Association of AluYb8 insertion in the MUTYH gene with the risk of decreased left ventricular diastolic function in elderly diabetic patients / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To explore the relationship between AluYb8 insertion in the MUTYH gene and the risk of decreased left ventricular diastolic function in the elderly.Methods:In the retrospective analysis, 498 elderly patients with decreased left ventricular diastolic function(the disease group)and 155 people without left ventricular diastolic function(the control group)were recruited.Polymerase chain reaction was employed to analyze the genotype distribution of AluYb8 insertion in MUTYH gene.Cardiac function was measured by high-resolution color Doppler ultrasound.Results:The frequencies of the A/A, A/P and P/P genotypes were 30.1%(150/498), 48.4%(241/498)and 21.5%(107/498)in patients with decreased left ventricular diastolic function, and 27.7%(43/155), 54.8%(85/155)and 17.5%(27/155)in the control group, respectively.There were no significant differences in genotype( χ2=2.162, P=0.339)and allele frequency( χ2=1.342, P=0.794)between the two groups.Further analysis after stratification revealed that there were statistically significant differences in genotype( χ2=7.173, P=0.028)and allele frequency( χ2=8.352, P=0.015). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that, in elderly patients with diabetes, P-allele carriers had a higher risk of decreased left ventricular diastolic function than non-carriers( OR=3.450, 95% CI: 1.148-10.372, P=0.027). Conclusions:AluYb8 insertion in the MUTYH gene may be associated with the risk of decreased left ventricular diastolic function in the elderly with diabetes.

Integrated Multi-omics Approach Reveals the Interaction of Brain-gut in D-galactose-induced Aging Model Mice / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Multiple organs are physiologically and pathologically interconnected during aging, and the brain plays a central role in this process. There is a direct two-way communication between the brain and the gut called “brain-gut interaction”, which is of great significance for the study of aging, and the molecular mechanism remains to be further studied. The aim of this study is to explore the mechanism of aging in the context of brain-gut interaction. The results of general physical signs of mice showed that the amount of exercise decreased, body weight and food intake decreased significantly in aged mice (P < 0. 001, P<0. 05). The thymus index of aged mice was significantly lower than that of normal mice (P< 0. 05), and the thymic pathological results showed that the thymic cortex of aging mice was thinner, the boundary between medulla and cortex was blurred, and the cells were loosely arranged. Metabolomics analysis revealed 317 differential metabolites in feces and 100 differential metabolites in hippocampus. The results of microbiome showed that Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla of gut microbiota. Bacteroidetes showed an upward trend and Firmicutes showed a downward trend after aging. KEGG pathway results showed that 26 metabolic pathways were related to the study of aging, among which galactose metabolism, ABC transporter and purine metabolism were of great significance for the brain-gut interaction. The results of Spearman correlation analysis of the three groups showed that the types of metabolites involved were mainly lipids and lipid-like molecules and organic acids and derivatives, and the gut microbiota involved were mainly Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that the synergistic changes between brain and gut in aging mice were related to the mechanism of aging, which provided new insights into the mechanism of aging process.

A case report of primary extubation by partial cricotracheal resection for severe subglottic stenosis / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

This patient suffered from severe subglottic stenosis(grade Ⅳb). During partial cricotracheal resection, we cut through the cricothyroid membrane and the cricoid arch along the line from the lower edge of the thyroid cartilage to 5 mm of the inferior thyroid cartilage corner anteromedially. This can protect the cricothyroid joint, effectively protect the recurrent laryngeal nerve, and also support the airway. Strictly adhere to airway separation, avoid excessive separation of scars, and combine with reasonable postoperative management to achieve a safe extubation.

Research on Ethical Issues in the Prevention and Control of Major Infectious Diseases / 中国医学伦理学

Major infectious diseases have the characteristics of sudden, group and harmfulness. Isolation is widely used in the field of infectious disease prevention and control as an emergency management tool to control the source of infection and protect susceptible populations in emergencies. However, while it has achieved good results, there are also objective ethical disputes between personal freedom and public health, personal privacy and public knowledge. This paper fully discusses the ethical problems exposed in the implementation stage of isolation, follows the ethical principles of minimum infringement, utility and respect, and puts forward suggestions to strengthen the ethical decision-making ability of grassroots personnel, improve the operation procedures of isolation, and give more humanistic care to the isolated population. On the premise of the unity of public interest and individual rights and interests, we hope to promote the benign interaction between individuals and the public, properly solve the practical problems existing in the disposal of major infectious diseases, and give full play to the optimal function of public policy objectives.

