, gender, education, Mini-Mental State Examination, history of hypertension and infusion volume ( P<0.05). The results of mediation analysis showed that the serum β 2MG′s effect on POD was partly mediated by t-tau (18.1%). The results of the receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the area under the curve of the β 2MG concentration combined with the CSF biomarker concentration was 0.742. Conclusions:Elevated preoperative serum β 2MG concentration is a risk factor for POD in elderly patients, and the relationship may be partly mediated by CSF t-tau.

Research progress on the association between serum beta 2-microglobulin and cerebral small vessel disease / 中国脑血管病杂志

Cerebral small vessel disease refers to a type of disease that damages the small blood vessels of the brain and causes parenchymal lesions due to various reasons,which is a common health hazard in the elderly population.It has a slow onset and progressive progression,gradually affecting the whole brain,which can cause stroke,cognitive impairment and other diseases,and seriously affect people's life quality.This article reviewed the correlation between the serological marker β2 microglobulin and cerebral small vessel disease in recent years,aiming to provide guidance for the early diagnosis and prevention of cerebral small vessel disease,and to provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of diagnosed patients.

A rare case of recurrent cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is the leakage of cerebrospinal fluid through the nostrils due to an abnormal communication between the nasal cavity and sub–arachnoid space. CSF rhinorrhoea can be traumatic or spontaneous. CSF rhinorrhea carries a risk of ascending infection leading to meningitis. CSF rhinorrhea is not very common and could be easily mistaken for rhinitis. Physicians need to have a high index of suspicion to diagnose and treat this rare and potentially serious condition. Here we discuss a case of delayed post-traumatic CSF rhinorrhea -an unusual presentation in a primary care setting, focusing on presentation and diagnosis.

A rare case of recurrent cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is the leakage of cerebrospinal fluid through the nostrils due to an abnormal communication between the nasal cavity and sub–arachnoid space. CSF rhinorrhoea can be traumatic or spontaneous. CSF rhinorrhea carries a risk of ascending infection leading to meningitis. CSF rhinorrhea is not very common and could be easily mistaken for rhinitis. Physicians need to have a high index of suspicion to diagnose and treat this rare and potentially serious condition. Here we discuss a case of delayed post-traumatic CSF rhinorrhea -an unusual presentation in a primary care setting, focusing on presentation and diagnosis.

Inhibition of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate on transforming growth factor-beta 2 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human lens epithelial cells / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the mechanism of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate(PDTC)on transforming growth factor-beta 2(TGF-β2)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)in human lens epithelial cells(LECs).METHODS: LECs were treated with various doses of PDTC chemicals following TGF-β2 caused EMT on these cells. Cell proliferation and lateral migration were discovered using the CCK-8 and cell scratch test. The markers of EMT, including E-cadherin, α-SMA and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling pathway-related expression, were tested by Western Blot as well as the changes in the expression of the apoptosis-related proteins BAX, BCL-2, Caspase-3, and Cyclin D1.RESULTS: The proliferation and migration viability of cells in the TGF-β2 treated group was increased compared to the group without TGF-β2, and the expression of α-SMA increased whereas the E-cadherin expression decreased. With the effect of TGF-β2, NF-κB p65 and phosphorylated NF-κB p65 expression increased, the concentration of TGF-β2 that had the greatest capacity for proliferation and migration was 10 ng/mL(P&#x003C;0.05). Mechanism study of PDTC-induced EMT reversal and apoptosis showed that cell viability and migratory capability were both significantly reduced after PDTC intervention; PDTC prevents IκB phosphorylation, thus inhibiting NF-κB nuclear translocation. Protein associated to the NF-κB signaling pathway, and protein expression of NF-κB/IκBα/p-IκBα/Iκκ-α/p-Iκκ-α was decreased(P&#x003C;0.05), PDTC increased the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein BAX/Caspase-3, expression of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein BCL-2 and the cell cycle protein Cyclin D1 was reduced. The expression of NF-κB/IκB mRNA was reduced, expression of the apoptosis-related mRNA BAX increased, while BCL-2 reduced.CONCLUSION: The EMT in LECs cells induced by TGF-β2 can be significantly reversed by PDTC, which may be related to the decreased expression of NF-κB p65/IκB/Iκκ-α and activation of apoptosis-related protein. PDTC can reverse EMT by inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway and induce apoptosis of abnormally proliferated cells, which will provide new potential therapeutic agents for posterior capsular opacification(PCO)treatment.

