[Preliminary study on the relationship between biological rhythm changes and pregnancy complications during pregnancy].

To study the characteristics of heart rate rhythm in pregnant women at different trimester of pregnancy, and to explore the relationship between the basic rhythm of heart rate and pregnancy complications. Thirteen pregnant women who were diagnosed with normal early pregnancy in the Reproductive Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from June 2018 to December 2019 were prospectively selected. Personal files were created and the heart rate data of pregnancy women was collected 24 hours a day by wearable devices until delivery. Prenatal examination and pregnancy outcomes were surveyed at follow-up. The cosine analysis method and the designed statistical module were used to analyze the long-term rhythm of pregnant women's heart rate. The heart rate of pregnant women showed a significant rhythm at different gestational weeks. Compared with the gestational week of 12, the midline-estimating statistic of rhythm(MESOR) increased significantly at the gestational week of 28 and 32 (t=-2.751,P=0.013;t=-2.314,P=0.032).The phase of rhythm shifted from 14∶00 pm in the first trimester of pregnancy (12 weeks) to 16∶00 pm in the second trimester (24 weeks) (t=2.613,P=0.018) and returned to 14∶00 pm at the third trimester (32 weeks) (t=-2.176,P=0.046). Season had no significant effect on the changes of MESOR, amplitude and phase of maternal heart rate in the first trimester (t=-0.356,P=0.729;t=-0.777,P=0.464;t=-0.434,P=0.673), while season had no significant effect on the changes of MESOR, amplitude and phase in the third trimester (t=-0.663,P=0.532;t=-0.209,P=0.841;t=0.625,P=0.592). The heart rate of one pregnant woman with natural delivery had rhythm disorder from the start of labor to delivery. The heart rate of one pregnant woman with premature rupture of membranes showed rhythm disorder before and after the rupture of membranes, and smaller amplitude. Rhythm disturbance may play a suggestive role in preterm delivery and labor initiation. In conclusion, pregnancy may cause changes in the internal heart rate rhythm. Maternal internal rhythm disturbance may occur when delivery or premature rupture of membranes occurs. The heart rate rhythm of pregnant women may be related to some common complications of pregnancy such as premature rupture of membranes.

[Analysis of factors influencing radiation-induced liver injury caused by stereotactic radiotherapy in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To analyze the factors influencing radiation-induced liver injury after receiving Cyberknife stereotactic radiotherapy in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: 278 cases with primary hepatocellular carcinoma from July 2016 to April 2019 were prospectively enrolled. Stereotactic radiosurgery with a prescription dose of 48-55gy/5-8 times were given. Liver function, coagulation function, Child-Pugh score, and liver imaging changes were dynamically observed before and after treatment to evaluate the occurrence of radiation-induced liver injury. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors influencing radiation-induced liver injury. Results: Among 278 cases, 3 cases of tumor progression were excluded, and a total of 275 cases were included for analysis. The overall survival rate after 8 months of treatment was 100%. Among them, 22 cases were diagnosed as radiation-induced liver injury, with an incidence rate of 8%, and all cases were recovered after symptomatic treatment. Multivariate analysis result suggested that the peripheral white blood cell count was factors influencing the occurrence of radiation-induced liver injury. Conclusion: Cyberknife stereotactic radiotherapy has a low incidence of radiation-induced liver injury in patients with liver cancer, and it is a relatively safe treatment method. Patients with low peripheral white blood cell counts before treatment should be closely monitored for early detection and treatment.

Enhanced high temperature ferromagnetism in Bi1-x R x FeO3 (R = Dy, Y) compounds.

In this work we report experimental evidence for the weak high-temperature ferromagnetism in Bi1-x R x FeO3 (R = Dy, Y) compounds by systematic characterizations, excluding the possible side-effects from other iron-based impurities. Remarkable saturated magnetic moment was observed in the Y-substituted samples, Bi1-x Y x FeO3, which is larger than the moment obtained in Bi1-x Dy x FeO3, the Dy-substituted samples with antiferromagnetic background. The physical origin of the weak ferromagnetic transition is discussed and serious lattice distortions have been identified based on the x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering data, although the rhombohedral structure symmetry remains unchanged upon the substitutions. It is believed that the structural distortion suppressed cycloid spin structure is the main factor for the enhanced magnetization in Bi1-x R x FeO3 compounds. Additionally, the Dy3+-Fe3+ antiferromagnetic coupling, which strengthens the antiferromagnetic interaction in Bi1-x Dy x FeO3 compounds, acts as the driving force for the magnetic discrepancy between Bi1-x Y x FeO3 and Bi1-x Dy x FeO3 samples.