Development of semicircular canal occlusion.

Surgical treatment of vertigo is performed with in-depth study of inner ear diseases. Achieving an effective control of vertigo symptoms while reducing damage to hearing and reducing surgical complications is the principle followed by scholars studying surgical modalities. Semicircular canal occlusion is aimed at treatment of partial peripheral vertigo disease and has attracted the attention of scholars because of the above advantages. This article provides a review of the origins of semicircular canal occlusion, related basic research, clinical applications, and the effects of surgery on vestibular and hearing function.

Effect of Micro-fertilizer Containing Rare Earth on Growth，Yield and Quality of Angelica sinensis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of micro-fertilizer containing rare earth of different types and concentrations on the growth，yield and quality of Angelica sinensis. MethodOn the basis of the single-factor randomized block design， the growth and index components of Angelica sinensis were determined with rare earth-containing nitrate and chloride micro-fertilizers of different concentrations as foliar fertilizers. ResultSpraying 0.8 g·mL-1 rare earth-containing chloride micro-fertilizer could increase the economic yield of A. sinensis， with the fresh yield per mu （1 mu≈667 m2） reaching 855.4 kg and the dry yield per mu 350.7 kg，which increased by 15.16% and 28.70% respectively compared with that in the control group CK1. Spraying 1.2 g·mL-1 rare earth-containing nitrate micro-fertilizer could promote the growth and development of A. sinensis and significantly increase the content of index components， with the plant height reaching 93.05 cm，the stem diameter 15.60 mm，the root diameter 16.10 mm，the main root length 36.5 cm，and the number of leaves 11.25 pieces per plant， which increased by 32.76%，31.98%，41.98%，53.36%，and 45.16%， respectively， compared with those in the control group CK2. Besides， the content of ferulic acid，volatile oil，ligustilide， and extract was 0.96%，0.41%，0.30% and 48.76%，respectively，which increased by 12.94%，17.14%，11.11%， and 12.07%，respectively，compared with that in the control group CK2. ConclusionSpraying 0.8 g·mL-1 rare earth-containing chloride micro-fertilizer and 1.2 g·mL-1 rare earth-containing nitrate micro-fertilizer can promote the growth and development of A. sinensis，improve the medicinal properties，and increase yield and quality. Rare earth-containing micro-fertilizers can be applied in the standardization of A. sinensis cultivation， which can change the production status of A. sinensis that depends on chemical fertilizers and single fertilization， and promote the green， organic and ecological cultivation of A. sinensis.

Multicolor scanning laser imaging in macular telangiectasia / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To observe the characteristics of macular telangiectasia (MacTel) in multi-color and multi-mode fundus images.Methods:An abservational case series study was conducted.Sixteen eyes of 12 patients diagnosed with MacTel by fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA) from January to November 2019 in Shandong Eye Hospital were analyzed.There were 8 cases (8 eyes) with MacTel type Ⅰ, among which 4 cases were male and 4 cases were female, with an average age of (62.3±12.5) years.The other 4 cases (8 eyes) had MacTel type Ⅱ, all of which were female, with an average age of (58.7±10.5) years.Best corrected visual acuity, slit lamp microscopy, color fundus photography, multicolor scanning laser imaging, FFA, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) were carried out in all the patients.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shandong Eye Institute (No.2019S003).Results:In color fundus images of MacTel type Ⅰ eyes, annular macular exudation with macular edema occurred in 6 eyes, macular edema without hard exudates in 1 eye, and hard macular exudates without macular edema in 1 eye.However, the transparency of retina in temporal fovea in MacTel type Ⅱ eyes decreased, showing a gray color.In multi-color fundus images of MacTel type Ⅰ eyes, punctate granular yellow macular exudation and yellow-green macular edema were observed, which were clearer than those in color fundus images.Punctate exudation was seen in both the blue and green reflectance images, which was clearest in green reflectance image, followed by blue reflectance image and then the infrared reflectance image.In OCT images of MacTel type Ⅰ eyes, cystoid edema of inner retina or uneven reflection signal of outer plexiform retina were observed.Loss of inner and outer retinal structures and cavities were observable in MacTel type Ⅱ eyes, and outer retinal atrophy appeared in 2 eyes.In OCTA images, the destruction of superficial and deep capillary plexus in macular area were observed in both MacTel typeⅠand type Ⅱ eyes, and the destruction of deep capillary plexus was more obvious.In addition, more obviously increased vascular space, decreased vessel density, and increased foveal avascular zone were found in MacTel type Ⅱ eyes.In early stage of FFA, delayed capillary filling near fovea was seen in MacTel typeⅠeyes, and dilated temporal vessels in fovea, some of which showed tumor-like dilation, and the limited tumor-like dilation was enhanced in the later stage.Different degrees of dilated parafoveal blood vessels in the early stage, and the capillary in the temporal side of the macula showing diffuse strong fluorescence in the late stage of FFA was observed in MacTel type Ⅱ eyes.Conclusions:Multi-color scanning laser imaging can be used to observe the morphological characteristics of MacTel, and the imaging features of different types of MacTel are significantly different.