Value of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score and albumin-bilirubin score combined with β2-microglobulin in predicting liver cirrhosis with acute kidney injury / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of combined determination of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease （MELD） score， albumin-bilirubin （ALBI） score， and β2-microglobulin in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis with acute kidney injury （AKI）. MethodsClinical data were collected from 258 patients with liver cirrhosis who attended The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from October 2019 to October 2022， and according to the presence or absence of AKI， they were divided into AKI group with 117 patients and non-AKI group with 141 patients. The changes in each index were compared between the two groups and between the patients with different stages of kidney injury. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups； the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was plotted to evaluate the efficacy of each index in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis with AKI. ResultsCompared with the non-AKI group， the AKI group had significantly higher age （t=2.307， P=0.022）， proportion of patients with hepatic encephalopathy （χ2=18.064， P<0.001） or with spontaneous peritonitis （χ2=16.397， P<0.001）， mortality rate （χ2=45.251， P<0.001）， levels of creatinine （Z=-8.737， P<0.001） and β2-microglobulin （Z=-8.829， P<0.001）， and scores of CTP （Z=-4.058， P<0.001）， ALBI （t=2.563， P=0.011）， and MELD （Z=-5.628， P<0.001）， as well as a significantly shorter length of hospital stay （Z=-3.391， P=0.001）. There were significant differences in creatinine， β2-microglobulin， MELD score， and ALBI score between the patients with stage 1， 2 or 3 AKI （P<0.05）， while there was no significant difference in CTP score between these three groups （P>0.05）. The combined determination of ALBI score， MELD score， and β2-microglobulin had an area under the ROC curve （AUC） of 0.837 （95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.782 — 0.892）， with a sensitivity of 75.2% and a specificity of 90.8%； ALBI score combined with MELD score had an AUC of 0.700 （95%CI： 0.636 — 0.764）， ALBI score combined with β2 microglobulin had an AUC of 0.823 （95%CI： 0.765 — 0.881）， and MELD combined with and β2 microglobulin had an AUC of 0.835 （95%CI： 0.779 — 0.890）， suggesting that combined determination of ALBI score， MELD score， and β2-microglobulin had a better diagnostic efficacy than ALBI score， MELD score， or β2-microglobulin used alone or in pairs， as well as a better diagnostic efficacy than creatinine. ConclusionCombined determination of ALBI score， MELD score， and β2-microglobulin has a relatively high value in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis with AKI.