[Research progress of hepatocyte transplantation treatment for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency].

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is an autosomal codominant genetic disease characterized by low levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin in the blood. Clinically, in young patients, it mainly manifests as emphysema, acute/chronic liver injury and liver cancer. The treatment methods include symptomatic treatment and alpha -1 antitrypsin supplementation. However, the existing treatment cannot prevent the liver fibrosis progression. At present, more than ten cases of the disease have been reported in China, but the understanding of this disease is still indecisive. Moreover, there exists no biotherapy drug for this disorder. This article introduces the research progress of hepatocyte transplantation treatment for this disorder.

[Gene expression profile analysis involved in pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis by using bioinformatics method as a novel way of drug screening].

Objective: To analyze the dynamic changes of the clinical features of chronic rhinosinusitis in recent 10 years, so as to deeply understand the characteristics of chronic rhinosinusitis, and to provide new ideas for treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis. Method: This retrospective study was performed in patients who were diagnosed as chronic rhinosinusitis and enrolled. General information, clinical examination and pathological results were all collected, then patients' age, gender, the incidence of asthma and allergic rhinitis, peripheral eosinophil percentage, olfactory dysfunction and pathological results were statistically analyzed. Result: 1 955 patients who were diagnosed as chronic rhinosinusitis(CRS) were enrolled in this study, including 570 patients in 2006, 583 patients in 2010, and 802 patients in 2015. There were no obvious changes of age structure in these patients in three years. And there was no significant change in sex ratio as well. The proportions of patients with CRS concomitant with asthma were obviously increased in 10 years, which was 3.51% in 2006, 7.55% in 2010, and 17.58% in 2015. The proportions of patients with allergic rhinitis were also increased, which was 10.35% in 2006, 8.75% in 2010, and 14.09% in 2015. Peripheral eosinophil ratio was increased significantly in these patients after 2010. The proportions of ECRS in CRS were elevated in 2015 and almost doubled compared to 2006. Olfactory dysfunction increased significantly in 2015. Conclusion: In recent 10 years, there were obvious changes of clinical features of CRS. The proportion of patients with CRS concomitant with asthma showed a gradual increasing trend. ECRS significantly increased than it was 10 years ago. Olfactory dysfunction also increased significantly. In order to improve the therapeutic effect of CRS, it is necessary to strengthen the treatment of upper and lower airway inflammation related with eosinophil.

VKORC1 rs2359612 and rs9923231 polymorphisms correlate with high risks of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

We aimed to confirm the correlations between rs2359612 and rs9923231 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1) gene and the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CCVDs) using meta-analysis. Electronic databases were exhaustively searched for relevant case-control studies by employing stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria. Manual retrieval was also conducted to obtain additional pertinent literature. The STATA statistical software was employed for the process of evidence synthesis. The initial literature search broadly identified 225 studies relevant to our topic of interest, and after multiple rounds of screening, 10 clinical case-control studies met the final inclusion criteria and were selected for this meta-analysis. The selected studies represented a combined total of 7329 patients with CCVD and 7951 healthy controls. Our meta-analysis demonstrated that the VKORC1 rs2359612 and rs9923231 SNPs were closely associated with high risk for CCVD (rs2359612: allelic: OR = 1.23, 95%CI = 1.00- 1.50, P = 0.047; dominant: OR = 1.32, 95%CI = 1.19-1.46, P < 0.001; rs9923231: allelic: OR = 0.74, 95%CI = 0.63-0.87, P < 0.001; dominant: OR = 0.67, 95%CI = 0.55-0.82, P < 0.001). Our meta-analysis provides strong evidence that two SNPs in the VKORC1 gene, rs2359612 and rs9923231, contribute to the risk of CCVD.

Association of the PPARγ2 Pro12Ala polymorphism with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

This meta-analysis investigated the correlation between the PPARγ2 Pro12Ala polymorphism and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Electronic database and manual searches were conducted to retrieve studies published relevant to the PPARγ2 Pro12Ala polymorphism and CVD. Rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria were employed for selection of high-quality patients-control studies. Statistical data analyses on allelic, dominant, homozygous, heterozygous, and recessive inheritance models were performed using the R 3.1.0 and Stata 12.0 software. We enrolled 12 case-control studies consisting of 10,189 patients with CVD [1070 with myocardial infarction (MI), 7849 with coronary artery disease (CAD), and 1270 with acute coronary syndromes (ACS)] and 17,899 controls. The results of meta-analyses revealed that the PPARγ2 Pro12Ala (rs1801282) polymorphism was correlated with a higher risk of CVD under both allelic and dominant models, while no statistical significance was found under homozygous, heterozygous, or recessive models. Subgroup analysis based on disease showed that the PPARγ2 Pro12Ala (rs1801282) polymorphism was correlated with a higher risk of MI under both allelic and dominant models, while no statistical significance was found for association with CAD or ACS under allele or dominant models. Furthermore, under homozygous, heterozygous, and recessive models, the PPARγ2 Pro12Ala (rs1801282) polymorphism had no statistically significant association with MI, CAD, or ACS. The results of this meta-analysis suggest that the PPARγ2 Pro12Ala (rs1801282) polymorphism might be correlated with a higher risk of CVD, particularly MI, and could serve as an important early indicator for CVD.