Fully automated magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy for examination of the stomach and small bowel: a prospective, feasibility, two-centre study.

BACKGROUND: The use of magnetically controlled capsules for gastroscopy is in the early stages of clinical adoption. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a fully automated magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (FAMCE) system in clinical practice for gastroscopy and small bowel examination. METHODS: We did a prospective, comparative study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of FAMCE. Patients from two hospitals in Chongqing, China were consecutively enrolled. Eligible participants were aged 18-80 years with suspected gastric pathology and no previous surgery. Participants underwent FAMCE for screening of gastric lesions, then conventional transoral gastroscopy 2 h later, and stomach examination results were compared. The primary outcome was the rate of complete detection of gastric anatomy landmarks (cardia, fundus, body, angulus, antrum, and pylorus) by FAMCE. Secondary outcomes were the time required for gastric completion by FAMCE, the rate of detection of gastric lesions by FAMCE compared with conventional transoral gastroscopy, and the rate of complete small bowel examination. Adverse events were also evaluated. The study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000040507. FINDINGS: Between May 12 and Aug 17, 2020, 114 patients (mean age 44·0 years [IQR 34·0-55·0]; 63 [55%] female) were enrolled. The rate of complete detection of gastric anatomical structures by FAMCE was 100% (95% CI 99·3-100·0). The concordance between FAMCE and conventional transoral gastroscopy was 99·61% (99·45-99·78). The mean completion time of a gastroscopy with FAMCE was 19·17 min (SD 1·43; median 19·00, IQR 19·00-20·00), compared with 5·21 min (2·00; 5·18, 3·68-6·45) for conventional transoral gastroscopy. In 114 enrolled patients, 214 lesions were detected by FAMCE and conventional transoral gastroscopy. Of those, 193 were detected by both modalities. FAMCE missed five pathologies (four cases of gastritis and one polyp), whereas conventional transoral gastroscopy missed 16 pathologies (12 cases of gastritis, one polyp, one fundal xanthoma, and two antral erosions). FAMCE was able to provide a complete small bowel examination for all 114 patients and detected intestinal lesions in 50 (44%) patients. During the study, two (2%) patients experienced adverse events. No serious adverse events were recorded, and there was no evidence of capsule retention. INTERPRETATION: The performance of FAMCE is similar to conventional transoral gastroscopy in completion of gastric examination and lesion detection. Furthermore, it can provide a complete small bowel examination. Therefore, FAMCE could be effective method for examination of the gastrointestinal tract. FUNDING: Chinese National Key Research and Development Program.

Microfluidics sorting enables the isolation of an intact cellular pair complex of CD8+ T cells and antigen-presenting cells in a cognate antigen recognition-dependent manner.

