Microecology research: a new target for the prevention of asthma / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

The incidence and prevalence of asthma have increased remarkably in recent years. There are lots of factors contributing to the occurrence and development of asthma. With the improvement of sequencing technology, it has been found that the microbiome plays an important role in the formation of asthma in early life. The roles of the microbial environment and human microbiome in the occurrence and development of asthma have attracted more and more attention. The environmental microbiome influences the occurrence of asthma by shaping the human microbiome. The specific mechanism may be related to the immune regulation of Toll-like receptors and T cells (special Tregs). Intestinal microbiome is formed and changed by regulating diet and lifestyle in early life, which may affect the development and maturation of the pulmonary immune system through the intestinal-pulmonary axis. It is well-recognized that both environmental microbiomes and human microbiomes can influence the onset of asthma. This review aims to summarize the recent advances in the research of microbiome, its relationship with asthma, and the possible mechanism of the microbiome in the occurrence and development of asthma. The research of the microbial environment and human microbiome may provide a new target for the prevention of asthma in children who have high-risk factors to allergy. However, further study of "when and how" to regulate microbiome is still needed.

Association between dopamine receptor D2 TaqIA polymorphism and Parkinson disease risk: a meta-analysis.

Although many publications have evaluated the correlation between dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) TaqIA polymorphism and Parkinson disease (PD), the results remain inconclusive. In order to further address the association between DRD2 TaqIA polymorphism and PD risk, we performed a meta-analysis of all eligible studies from more databases. Related studies were identified from six databases involving PubMed, Springer Link, Ovid, Chinese Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Chinese Biology Medicine (CBM) through Octorber 2018. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the associations. A total of 13 studies including 3558 PD patients and 10186 controls were involved in this meta-analysis. Overall, no significant association was found between DRD2 TaqIA polymorphism and PD risk in the total population. A further subgroup study by ethnicity showed a significant association between DRD2 TaqIA polymorphism and PD in Caucasians (for A1 vs. A2: P=0.02, OR=1.14, 95% CI: 1.02-1.27; for (A1A1 + A1A2) vs. A2A2: P=0.03, OR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.02-1.33). No significant results were observed in Asians. In conclusion, this meta-analysis provides evidence that DRD2 TaqIA polymorphism may contribute to the PD development in Caucasians, and large-scale well-designed studies are required in future to confirm this conclusion.

Background rhythm frequency and theta power of quantitative EEG analysis: predictive biomarkers for cognitive impairment post-cerebral infarcts.

In clinical settings, cerebral infarct is a common disease of older adults, which usually increases the risk of cognitive impairment. This study aims to assess the quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) as a predictive biomarker for the development of cognitive impairment, post-cerebral infarcts, in subjects from the Department of Neurology. They underwent biennial EEG recording. Cerebral infarct subjects, with follow-up cognitive evaluation, were analyzed for qEEG measures of background rhythm frequency (BRF) and relative δ, θ, α, and ß band power. The relationship between cognitive impairment and qEEG, and other possible predictors, was assessed by Cox regression. The results showed that the risk hazard of developing cognitive impairment was 14 times higher for those with low BRF than for those with high BRF (P < .001). Hazard ratio (HR) was also significant for more than median θ band power (HR = 5, P = .002) compared with less than median θ band power. The HRs for δ, α, and ß bands were equal to the baseline demographic, and clinical characteristics were not significantly different. In conclusion, qEEG measures of BRF, and relative power in θ band, are potential predictive biomarkers for cognitive impairment in patients with cerebral infarcts. These biomarkers might be valuable in early prediction of cognitive impairment in patients with cerebral infarcts.

[Application of transanal ileus tube followed by laparoscopic surgery for malignant colorectal obstruction].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transanal drainage tube followed by laparoscopic surgery in management of malignant colorectal obstruction. METHODS: From March 2007 to October 2010, 37 patients with colorectal cancer manifesting acute complete mechanical obstruction were treated by ileus tube drainage. After irrigation and drainage ranging from 4 to 10 days, the radical operations and anastomosis were performed by laparoscopy. RESULTS: The drainage tubes were successfully implanted in 34 patients. The decompression time of patients was (5.8 ± 1.6) d, ranging from 4 to 10 d. The abdominal pain and bloating symptoms were faded away after (3.8 ± 1.3) d (1 to 7 d) drainage. And comparing to that of patients when admission, abdominal circumference significantly reduced from (92 ± 7) cm to (84 ± 6) cm (P = 0.013) before surgery. Thirty-one cases were performed radical resection and anastomosis by laparoscopy after decompression. Postoperative recovery was smooth, and there was no serious complication. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic surgery followed decompression by transanal ileus tube is effective and safe for acute lower colorectal obstruction. Emergency surgery may be converted to limit surgery by this method. After appropriate bowel preparation, laparoscopic radical surgery and anastomosis is feasible.