[Research progress on the relevance between serum vitamin D and IL-33/ST2 levels and allergic rhinitis].

Summary Allergic rhinitis（AR）, a common and frequente disease, has attracted global attention in recent years. The imbalance between Th1 and Th2 cellular immune responses is the immunological basis of AR. Studies have found that vitamin D plays an important role in the occurrence of AR, and IL-33/ST2 is a newly discovered cytokine and signaling pathway in AR. There are certain specific associations between vitamin D and IL-33/ST2 in the pathogenesis of AR. This paper mainly analyzes the studies on the expression of vitamin D, IL-33/ST2 and Th1/Th2 cytokines in AR, so as to clarify the role of the above two factors in the pathogenesis of AR.

[The clinicopathological features and curative effect of the bronchoscopic interventional therapy combined with radiotherapy for the treatment of locally recurrent lung adenoid cystic carcinoma].

Objective: To explore the clinical value of endoscopic interventional therapy for locally recurrent primary lung adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). Methods: The clinical data of 42 patients with locally recurrent ACC were retrospectively analyzed, and the differences of tracheal and bronchial diameter, airway scoring grade and airway obstruction degree before and after treatment were compared among three treatment methods: bronchoscopic interventional therapy + palliative radiotherapy, interventional therapy alone, and non-interventional therapy. Log rank test and Cox proportional risk model multi-factor analysis were used to determine the prognostic factors of ACC patients with local recurrence, and the long-term effect of bronchoscopic interventional therapy on ACC with local recurrence was determined. Results: The median overall survival of 42 patients was 59 months and 5-year survival rate was 54.2%.Univariate analysis showed that vascularized cancer, pleural invasion, pulmonary atelectasis, incisal margin, microscopic classification, tumor diameter, initial TNM stage, ki-67 index, and treatment after local recurrence were associated with long-term survival of ACC patients with local recurrence (all P<0.05). Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that margin status (RR=0.272, P=0.011), tumor diameter (RR=2.586, P=0.005), initial TNM staging (RR=0.369, P=0.035), ki-67 index (RR=3.569, P<0.001), and treatment methods after local recurrence (RR=0.126, P<0.001) were independent factors influencing the prognosis of ACC patients with local recurrence. After three months of treatment, the tracheal bronchus diameters, rating of shortness of breath, and degree of airway obstruction were all improved significantly (all P<0.05), both in the interventional therapy + palliative radiotherapy group [(14.5±2.8 mm, 0.86±0.45, (14.50±10.67)%, respectively], and the interventional therapy alone group [(13.7±2.3) mm, 0.97±0.25, (15.38±12.02)%, respectively]. Meanwhile, the difference before and after non-interventional therapy was not statistically significant (all P>0.05). 5-year overall survival rates were 55.8%, 46.6% and 42.6% for patients undergoing interventional therapy+ palliative radiotherapy, interventional therapy alone, and non-interventional therapy after recurrence, with statistically significant differences (P=0.015). Patients underwent bronchial endoscopic interventional therapy and palliative radiotherapy had the best efficacy of treatment. Conclusion: Endoscopic interventional therapy plus palliative radiotherapy is an effective local palliative treatment for locally recurrent ACC patients, which can rapidly relieve airway stenosis, improve the quality of life of patients and prolong the survival time of patients.

Sex differences of high-risk carotid atherosclerotic plaque with less than 50% stenosis in asymptomatic patients: an in vivo 3T MRI study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Men have a greater prevalence of high-risk carotid plaque features associated with stroke compared with women who have ≥50% stenosis, but little is known about these features in less significantly stenotic carotid arteries. This study aims to evaluate sex differences in complicated carotid plaque features in asymptomatic patients with <50% stenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-six patients (50 men, 46 women) with <50% carotid stenosis on MRA who had been referred for analysis of contralateral >50% carotid stenosis were included. The associations between sex and plaque features as identified by 3T MR carotid plaque imaging were examined by using logistic and linear regression models controlling for demographic characteristics, MRA stenosis, and the presence of contralateral plaque features. RESULTS: The presence of a thin/ruptured fibrous cap (16% versus 2%, adjusted odds ratio = 8.57, P = .047), IPH (24% versus 6%, adjusted odds ratio = 4.53, P = .027), and American Heart Association type VI plaque (26% versus 6%, adjusted odds ratio = 5.04, P = .017) was significantly higher in men than in women. These associations remained significant following adjustment for contralateral plaque features. Men demonstrated a larger percentage volume of LR/NC (median, 1.66% versus -0.21%; P < .01). Calcification was not significantly associated with sex. CONCLUSIONS: There is a sex difference of higher risk carotid plaque features during the early stage of disease seen in patients recruited for MR imaging evaluation of contralateral moderate-to-severe stenosis. Given the potential of using LR/NC without or with IPH to monitor therapy, these results indicate the possible importance of sex-based management in patients with asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis across all stages of carotid stenosis.