Adaptive immune responses begin with cognate antigen presentation-dependent specific interaction between T cells and antigen-presenting cells. However, there have been limited reports on the isolation and analysis of these cellular complexes of T cell-antigen-presenting cell (T/APC). In this study, we successfully isolated intact antigen-specific cellular complexes of CD8+ T/APC by utilizing a microfluidics cell sorter. Using ovalbumin (OVA) model antigen and OT-I-derived OVA-specific CD8+ T cells, we analyzed the formation of antigen-specific and antigen-non-specific T/APC cellular complexes and revealed that the antigen-specific T/APC cellular complex was highly stable than the non-specific one, and that the intact antigen-specific T/APC complex can be retrieved as well as enriched using a microfluidics sorter, but not a conventional cell sorter. The single T/APC cellular complex obtained can be further analyzed for the sequences of T cell receptor Vα and Vß genes as well as cognate antigen information simultaneously. These results suggested that this approach can be applied for other antigen and CD8+ T cells of mice and possibly those of humans. We believe that this microfluidics sorting method of the T/APC complex will provide useful information for future T cell immunology research.

Effect of chicoric acid on oxidative stress during myocardial injury in sepsis rats and relationship with Nrf2 signaling pathway / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of chicoric acid on oxidative stress during myocardial injury in sepsis rats and the relationship with nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway.Methods:Forty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 8-12 weeks, weighing 220-250 g, were divided into 5 groups ( n=8 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group (group LPS), LPS+ chicoric acid group (group LPS+ CA), LPS+ Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 group (group LPS+ ML) and LPS+ chicoric acid+ ML385 group (group LPS+ CA+ ML). LPS 15 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected to induce sepsis.Immediately after intraperitoneal injection of LPS, chicoric acid 10 mg/kg or ML385 15 mg/kg (in dimethyl sulfoxide) was intraperitoneally injected in group LPS+ CA and group LPS+ ML, respectively, and ML385 15 mg/kg and chicoric acid 10 mg/kg were intraperitoneally injected in LPS+ CA+ ML group.The equal volume of dimethyl sulfoxide was given instead in group C. At 48 h after establishment of the model, blood samples were collected from the aorta for measurement of concentration of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). The animals were then sacrificed, and myocardial tissues were obtained for microscopic examination of pathological changes (by HE staining), for determination of activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and contents of reactive oxygen species(ROS) and iron (by colorimetry), for calculation of the ratio of oxidized nicotinamide adenine 2 nucleotides to reduced nicotinamide adenine 2 nucleotides (NAD + /NADH), and for detection of the expression of Nrf2, NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 1 (NOX1) (by Western blot). Results:Compared with C group, the activities of serum LDH and CK-MB and concentration of IL-6 were significantly increased, the contents of ROS and iron and the ratio of NAD + /NADH were increased, activities of GSH-Px and SOD were decreased, expression of Nrf2, NQO1 and GPX4 was down-regulated, and NOX1 expression was up-regulated in the other four groups ( P<0.05). Compared with group LPS, the activities of serum LDH and CK-MB and concentration of IL-6 were significantly decreased, the contents of ROS and iron and the ratio of NAD + /NADH were decreased, activities of GSH-Px and SOD were increased, expression of Nrf2, NQO1 and GPX4 was up-regulated, NOX1 expression was down-regulated ( P<0.05), and the pathological changes of cardiomyocytes were significantly reduced in group LPS+ CA, and the activities of serum LDH and CK-MB and concentration of IL-6 were significantly increased, the ratio of NAD + /NADH were increased, activities of GSH-Px and SOD were decreased, expression of Nrf2, NQO1 and GPX4 was down-regulated, NOX1 expression was up-regulated ( P<0.05), and the pathological changes of cardiomyocytes were accentuated in group LPS+ ML.Compared with group LPS+ CA, the activities of serum LDH and CK-MB and concentration of IL-6 were significantly increased, the contents of ROS and iron and the ratio of NAD + /NADH were increased, activities of GSH-Px and SOD were decreased, expression of Nrf2, NQO1 and GPX4 was down-regulated, NOX1 expression was up-regulated ( P<0.05), and the pathological changes of cardiomyocytes were accentuated in group LPS+ CA+ ML. Conclusion:The mechanism by which chicoric acid reduces myocardial injury in sepsis rats may be related to activating Nrf2 signaling pathway and inhibiting oxidative stress.

