Artificial intelligence-based CT metrics used in predicting clinical outcome of COVID-19 in young and middle-aged adults.

BACKGROUND: Currently, most researchers mainly analyzed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia visually or qualitatively, probably somewhat time-consuming and not precise enough. PURPOSE: This study aimed to excavate more information, such as differences in distribution, density, and severity of pneumonia lesions between males and females in a specific age group using artificial intelligence (AI)-based computed tomography (CT) metrics. Besides, these metrics were incorporated into a clinical regression model to predict the short-term outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical, laboratory information and a series of HRCT images from 49 patients, aged from 20 to 50 years and confirmed with COVID-19, were collected. The volumes and percentages of infection (POIs) among bilateral lungs and each bronchopulmonary segment were extracted using uAI-Discover-NCP software (version R001). The POI in three HU ranges (i.e., <-300, -300-49, and ≥50 HU representing ground-glass opacity [GGO], mixed opacity, and consolidation) were also extracted. Hospital stay was predicted with several POI after adjusting days from illness onset to admission, leucocytes, lymphocytes, C-reactive protein, age, and gender using a multiple linear regression model. A total of 91 patients aged 20-50 from public database were selected. RESULTS: Right lower lobes had the highest POI, followed by left lower lobes, right upper lobes, middle lobes, and left upper lobes. The distributions in lung lobes and segments were different between the sexes. Men had a higher total POI and GGO of the lungs, but less consolidation than women in initial CT (all p < 0.05). The total POI, percentage of consolidation on initial CT, and changed POI were positively correlated with hospital stay in the model. A total of 91 patients aged 20-50 years in the public database were selected, and AI segmentation was performed. The POI of the lower lobes was obviously higher than that in the upper lobes; the POI of each segment of the right upper lobe in the males was higher than that in the females, which was consistent with the result of the 49 patients previously. CONCLUSION: Both men and women had characteristic distributions in lung lobes and bronchopulmonary segments. AI-based CT quantitative metrics can provide more precise information regarding lesion distribution and severity to predict clinical outcome.

Experimental study of effect and mechanism of cysteine rich protein 61 on survival of adipose tissues in rats after autologous fat grafting / 器官移植

Objective To evaluate the effect and mechanism of cysteine rich protein 61, namely CCN family member 1(CCN1) on the survival of adipose tissues in rats after autologous fat grafting. Methods At 1 week after the establishment of autologous fat grafting rat models, all animals were randomly divided into the CCN1 group (n=20) and control group (n=20). The survival of fat grafts, the morphology of fat graft tissues, the proportion of active adipocytes and the number of new blood vessels of rats were statistically compared between two groups. The levels of differential expressed messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in the fat graft tissues of rats were compared between two groups by high-throughput sequencing and subsequently subject to cluster analysis. The expression levels of related proinflammatory cytokines of fat graft tissues of rats were statistically compared between two groups. Results The weight retention rate of adipose tissues in the CCN1 group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). In the CCN1 group, the integrity of adipocytes was considerably higher, the degree of vesiculation and vacuolation, the degree of inflammatory cell aggregation and the degree of fibrosis were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P < 0.000 1). Immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that the proportion of active adipocytes with uniform morphology was higher in the CCN1 group, whereas the proportion of active adipocytes was lower and the cells were observed in different sizes accompanied by vesiculation in the control group. Compared with the control group, the quantity of new blood vessels was significantly higher, and the expression levels of platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) mRNA were remarkably higher in the CCN1 group (all P < 0.05). High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that the data at the transcriptome levels significantly differed between two groups. In the CCN1 group, the gene expression levels of cell surface markers, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines related to M1 macrophages tended to decline. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) revealed that the mRNA expression levels of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-1 and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 in the CCN1 group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.01-0.05). Conclusions During autologous fat grafting, supplement of exogenous CCN1 may effectively promote the neovascularization of adipose tissues and improve the survival rate of fat graft probably by mediating the transformation of macrophages into M2 phenotype via down-regulating the TLR2 expression level.

Inhibition of sinomenine on nuclear factor-?B of synoviocytes in collagen-induced arthritis rats / 第三军医大学学报

Objective To observe the effect of sinomenine(SN) in vitro on nuclear factor-?B(NF-?B) DNA binding activity and nuclear translocation of synoviocytes in collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) rats and explore its antiinflammatory mechanisms.Methods The experimental model of CIA rats was used and synoviocytes were collected.Cells were divided into five groups:normal control,CIA,CIA+10 ?mol/L methotrexate(MTX),CIA+50 ?mol/L SN,CIA+500 ?mol/L SN.Nuclear translocation of NF-?B p65 subunit and NF-?B DNA binding activity of synoviocytes were investigated by fluorescence labelling laser confocal scanning microscopy and electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA) respectively.Results Compared to normal control,significant nuclear translocation of NF-?B p65 subunit was observed and NF-?B DNA binding activity was increased in synoviocytes of CIA rats(P