Effects of ADRB2 gene regulatory region polymorphism on the efficacy of SABA in the treatment of acute asthma attack in children / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of ADRB2 gene regulatory region polymorphism on the efficacy of short-acting beta 2 receptor agonists （SABA） in the treatment of acute asthma attack in children. METHODS A total of 127 children with acute mild to moderate bronchial asthma who received SABA treatment for 7 days in the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from October 2016 to October 2020 were selected to detect their genotype distribution and compare the improvement of pulmonary functional indicators and curative effect among different genotypes. The effect of the high-order interaction of gene polymorphism on therapeutic effect was investigated. RESULTS Among 127 children， there were 80， 44 and 3 cases of TT， TA and AA types at locus rs2895795， 93， 32 and 2 cases of CC， CG and GG types at locus rs11168070， and 41， 64 and 22 cases of GG， GA and AA types at locus rs12654778， respectively， in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium （P＞0.05）. After treatment， the improvement rate of the peak expiratory flow in percent predicted value （PEF%pred） and the improvement rate of the forced expiratory flow at 75% vital capacity in percent predicted value （FEF75%pred） in children with TA type were significantly lower than that of TT type at locus rs2895795 （P＜0.05）； the improvement rates of PEF%pred and FEF75%pred in children with CG type were significantly lower than that of CC type at locus rs11168070 （P＜0.05）； the improvement rates of PEF%pred in children with GA and AA type were significantly lower than that of GG type at locus rs12654778 （P＜0.05）. The differences in fractional exhaled nitric oxide before and after treatment were not statistically significant among different genotypes at each locus （P＞0.05）. The proportion of remarkable improvement of children with TT type at locus rs2895795 was 2.358 times that of children with TA+ AA type （P＜0.05）， and there was no significant effect of higher-order interaction of ADRB2 polymorphism on the efficacy in children with asthma （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Polymorphisms in the regulatory region of the ADRB2 gene in children with bronchial asthma are associated with the efficacy of SABA in the treatment of acute asthma attack in children. At locus rs2895795， rs11168070 and rs12654778， the improvement of lung function of children with wild-type is more obvious， and the efficacy of SABA treatment on children with TT type is better at locus rs2895795.

The diagnostic value of serum levels of pro calcitonin, β2 defensins, C-reactive protein and the positive rate of group B streptococci in preterm premature rupture of membranes with amniotic infection / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of serum levels of pro calcitonin (PCT), β2 defensins (HBD-2), C-reactive protein (CRP) and the positive rate of group B streptococci (GBS) in preterm premature rupture of membranes (PROM) with amniotic infection.Methods:This study was a retrospective study. 156 pregnant women with preterm PROM who were diagnosed by the Obstetrics Department of the Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology from January 2017 to January 2022 were selected as the study subjects. According to whether there was amniotic infection, they were divided into 57 infected women and 99 non infected women. The levels of serum PCT, HBD-2 and CRP before delivery were compared between the two groups, and the positive rate of GBS in vaginal discharge was detected, and the receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to analyze the value of various indicators in diagnosing amniotic cavity infection in preterm PROM mothers.Results:The serum levels of PCT, HBD-2, CRP, and GBS positivity in the infected group were significantly higher than those in the non infected group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.01); The area under the curve (AUC) value, sensitivity, and specificity of serum PCT for diagnosing preterm PROM with amniotic cavity infection were 0.894, 82.56%, and 80.74%, respectively; The AUC value of HBD-2 for diagnosing preterm PROM with amniotic cavity infection was 0.792, the sensitivity was 70.78%, and the specificity was 77.59%; The AUC value, sensitivity, and specificity of CRP in diagnosing preterm PROM with amniotic cavity infection were 0.756, 68.94%, and 72.78%, respectively; The positive rate of GBS in vaginal discharge was 0.733, the sensitivity was 64.91%, and the specificity was 81.82%. Conclusions:The serum levels of PCT, HBD-2, CRP and the positive rate of GBS in vaginal discharge of pregnant women with preterm PROM complicated with amniotic infection will increase significantly. All indicators have high practical value for the diagnosis of preterm PROM complicated with amniotic infection.

COVID-19 coagulopathy and antiphospholipid syndrome

The presence of thrombotic events in COVID-19 patients has been described since the beginning of the pandemic. This association has been confirmed in most of the reported studies. Autopsy reports have shown that most thromboses are located in the lung, although they have also been observed in other organs such as the skin and kidneys. SARS-CoV2 infection induces a generalized prothrombotic state, which is attributed to a combination of factors such as hypoxia, excess cellular apoptosis, and mainly to overactivation of the immune system. Among immune-mediated prothrombotic situations, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) stands out. Recurrent thrombotic events are observed in APS in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). There are numerous studies that report high prevalence of aPL in patients with COVID-19 infection. However, the results show discrepancies in the data on the prevalence of aPL, and its role in the pathogenesis of thrombosis in these patients. This could be due to the heterogeneity of the detection procedures for aPL or to transient elevations of non-pathogenic aPL levels in the context of infection. In this review we try to clarify the role of aPL in COVID-19 infection, and attempt to answer the question of whether it is a coagulopathy of its own, or secondary to APS.