Multimodal ultrasonic diagnosis of breast fibromatosis originating from breast parenchyma / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To analyze the imaging characteristics of invasive fibromatosis from breast parenchyma, and to explore the clinical value of multimodal ultrasound.Methods:The two-dimensional, color Doppler and elastic imaging sonographic manifestations and pathological features of 12 cases of breast invasive fibromatosis included in the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from October 2015 to October 2020 were studied retrospectively.Results:Two dimensional ultrasound showed that 12 cases of breast invasive fibromatosis grew in parallel, with different sizes, unclear boundary and no complete capsule. The edge morphology of 7 cases (7/12) showed crab foot like changes; The tumor showed solid heterogeneous hypoechoic, punctate hyperechoic in 3 cases (3/12), and echo attenuation behind the tumor in 3 cases (3/12); The blood flow in the tumor was mainly grade 1-2 (9/12). Twelve tumors were examined quantitatively by virtual touch tissue quantifification. The shear wave velocity was (3.08±0.75)m/s. The diagnostic accuracy of multimodal ultrasound in invasive fibromatosis of breast (10/12) was significantly higher than that of conventional ultrasound (3/12, χ 2=8.224, P=0.004). The gross manifestation of the tumor: the section was gray or gray yellow, with unclear boundary and no capsule; Microscopic findings: fascicular fibroblasts and myofibroblasts proliferated, accompanied by varying degrees of glassy degeneration, acellular atypia, nuclear division and necrosis. Conclusions:Conventional ultrasound is difficult to distinguish invasive fibromatosis and malignant tumor of breast, and its ultrasonic manifestations are closely related to pathological features. The combined application of multimodal ultrasound can significantly improve the diagnostic coincidence rate of the disease and has high clinical application value.

Therapeutic effect of Yanghe decoction combined with Tounongpowder on patients with acute plasma cell mastitis and its influence on inflammatory factors / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect of Yanghe decoction combined with Tounongpowder on patients with acute plasma cell mastitis and its influence on inflammatory factors.Methods:A total of 120 patients with acute plasma cell mastitis admitted to Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College from May 2019 to May 2020 were selected, and divided into control group (60 cases) and combination group (60 cases). The control group was treated with western medicine, and the combination group was treated with Yanghe decoction and Tounongpowder on the basis of the control group. Seven days was 1 course and a total of 4 courses were continued. The scores of symptoms and signs and clinical effects of the two groups before treatment and 1 month after treatment were compared. The serum interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-6 were measured by radioimmunoassay, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results:After 1 month of treatment, the scores of breast swelling, breast lumps, breast pain, breast fistula symptoms and signs in the two groups were significantly decreased, the scores of above index in the combination group were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The total effective rate in the combined group was higher than that in control group: 91.7%(55/60) vs. 76.7% (46/60), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 8.456, P<0.05). After 1 month of treatment, the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in the two groups were significantly reduced, and the serum levels of above 3 index in the combination group were significantly lower than those in the control group: (3.24 ± 0.92) ng/L vs. (3.81 ± 1.02) ng/L, (1.12 ± 0.42) ng/L vs. (1.41 ± 0.35) ng/L, (32.27 ± 19.03) ng/L vs. (43.04 ± 21.58) ng/L, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). After treatment, the liver and kidney functions of the two groups were not abnormal, and the differences in adverse reactions such as headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting were not statistically significant ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Yanghe decoction combined with Tounongpowder can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of patients with acute plasma cell mastitis, with a definite clinical effect. Its mechanism of action may be related to reducing the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α and reducing the inflammatory response.

Electronic cigarette use and associated factors among middle school students in Zhengzhou / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand the status of e-cigarette use among junior high school students in Zhengzhou City and its associated factors, and to provide support for tobacco control intervention for junior high school students.@*Methods@#From March to May 2019 in Zhengzhou, a stratified cluster random sampling method was used to investigate 3 624 junior high school students using a self-made e-cigarette questionnaire, including demographic information, attitudes towards e-cigarettes, usage behavior, smoking behaviors of parents and friends.@*Results@#The usage rate of e-cigarettes for junior high school students in Zhengzhou was 5.5%, parents and 51.5% of junior high school students purchased e-cigarettes online, 28.3% purchased them through stores, and 20.2% purchased e-cigarettes through other methods. Regarding the item use of e-cigarettes was harmful to others, the proportion of students with an approved attitude was lower than that with negative attitudes, the difference was statistically significant(χ2=4.33, P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that e-cigarette was difficult to quit, the use of e-cigarettes won t make people feel relaxed, e-cigarette smoke was harmful to others , e-cigarette use did not make young people more attractive were negatively correlated with the use of e-cigarettes by middle school students(OR=0.46, 0.28, 0.57, 0.41, P<0.01).@*Conclusion@#The use of e-cigarettes by junior high school students in Zhengzhou is relatively serious, and multiple measures should be taken to strengthen health education and reduce the use rate of e-cigarettes.