MR carotid plaque imaging and contrast-enhanced MR angiography identifies lesions associated with recent ipsilateral thromboembolic symptoms: an in vivo study at 3T.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent research has suggested the importance of plaque composition to identify patients at risk for stroke. This study aims to identify specific plaque features on 3T carotid MR imaging and CE-MRA associated with recent carotid thromboembolic symptoms in patients with mild/moderate versus severe stenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-seven consecutive patients (symptomatic, 13; asymptomatic, 84) with 50%-99% stenosis by sonography or CT angiography underwent carotid plaque imaging combined with MRA at 3T. The symptomatic carotid artery or the most stenotic asymptomatic carotid artery was chosen as the index vessel to be analyzed. Plaque features were compared by symptomatic status in patients with mild/moderate (30%-70%) versus severe (70%-99%) stenosis on MRA. RESULTS: Ninety (92.8%) patients had sufficient image quality for interpretation. In 50 patients with mild/moderate stenosis, there were significant associations between the presence of the following plaque characteristics and symptoms: thin/ruptured fibrous cap (100% versus 36%, P = .006) and lipid-rich necrotic core (100% versus 39%, P = .022), with marginal association with hemorrhage (86% versus 33%, P = .055). In 40 patients with severe stenosis, only the angiographic presence of ulceration (86% versus 36%, P = .039) was associated with symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Several plaque components identified on 3T MR imaging are correlated with recent ipsilateral carotid thromboembolic symptoms. These preliminary results also suggest that associations between plaque characteristics and symptom history may vary by degree of stenosis. If confirmed in larger studies, carotid MR imaging may distinguish stable from unstable lesions, particularly in individuals with mild/moderate stenosis in whom the role of surgical intervention is currently unclear.

Image-based ghost correction for interleaved EPI.

A new image-based ghost correction technique is described for general interleaved EPI. This technique works reliably with both even- and odd-number interleaved EPI sequences. It estimates the phase distortions causing the ghosts as a general function of (x,y) even in the presence of a significant overlap of parent image and ghosts. If the phase distortion is assumed to be a function of x (frequency-encode direction) only, the new technique is similar to a recently published correction method for general interleaved EPI (Hennel. J Magn Reson 1998;134:206-213). However, that study concluded that the method for general interleaved EPI did not work. It showed that the SNRs of the edge pixels were too low to accurately estimate the phase distortion. The new technique utilizes not one, but many pixels in the image for estimating the phase distortion. The technique requires a user-defined ROI to outline the parent image and identify so-called eligible pixels for estimating the phase distortion. When all eligible pixels are used, the SNR of the phase distortion estimate is comparable to that obtained in single-shot EPI. This study provides the first examples of high-quality, image-based correction of multiple ghosts in general interleaved EPI. Magn Reson Med 45:96-108, 2001.

High spatial resolution EPI using an odd number of interleaves.

Ghost artifacts in echoplanar imaging (EPI) arise from phase errors caused by differences in eddy currents and gradient ramping during left-to-right traversal of kx(forward echo) versus right-to-left traversal of kx (reverse echo). Reference scans do not always reduce the artifact and may make image quality worse. To eliminate the need for reference scans, a ghost artifact reduction technique based on image phase correction was developed, in which phase errors are directly estimated from images reconstructed separately using only the forward or only the reverse echos. In practice, this technique is applicable only to single-shot EPI that produces only one ghost (shifted 1/2 the field of view from the parent image), because the technique requires that the ghosts do not completely overlap the parent image. For higher spatial resolution, typically an even number of separate k-space traversals (interleaves) are combined to produce one large data set. In this paper, we show that data obtained from an even number of interleaves cannot be combined to produce only one ghost, and image phase correction cannot be applied. We then show that data obtained from an odd number of interleaves can be combined to produce only one ghost, and image phase correction can be applied to reduce ghost intensity significantly. This "odd-number interleaf EPI" provides spatial and temporal resolution tradeoffs that are complementary to, or can replace, those of even-number interleaf EPI. Odd-number interleaf EPI may be particularly useful for MR systems in which reference scans have been unreliable.

[Effects erythropoietin on experimental anemia in rats with chronic renal failure].

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a glycoprotein hormone secreted by human kidney cells. Human EPO was induced from human embryo kidney cells, isolated and purified from medium by biochemical method in our laboratory. The hypoproliferative anemia in chronic renal failure (CRF) has been assumed to be the result of decreased EPO production by the damaged kidney and of the shortening of the survival of erythrocytes. In this study, CRF anemia was formed 9 weeks after the removal of five-sixths of the renal mass of rats. These anemic rats were divided into 6 groups: treated with different dosages of EPO or physiological saline. The results indicate that EPO has apparent effects on anemia in rats with CRF. It may stimulate erythropoiesis and improve the anemia state of rats with CRF. Hematological parameters (RBC, Hb, PLT, Ht and Rt) may be reverted to normal levels (P less than 0.001). The level of BUN and Cr were significantly decreased. The optimum dose of EPO was 1000 U/kg. All these results show that injection of EPO has therapeutic effect on anemia in rats with CRF. EPO showed no effect on normal rats.