La presencia de eventos trombóticos en los pacientes con COVID-19 se describió desde el inicio de la pandemia, asociación que ha sido confirmada en la mayoría de los estudios reportados. Los informes de necropsias han puesto de manifiesto que la mayoría de las trombosis se localiza en el pulmón, aunque también se han observado en otros órganos, como la piel y los riñones. La infección por SARS-CoV-2 induce un estado protrombótico generalizado que se atribuye a una conjunción de factores como la hipoxia, el exceso de apoptosis celular y, sobre todo, una hiperactivación del sistema inmune. Entre las situaciones protrombóticas inmunomediadas destaca el síndrome antifosfolipídico, en el cual se observan eventos trombóticos de repetición en presencia de anticuerpos antifosfolipídicos (AAF). Existen numerosos estudios que reportan una elevada prevalencia de AAF en los pacientes con infección por la COVID-19; sin embargo, los resultados muestran discordancias en los datos de prevalencia de AAF y su rol en la patogenia sobre la trombosis en estos pacientes, lo que que podría deberse a la heterogeneidad de los procedimientos de detección de los AAF o a elevaciones transitorias de los niveles de AAF no patogénicos en el contexto de la infección. En esta revisión se busca aclarar el papel de los AAF en la infección por COVID-19, intentando responder a la pregunta de si se trata de una coagulopatía propia o es secundaria a un síndrome antifosfolipídico.

Emerging role of natural products in cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy has become a new generation of anti-tumor treatment, but its indications still focus on several types of tumors that are sensitive to the immune system. Therefore, effective strategies that can expand its indications and enhance its efficiency become the key element for the further development of cancer immunotherapy. Natural products are reported to have this effect on cancer immunotherapy, including cancer vaccines, immune-check points inhibitors, and adoptive immune-cells therapy. And the mechanism of that is mainly attributed to the remodeling of the tumor-immunosuppressive microenvironment, which is the key factor that assists tumor to avoid the recognition and attack from immune system and cancer immunotherapy. Therefore, this review summarizes and concludes the natural products that reportedly improve cancer immunotherapy and investigates the mechanism. And we found that saponins, polysaccharides, and flavonoids are mainly three categories of natural products, which reflected significant effects combined with cancer immunotherapy through reversing the tumor-immunosuppressive microenvironment. Besides, this review also collected the studies about nano-technology used to improve the disadvantages of natural products. All of these studies showed the great potential of natural products in cancer immunotherapy.

Correlation of plasma beta-2 microglobulin levels with total magnetic resonance imaging burden of cerebral small-vessel disease in elderly patients with lacunar stroke / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the relationship between plasma beta-2 microglobulin(β2M)levels and the total magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)burden of cerebral small-vessel disease(CSVD)in elderly patients with lacunar stroke.Methods:A total of 93 elderly patients with lacunar stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology, Changzhou Second People's Hospital form August 2018 to August 2019 were enrolled retrospectively, all with complete records of cranial magnetic resonance imaging and plasma β2M measurement.According to the total MRI CSVD burden, which ranges from an ordinal score of 0 to 4, patients were divided into 5 groups.Single-factor analysis was used to compare clinical data between the 5 groups.The association between the plasma β2M level and total MRI CSVD burden was analyzed by ordered multiple Logistic regression models.Results:Among elderly patients with lacunar infarction, 19 had a CSVD score of 0, 19 had a score of 1, 23 had a score of 2, 21 had a score of 3, and 11 had a score of 4, with statistically significant differences in age, percentage with diabetes, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, glycosylated hemoglobin, plasma β2M, and eGFR between the 5 groups( P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that plasma β2M level was significantly positively correlated with total MRI CSVD burden( r=0.687, P<0.001). In ordered multivariate logistic regression models, after adjustment for possible confounding factors such as age, sex and hypertension, the results demonstrated that plasma β2M level( OR=5.253, 95% CI: 2.350-11.740, P<0.001)was an independent risk factor for total MRI CSVD burden. Conclusions:In elderly lacunar stroke patients, the plasma β2M level is closely related to the total MRI CSVD burden and can be used as a marker for predicting the severity of lesions.