Clinical value of biomarkers in diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis / 南方医科大学学报

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial pneumonia characterized by progressive accumulation of fibroblastic foci and destruction of the alveolar structure. Due to an incomplete understanding of the mechanism of the occurrence and progression of IPF, currently no effective means have been available for its early screening or treatment. With a poor overall prognosis, the patients with IPF have a median survival of only 2-4 years. In recent years, several studies have confirmed that dozens of molecules are involved in the development of IPF and can be used as potential biomarkers. These biomarkers play important roles in early diagnosis (such as SP-D, MMP-7, and osteopontin), prognostic evaluation (such as telomerase length, KL-6, mtDNA, HSP-70, LOXL2, CXCL13, miRNA, ICAM-1, and CCL18), and guiding treatment of IPF (such as TOLLIP rs3750920 genotype, SAMS score, and SP-D), and also provide potential therapeutic targets (such as TERT, TERR, RTEC, and PARN).

Targeted MR Imaging Adopting T1-Weighted Ultra-Small Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Early Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An and Study / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

Objective The purpose of this study was to produce an arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) peptide-modified ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide (FeO) nanoparticles (NPs) for targeted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and verify its utility as a T1 positive MRI imaging contrast agent and .Methods The carboxylated FeO NPs stabilized with sodium citrate were conjugated with polyethylene glycol (PEG)-linked RGD nanoparticles to form a novel target contrast agent FeO-PEG-RGD NPs. The specificity of FeO-PEG-RGD to bind RGD receptor was investigated by HepG2 cellular uptake and cell MR imaging, and by MR imaging of subcutaneous HepG2 tumors of nude mice.Results The formed FeO-PEG-RGD NPs displayed good biocompatibility, and the ultrahigh r1 relaxivity was 1.37 mM S . The synthesized FeO-PEG-RGD NPs were demonstrated spherical-like with an approximate diameter of 2.7 nm in similar size. The targeting effect to HepG2 cells was confirmed by cellular uptake and cell MR imaging. The MR imaging of nude mice demonstrated that the MR signal intensity enhancement of HepG2 tumor in FeO-PEG-RGD NPs treated mice was significantly higher than in mice treated with non-targeted FeO-mPEG NPs at the same post-administration time point. Conclusion The results indicate that the FeO-PEG-RGD particles have potential utility as T1 positive contrast agent in targeted MR imaging.

Clinical value of biomarkers in diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis / 浙江大学学报·医学版

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial pneumonia characterized by progressive accumulation of fibroblastic foci and destruction of the alveolar structure. Due to an incomplete understanding of the mechanism of the occurrence and progression of IPF, currently no effective means have been available for its early screening or treatment. With a poor overall prognosis, the patients with IPF have a median survival of only 2-4 years. In recent years, several studies have confirmed that dozens of molecules are involved in the development of IPF and can be used as potential biomarkers. These biomarkers play important roles in early diagnosis (such as SP-D, MMP-7, and osteopontin), prognostic evaluation (such as telomerase length, KL-6, mtDNA, HSP-70, LOXL2, CXCL13, miRNA, ICAM-1, and CCL18), and guiding treatment of IPF (such as TOLLIP rs3750920 genotype, SAMS score, and SP-D), and also provide potential therapeutic targets (such as TERT, TERR, RTEC, and PARN).

Ultrasonic diagnosis of endoleak after endovascular graft exclusion for abdominal aortic aneurysm / 中国介入影像与治疗学

Objective: Abdominal aortic aneurysm is mainly treated with endovascular aortic repair (EVAR), but the incidence of endoleak after EVAR is high. The main purpose of follow-up is to monitor the occurrence of endoleak after EVAR. Ultrasonic examinations have the advantages of convenient operation, low price, no ionizing radiation and high sensitivity and specificity for detecting endoleak. The advancements of ultrasonography in detecting endoleak after EVAR were reviewed in this article.

