Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and absolute monocyte count have prognostic potential in primary myelodysplastic neoplasms.

INTRODUCTION: The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), peripheral blood absolute monocyte count (AMC), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) are considered biomarkers of systemic immune and inflammation response. However, their prognostic potential in patients with myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the predictive impact of PLR, MLR, and AMC on MDS outcomes. METHODS: In total, 334 patients with primary MDS were included between January 2016 and December 2021 and were retrospectively followed up until December 31, 2022. The prognostic significance of PLR, MLR, and AMC was assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses, and predictive models were generated to estimate MDS outcomes. The area under their receiver operating curves was computed to compare the predictive power of these models. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients had disease progression, and 103 patients died during follow-up. In multivariate analyses, a higher PLR was an adverse independent factor for overall survival (OS) (p = 0.011), whereas a higher AMC indicated shorter progression-free survival (p = 0.003). The prognostic model incorporating PLR, MLR, and AMC with the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) risk categorization showed higher performance in predicting OS than the model that only utilized the IPSS-R category. CONCLUSION: Elevated PLR and increased AMC had independent prognostic value for adverse outcomes in patients with MDS. PLR, MLR, and AMC enhanced the IPSS-R risk categorization for OS prediction in MDS.

The Improvement Effect of Sodium Ferulate on the Formation of Pulmonary Fibrosis in Silicosis Mice Through the Neutrophil Alkaline Phosphatase 3 (NALP3)/Transforming Growth Factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1)/α-Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA) Pathway.

BACKGROUND Pneumoconiosis is a chronic progressive fibrotic interstitial pneumonia for which the pathogenesis and treatment remain unclear. Previous studies showed that sodium ferulate (SF) may have a therapeutic effect, and this study explored the mechanism underlying SF-related improvement. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this study, a silicosis mouse model and primary cultured mouse lung fibroblasts were established. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, western blot analysis, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and Masson staining were used to observe the lung injury, expression of vimentin, and the degree of pulmonary fibrosis. The extracted lung fibroblasts were identified by immunofluorescence. The expression of fibrosis-related genes encoding transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), neutrophil alkaline phosphatase 3 (NALP3), collagen-1, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), and phosphorylated p38 (p-p38) and p38 proteins were detected by western blot. The effects of SF and the TGF-ß pathway agonist SRI-011381 on cell proliferation and the expression of fibrosis-related protein in mouse lung fibroblasts were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8, immunofluorescence, and western blot as needed. RESULTS SF reduced the lung lesions in silicosis mice and inhibited the expression of vimentin and fibrosis-related genes, while having no effect on body weight. Vimentin expression was positive in the extracted cells. In vitro experiments showed that SF inhibited the proliferation of lung fibroblasts and the expression of fibrosis-related proteins. In addition, SF partly reversed the opposite regulatory effect of SRI-011381 on lung fibroblasts. CONCLUSIONS SF inhibited lung injury and fibrosis in silicosis mice through the NALP3/TGF-ß1/alpha-SMA pathway.

[Analysis of the Detection Results of the Syphilis Specific Antibody in Blood Donors by Chemiluminescence Method and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application value of chemiluminescence method (CMIA) detection of Treponema pallidum (TP) specific antibodies in the blood test. METHODS: Over the same period the de novo enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Abbott chemical luminescence method were used to detect the specific antibody of syphilis in a total of 66298 samples; TP-ELISA negative and TP-CMIA positive unpaid blood donation blood samples for syphilis specific antibody were detected and confirmed by Western blot. RESULTS: Blood samples from 66298 blood donors were detected by TP-ELISA, the positive samples was 250 and the positive rate was 0.38%. The positive samples of TP-CMIA was 297, the positive rate was 0.45%, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The blood samples of 47 unpaid blood donors were confirmed by TP-Western blot method, as a result, 32 samples were positive, 15 were negative, and result detected by TP-ELISA method was negative. CONCLUSION: TP-CMIA sensitivity is higher than that of TP-ELISA, and possesses higher sensitivity and specificity, and quick detection, simple operation, easy automation, suggesting greater application value in blood detection of Treponema pallidum.