Correlations of anti-cardiolipin antibody and anti-β2 glycoprotein I antibody with ischemic stroke in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases / 中国基层医药

Objective:To correlate anti-cardiolipin antibody (aCL) and anti-β2 glycoprotein I antibody (aβ2GPI) with ischemic stroke (IS) in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs).Methods:A total of 104 patients with SADs who received treatment in the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College during January to December 2019 were included in this study. They were divided into two groups whether they had IS (IS group, n = 42) or not (non-IS group, n = 62). aPL positive rate was qualitatively compared between the IS and non-IS groups. aCL and aβ2GPI expression levels were quantitatively compared between the IS and non-IS groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors for IS in patients with SADs. Results:aPL positive rate in the IS group was significantly higher than that in the non-IS group [61.9% (26/42) vs. 40.3% (25 /62), χ2 = 4.66, P = 0.031]. The aCL-IgM and aβ2GPI-IgM levels in the IS group were (22.82 ± 27.27) RU/mL and (18.70 ± 23.95) RU/mL, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the non-IS group [(13.34 ± 8.43) RU/mL, (7.61± 5.80) RU/mL, t = -2.18, -2.76, P = 0.034, 0.009]. Logistic regression analysis showed that aPL is an independent risk factor for IS ( P = 0.037). Conclusion:aCL and aβ2GPI are closely related to the occurrence of IS and are the independent risk factors for IS in patients with SADs.

Efficacy of inhalation therapy with montelukast sodium, budesonide and formoterol in combination in the treatment of bronchial asthma in adult patients and its effects on cytokines / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of combination treatment with montelukast sodium, budesonide and formoterol in the treatment of bronchial asthma in adults and its effects on cytokines.Methods:A total of 100 adult patients with bronchial asthma who received treatment in The First People's Hospital of Yongkang from January 2019 to December 2020 were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to receive either budesonide inhalation alone (control group, n = 50) or combination inhalation of montelukast sodium, budesonide and formoterol (observation group, n = 50) for 12 weeks. Efficacy was compared between the two groups. Lung function [forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and FEV 1/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio], cytokines [interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6], Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) score, and Asthma Control Test (ACT) score measured before and 12 weeks after treatment were compared between the two groups. Results:Total response rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [92.00% (46/50) vs. 72.00% (36/50), χ2 = 6.77, P < 0.05). After 12 weeks of treatment, FEV 1, PEF and FEV1/FVC in the observation group were (2.17 ± 0.23) L, (246.56 ± 17.86) L/s, and (83.86 ± 3.98)%, respectively, which were significantly higher than (1.86 ± 0.17) L, (203.12 ± 20.10) L/s, (74.82 ± 5.67)% in the control group ( t = 7.66, 11.42, 9.22, P < 0.05). Serum IL-2 level in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(10.85 ± 0.86) ng/L vs. (8.94 ± 1.03) ng/L, t = 10.06, t < 0.05]. Serum IL-4 and IL-6 in the observation group were (24.98 ± 3.08) ng/L and (98.46 ± 9.76) μg/L, respectively, which were significantly lower than (36.75 ± 4.34) ng/L and (125.84 ± 13.19) μg/L in the control group ( t =15.63, 11.79, both P < 0.05). AQLQ score and ACT score in the observation group were (121.03 ± 8.69) points and (22.08 ± 1.35) points, respectively, which were significantly higher than (110.93 ± 7.86) points and (19.74 ± 1.76) points in the control group ( t = 6.095, 7.460, both P < 0.05). Conclusion:Inhalation therapy with montelukast sodium, budesonide and formoterol produces obvious therapeutic effects on bronchial asthma in adult patients and the combined therapy can reduce inflammatory reactions.