Effectiveness of strengthening management in bronchial asthma control among community patients / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of strengthening management in the bronchial asthma control among community patients.Methods:One hundred and eighteen community patients with bronchial asthma were recruited from January 2017 to January 2018. The patients were divided into community strengthening management group ( n=60) and control group ( n=58), the annual times of acute attack, time to first exacerbation and annual medical expenses were compared between the two groups. The proportion of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) administration was documented; the Asthma Control Test (ACT), the Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniAQLQ), Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), Fractional exhaled nitric oxide(FeNO) and pulmonary function were evaluated in two groups. Results:The management group had greater improvements in the proportion of ICS administration [45(75.0%) vs.36(62.1%), χ 2=4.143], ACT [(20.7±3.9) vs.(18.1±4.1), t=3.213], LCQ [(13.5±5.3) vs.(10.8±3.0), t=2.603], FeNO [(29.8±12.8) vs. (37.1±11.1), t=2.018] than the control group after six months of management (all P<0.05). There were significantly greater improvements in proportion of ICS treating [50(83.3%) vs. 34(58.6%), χ 2=5.748], ACT [(22.1±2.8) vs. (19.5±2.3), t=2.241], LCQ [(16.5±4.2) vs. (11.6±3.2),=5.603], miniAQLQ [(83.2±11.1) vs.(68.1±13.3), t=3.186] and FeNO [(28.2±13.1) vs.(38.1±16.3), t=2.176] in management group than those in control group after one year of management (all P<0.05); but no differences were seen in FEV 1%, FVC%, FEV 1/FVC (all P>0.05) between two groups. The LCQ score [(16.5±4.2) vs. (13.5±5.3), t=3.186] and the MiniAQLQ score [(83.2±11.1) vs. (69.1±14.3), t=5.603] of the management group were significantly improved after 1 year of management than those after 6 months. There was significant improvement in time to first exacerbation [182(92, 284) vs. 92(58, 176), Z=4.384] and the annual exacerbation was significantly reduced [0(0, 1) vs. 2(1, 3), Z=-3.187], annual medical costs of management group were significantly lower than those of control group [(10 523.0±550.5)Yuan vs. (15 787.1±1 421.2)Yuan, t=2.653]. Conclusion:The strengthening management can effectively improve the control rate of bronchial asthma, reduce acute exacerbation, improve clinical symptoms and improve the quality of life in community patients with bronchial asthma.

Diverse regulatory manners of human telomerase reverse transcriptase.

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is the core subunit of human telomerase and plays important roles in human cancers. Aberrant expression of hTERT is closely associated with tumorigenesis, cancer cell stemness maintaining, cell proliferation, apoptosis inhibition, senescence evasion and metastasis. The molecular basis of hTERT regulation is highly complicated and consists of various layers. A deep and full-scale comprehension of the regulatory mechanisms of hTERT is pivotal in understanding the pathogenesis and searching for therapeutic approaches. In this review, we summarize the recent advances regarding the diverse regulatory mechanisms of hTERT, including the transcriptional (promoter mutation, promoter region methylation and histone acetylation), post-transcriptional (mRNA alternative splicing and non-coding RNAs) and post-translational levels (phosphorylation and ubiquitination), which may provide novel perspectives for further translational diagnosis or therapeutic strategies targeting hTERT.

Circular incision and cutting, a novel treatment for patients with esophageal cancer with anastomotic stricture after esophagectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) is still considered the standard treatment for patients with anastomotic strictures after esophagectomy. However, repeated dilation sessions are often required to maintain the lumen patency. We therefore developed a novel method called circular incision and cutting (CIC) and compared the efficacy of CIC and EBD among patients with anastomotic strictures after esophagectomy or gastrectomy. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 71 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer with anastomotic strictures after esophagectomy or gastrectomy between January 2011 and December 2016 were included. Among them, 22 patients received CIC therapy and 49 were treated with EBD. RESULTS: The dysphagia in all patients immediately ameliorated and no serious adverse events requiring further intervention were observed after CIC therapy. Compared with EBD, CIC exhibited a greater score in the difference of dysphagia before and after treatment (1.73 vs 1.16, P = 0.03). Moreover, the interval of restenosis and 6-month lumen patency in CIC had a better effect than that in EBD (88.07 days vs 62.76 days, P = 0.001; dysphagia score 0.63 vs 1.44, P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: The CIC method may be an effective and safe option for patients with esophageal cancer with anastomotic strictures after esophagectomy.