Peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 and its potential role in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main cause of dementia, and its pathogenesis is still not clear. Peptidyl arginine deiminases 4(PAD4) as one of the important members of PAD family, is the only protein with nuclear transfer function, it can regulate the expression of many proteins through citrullinating histone. PAD4 can also interact with many transcription factors, involved in regulating gene expression. PAD4 expression is closely related to the inflammatory factors secreted, cell autophagy, tumorigenesis and other neurodegenerative diseases. More importantly, PAD4 and its citrullinated protein were found in cortical and hippocampal neurons of AD patients. To study the expression and regulatory pathway of PAD4 in vivo and in vitro experiments on AD may be of helpful to elucidate the pathogenesis of AD. Meanwhile, detection of anti-citrullinated antibody will have potential value as novel biomarkers of AD.

[The factors predicting early efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase in acute ischemic stroke].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors affecting on early efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase. METHODS: The clinical data of 100 acute cerebral infarction patients treated by intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into early effective group and ineffective group, which assessed by National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) with criteria of whether there were > 3 or not at 24 hours after therapy. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to determine the differences of clinical data between the two groups. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed that the early improvement was significantly associated with favorable outcome at 3 month (P = 0.000). Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that the systolic pressure at baseline was moderately positively associated with early improvement (OR 1.031, 95%CI 1.008 - 1.056, P = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Moderately lower baseline systolic pressure is associated with early improvement after thrombolytic therapy which is associated with favorable outcome at 3 month.