Association between beta-2 adrenergic receptor variants and clinical outcomes in children and adolescents with acute asthma

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate whether different genotypes of p.Arg16Gly, p.Gln27Glu, p.Arg19Cys and p.Thr164Ile variants interfere in response to treatment in children and adolescents with moderate to severe acute asthma. Methods This sample comprised patients aged 2 to 17 years with a history of at least two wheezing episodes and current moderate to severe asthma exacerbation. All patients received multiple doses of albuterol and ipratropium bromide delivered via pressurized metered-dose inhaler with holding chamber and systemic corticosteroids. Hospital admission was defined as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were changes in forced expiratory volume in the first second after 1 hour of treatment, and for outpatients, length of stay in the emergency room. Variants were genotyped by sequencing. Results A total of 60 patients were evaluated. Hospital admission rates were significantly higher in carriers of the genotype AA relative to those with genotype AG or GG, within the p.Arg16Gly variant (p=0.03, test χ2, alpha=0.05). Secondary outcomes did not differ between genotypes. Conclusion Hospital admission rates were significantly higher among carriers of the genotype AA within the p.Arg16Gly variant. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01323010

The antiphospholipid syndrome / El síndrome antifosfolipídico

ABSTRACT APS is a hypercoagulability condition characterized by the development of thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity (recurrent early miscarriages, fetal deaths after the 10th week of gestation and/or premature births), that occur in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies, namely lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin antibodies, and anti-(32-glycoprotein-I antibodies. It is usually isolated but can occur in the setting of another autoimmune disease, mainly systemic lupus erythematosus. Moreover antiphospholipid antibodies can be found in individuals without the disease. Treatment of thrombosis is based on indefinite anticoagulation while low-dose aspirin and low molecular weight heparin are the cornerstone of pregnancy morbidity treatment. Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome is treated with anticoagulation, plasma-exchange, and corticosteroids. Standardization of serological assays, inclusion of other antibodies and manifestations in the classification criteria, treatment of non-criteria manifestations and refractory cases are areas of uncertainty.

RESUMEN El SAF es una condición de hipercoagulabilidad caracterizada por el desarrollo de trombosis y morbilidad obstétrica (abortos recurrentes, muertes fetales antes de la semana 10 de gestación y/o partos prematuros) en pacientes con anticuerpos antifosfolipídicos, específicamente el anticoagulante lúpico, los anticuerpos anticardiolipina y anti-(32-glicoproteína-1. En la mayoría de los casos se presenta de forma aislada, pero puede asociarse a otras enfermedades autoinmunes como el lupus eritematoso sistêmico. Además, los anticuerpos antifosfolipídicos se pueden encontrar en individuos sin la enfermedad. El tratamiento de la trombosis se basa en anticoagulación indefinida, mientras que aspirina a dosis bajas y heparina de bajo peso molecular representan la base del tratamiento de la morbilidad obstétrica. El síndrome de anticuerpos antifosfolipídicos catastrófico se trata con una combinación de anticoagulación, corticoides y recambios plasmáticos. La estandarización de los ensayos serológicos, la inclusión de otros anticuerpos y otras manifestaciones en los criterios clasificatorios, el tratamiento de las manifestaciones no criterio y de los casos refractarios representan las áreas de incertidumbre del síndrome.