Road to future: iPSC clinical application in Parkinson's disease treatment.

Cell-replacement therapy using Parkinson's disease (PD) specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) holds great promise in treating PD. However, the problem of iPSC safety and efficiency restrict its clinical application. Meanwhile the requirement of skin biopsy for fibroblast will increase the risk of complication. In the past few years, the advances of iPSC technology in efficiency, cell resource, safety and cell culture have made it possible to use the derivatives of iPSCs to clinical PD treatment. This review will summarize these progresses of iPSC technique in this fast-moving community.

Selenite benefits embryonic stem cells therapy in Parkinson's disease.

Embryonic stem cells (ESC) transplantation is a potential therapeutic approach for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, one of the main challenges to this therapy is the post-transplantation survival of dopaminergic (DA) neurons. In this study, mouse ESC were differentiated into DA neurons by a modified serum free protocol. These ESC-derived neurons were then transplanted into striatum of 6-OHDA lesioned rat. The viability of grafted DA neurons was decreased, accompanied by activated microglia and high levels of proinflammatory factors, such as TNF-α and iNOS, in the graft niche. This suggested that the local neuroinflammation might be involved in the reduced cells viability. Selenite, the source of essential micronutrient selenium, could inhibit NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation and subsequently reduce iNOS, COX-2 and TNF-α expression in LPS-treated BV2 cells in a dose dependant manner. Before the transplantation of ESC-derived DA neurons, 6-OHDA lesioned rats were intraperitoneally injected with selenite. The expression levels of TNF-α and iNOS were decreased by 30% and 50%, respectively, in selenite treated group. The survival of implanted DA neurons and the rotational behavior of transplanted rats were also remarkably improved by selenite treatment. To sum up, selenite might benefit ESCs transplantation therapy in PD through anti-inflammation effects.

Analysis of Lingo1 variant in sporadic and familial essential tremor among Asians.

OBJECTIVE - Genome-wide association study (GWAS) has identified a variant in LINGO1 (rs9652490) that increases the risk of essential tremor (ET) among Caucasians. It has been suggested that among Asians, the risk variant is relevant only for the familial forms of ET. We investigated the association of the rs9652490 variant with sporadic and familial ET in a Chinese population and conducted a pooled analysis to compare the potential differential effect between sporadic and familial ET. METHODS - rs9652490 was genotyped by direct sequencing in 117 ET and 160 controls in a Chinese population. Previous published data from another Asian population were included in the meta-analysis. RESULT - There were no significant differences in the minor allele frequency and genotype frequency between ET and controls in our Chinese population. However, in the pooled analysis involving 1201 subjects, patients with ET had a higher proportion of GG genotype compared to controls. Logistic regression analysis revealed that G allele increased the risk of ET via a recessive model. In both familial ET and sporadic ET, the G allele increased the risk via a recessive model. CONCLUSION - While we could not demonstrate a significant association of the rs9652490 variant in our own study, pooled analysis of a much larger cohort revealed for the first time that the variant increased the risk in both familial and sporadic forms of ET among Asians, though the effect was stronger in familial ET.

Clinical effects and cervical tissue changes after treatment with 16,16 dimethyl-trans delta 2 PGE1 methylester in the first trimester.

Cervagem pessaries, containing 1 mg of 16,16-dimethyl-trans delta 2-PGE1 methylester, was administered in the posterior vaginal fornix 4 h before vacuum aspiration in the 1st trimester. The effects of cervical dilatation, cervical collagen metabolism and cervical smooth muscle activity were investigated. In treated women the mean cervical dilatation was 7.9 mm as compared with 3.9 mm in controls. The in vitro incorporation of 14C proline in cervical tissue as well as the hydrolytic activity against a synthetic "collagen-like" polypeptide was increased after treatment with cervagem. The cervical smooth muscle sensitivity to prostaglandins, as revealed by inhibition of muscle activity, was higher in treated women than in controls. It is concluded that cervical dilatation, as induced by cervagem, involves an adaptation of both connective tissue and smooth muscle components.