Roles of sodium channel-voltage-gated-beta 2B in learning and memory improvements of transgenic mice with Alzheimer's disease / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To explore the potential role of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the sodium-channel-voltage-beta 2B (SCN2B)-mediated improvement of memory and cognitive function in Alzheimer's Disease (AD).Methods:The SCN2B gene knockout mice (SCN2B -/-) were hybridized with APP gene knockout mice (APP -/-), APP gene heterozygous mice (APP +/-) and APP gene transgenic mice (APP +/+), and the tail tissue of the same mouse was genotyped by PCR gene detection.The mice were divided into SCN2B -/-APP -/- group, SCN2B -/-APP +/- group and SCN2B -/-APP +/+ group.The C57BL/6 wild-type mice were Wild type (WT) group, with 9 mice in each group.SCN2B -/-APP -/-, SCN2B -/-APP +/-, SCN2B -/-APP +/+ transgenic mice and the wild-type mice at the age of 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months were tested by Morris water Maze and Y maze test to detect the cognitive function between each group.Meanwhile, SCN2B -/-APP -/-, SCN2B -/-APP +/-, SCN2B -/-APP +/+ transgenic mice aged 6, 12, 18 months and age-match wild-type were selected to detect neuronal processes in hippocampal CA1 region, and the number of neuronal processes in basal and distal regions of hippocampal CA1 region was quantitatively analyzed.SPSS 21.0 statistical software was used for data statistics and analysis.The differences between the two groups were compared and analyzed by independent-sample t test, the comparison between multiple groups was analyzed by one way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and repeated measurement ANOVA was used to analyze behavioral deta. Results:Repeated measurement ANOVA was used to analyze the data of water maze test. The data showed that the interaction effect of escape latency group and time was significant in 18 month old mice ( Ftime×group=3.63, P<0.01). Simple effect analysis showed that compared with SCN2B -/-APP +/- group and SCN2B -/-APP -/-group, the escape latency of mice in SCN2B -/-APP +/+ group was significantly prolonged from day 4 to 6 (4th day: (47.00±2.00)s, (43.11±1.96) s, (41.89±3.06)s, t=-4.16, 1.00, both P<0.05; 5th day: (45.22±2.54) s, (36.33±2.78) s, (37.00±2.45)s, t=-7.08, -0.54, both P<0.05; 6th day: (38.11±2.03)s, (34.11±2.32)s, (33.00±2.91)s, t=-3.90, 0.90, both P<0.05). The residence time in the target quadrant was shortened((18.00±1.73)s, (25.56±1.33)s, (24.33 ±1.94)s; t=10.37, 1.56, both P<0.05). (2) Y-maze results showed that compared with SCN2B -/-APP +/- group and SCN2B -/-APP -/-group, the number of novel arm entry in 18 month old mice in SCN2B -/-APP +/+ group was decreased((50.22±3.68), (57.22±3.74), (58. 44±5.14) ; t=3.40, -0.48, both P<0.05), and the residence time of stay in the new arm was reduced((10.89±0.62)min, (14.33±0.59)min, (13.89±0.74)min; t= 8.16, 0.44, both P<0.05), and the distance of movement in the new arm was significantly reduced ((37.26±2.01)m , (45.67±2.45)m , (46.11±3.27)m ; t=7.81, 0.91, both P<0.05). (3) Golgi staining showed that SCN2B -/-APP +/- group and SCN2B -/-APP -/-group, the number of apical dendrites in hippocampal neurons of 18 month old mice in SCN2b -/-App +/+ group(number of apical dendrites: (1.78±0.37), (3.67±0.81), (3.00±1.21); t=3.36, 1.41, both P<0.05) and the number of basal dendrites (the number of basal dendrites: (1.11±0.50), (3.11±0.50), (2.56±0.69); t=4.06, 1.21, both P<0.05). Conclusion:SCN2B knockdown can improve the ability of spatial learning and memory in aged mice.Overexpression of APP can partially offset the improvement of cognitive function caused by SCN2B knockdown, and may be affected by the number of basal and distal processes of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region of the mice.

Clinical and laboratory characteristics of Brazilian versus non-Brazilian primary antiphospholipid syndrome patients in AntiPhospholipid Syndrome Alliance for Clinical Trials and InternatiOnal Networking (APS ACTION) clinical database and repository

Abstract Background: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by episodes of thrombosis, obstetric morbidity or both, associated with persistently positive antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Studying the profile of a rare disease in an admixed population is important as it can provide new insights for understanding an autoimmune disease. In this sense of miscegenation, Brazil is characterized by one of the most heterogeneous populations in the world, which is the result of five centuries of interethnic crosses of people from three continents. The objective of this study was to compare the clinical and laboratory characteristics of Brazilian vs. non-Brazilian primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) patients. Methods: We classified PAPS patients into 2 groups: Brazilian PAPS patients (BPAPS) and PAPS patients from other countries (non-BPAPS). They were compared regarding demographic characteristics, criteria and non-criteria APS manifestations, antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) profile, and the adjusted Global Antiphospholipid Syndrome Score (aGAPSS). Results: We included 415 PAPS patients (88 [21%] BPAPS and 327 [79%] non-BPAPS). Brazilian patients were significantly younger, more frequently female, sedentary, obese, non-white, and had a higher frequency of livedo (25% vs. 10%, p < 0.001), cognitive dysfunction (21% vs. 8%, p = 0.001) and seizures (16% vs. 7%, p = 0.007), and a lower frequency of thrombocytopenia (9% vs. 18%, p = 0.037). Additionally, they were more frequently positive for lupus anticoagulant (87.5% vs. 74.6%, p = 0.01), and less frequently positive to anticardiolipin (46.6% vs. 73.7%, p < 0.001) and anti-ß2-glycoprotein-I (13.6% vs. 62.7%, p < 0.001) antibodies. Triple aPL positivity was also less frequent (8% vs. 41.6%, p < 0.001) in Brazilian patients. Median aGAPSS was lower in the Brazilian group (8 vs. 10, p < 0.0001). In the multivariate analysis, BPAPS patients still presented more frequently with livedo, cognitive dysfunction and sedentary lifestyle, and less frequently with thrombocytopenia and triple positivity to aPL. They were also less often white. Conclusions: Our study suggests a specific profile of PAPS in Brazil with higher frequency of selected non-criteria manifestations and lupus anticoagulant positivity. Lupus anticoagulant (not triple positivity) was the major aPL predictor of a classification criteria event.

In vivo evidence of angiogenesis inhibition by ß2-glycoprotein I subfractions in the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken embryos

The vascular network expansion and functioning are important factors affecting normal intra-uterine fetal development. This study addressed the previously reported antiangiogenic potential of beta-2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) in vivo in the chick embryo model of angiogenesis. The effects of two naturally occurring β2GPI forms on the development of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) vessels and the chicken embryo were investigated. β2GPI monomers and dimers were obtained by fractioned purification and characterized using SDS-PAGE, immunoblot, and ELISA. The egg exposure was performed by injection of small volumes of 2.5 µg/mL solutions of the β2GPI subfractions. Angiogenesis was evaluated through quantitative measurements of vascular architecture parameters in the captured CAM images, using computational analysis of texture contrasts and computer vision techniques. Quantitative information was assigned to the CAM vasculature modifications. In vivo, the β2GPI dimer completely halted the formation of CAM vessels and led to embryo death after 48 h of exposure. The β2GPI monomer allowed the embryo to develop up to the 10th day, despite early changes of CAM vessels. The impaired normal vessel growth proceeded as a self-limited effect. The β2GPI monomer-exposed eggs showed reduced vascularization on the 6th day of incubation, but embryos were viable on the 10th day of incubation, with ingurgitated CAM vessels implying sequelae of the angiogenesis inhibition. Both subfractions impaired CAM vasculature development. The β2GPI dimer proved to be largely more harmful than the β2GPI monomer. β2GPI modification by cleavage or dimerization may play a role in angiogenesis control in vivo.