Elevated RNA expression of long non­coding HOTAIR promotes cell proliferation and predicts a poor prognosis in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is one of the most common types of malignancy worldwide. The lack of clear symptoms and early detection make it difficult to diagnose at an early stage, leading to poor prognosis of the patients. Long non­coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have come into focus for their important regulatory roles in fundamental biological processes, particularly in cancer initiation, development and progression. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of lncRNA Hox transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) in a cohort of patients with DLBCL to assess its clinical value and biological function in DLBCL. The reverse transcription­polymerase chain reaction was used to detect HOTAIR expression levels and cells were transfected with small interfering RNA to compare cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Western blotting was also conducted to detect possible signaling pathways. It was first found that the expression levels of HOTAIR were upregulated in DLBCL tumor tissues and cell lines, compared with normal tissues and cells. In addition, HOTAIR was significantly correlated with tumor size, clinical stage, B symptoms and International Prognostic Index scores; and higher expression levels of HOTAIR were correlated with improved prognosis. Univariate and multivariate analyses verified that HOTAIR was a key independent predictive factor for DLBCL prognosis. Furthermore, it was revealed that the knockdown of the expression of HOTAIR led to growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro, possibly through the phosphoinositide 3­kinase/AKT/nuclear factor­κB pathway. These results suggested that HOTAIR may be regarded as a novel indicator of poor prognosis, and may serve as a potential target for gene therapy in the treatment of DLBCL.

[Effect of Wenyang Decoction on the Differentiation of CD34+ Progenitor Cells in Occupational Asthma Model Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Wenyang Decoction (WD) on the differentiation of CD34+ progenitor cells of occupational asthma (OA) model rats. METHODS: Fifty healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups, i.e., the model group, the blank control group,the WD group,the Western medicine group,the combined group, 10 in each group. Prednisone suspension (10 mg/kg) was administered to rats in the Western medicine group by gastrogavage. WD (20 g/kg) was administered to rats in the WD group by gastrogavage. Prednisone suspension plus WD was administered to rats in the combined group by gastrogavage. Normal saline was administered to rats in the model group and the blank control group by gastrogavage. The general condition of rats was observed. Expression levels of peripheral blood IL-5 and eotaxin, eosinophils (EOS), CD34+, CC chemokine receptor 3 (CCR3+) in bone marrow suspension were detected by ELISA, Wirght-Giemsa, and flow cytometry, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the blank control group,expression levels of IL-5 and eotaxin in peripheral blood were significantly higher (P < 0.01), and the count of EOS and CD34+ cells, as well as CD34+ /CCR3+ significantly increased (P < 0.01) in the model group. Compared with the model group, expression levels of IL-5 and eotaxin, the count of EOS, CD34+ cells, CD34+ / CCR3+ were lowered in three treated groups (P < 0.01). Compared with the Western medicine group, the count of EOS and CD34+ / CCR3+ decreased in the combined group (P < 0.01). The count of EOS was significantly lower in the combined group than in the WD group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: WD could reduce levels of in vivo inflammatory factors, and restrain the differentiation and recruitment of EOS,thereby alleviating the differentiation of CD34 progenitor cells to EOS.

[High Expression of co-stimulatory molecule CD40 in silicosis patients and intervention effect of yiqi huoxue decoction].

OBJECTIVE: To study whether co-stimulatory molecule CD40 of alveolar macrophage (AM) participated in the occurrence and development of silicosis, and to explore the intervention of Yiqi Huoxue Decoction (YHD) in the fibrosis of silicosis patients. METHODS: Totally 46 silicosis inpatients and outpatients were recruited and randomly assigned to the Western treatment group (A) and the Chinese medicine (CM) treatment group (B), 23 in each group. Patients in Group A received routine symptomatic treatment such as anti-inflammation, phlegm resolving, anti-spasm, and asthma relief, and so on. Patients in Group B additionally took YHD, one dose daily for 14 successive days. Besides, another 18 patients with chronic cough and sense of laryngeal foreign bodies were recruited as the normal control group, who had no obvious lesion confirmed by bronchofi6roscope and clinical diagnosis of the lung. They were treated by symptomatic supporting treatment. The alveolar lavage fluid was collected from all patients and isolated, and AM cells were cultured. The level of CD40 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. The expression of CD40 protein was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, expression levels of CD40 mRNA and CD40 protein significantly increased in Group A (P < 0.01). Compared with Group A, expression levels of CD40 mRNA and CD40 protein significantly decreased in Group B (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Highly expressed co-stimulatory molecule CD40 of AM might participate in pulmonary fibrosis. YHD could hinder its roles, inhibit the progression of fibrosis, thereby playing an interventional role of treatment.

[Clinical value of noninvasive intermittent positive-pressure ventilation in pneumoconiosis combined with respiratory failure].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of noninvasive intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in treatment of patients with pneumoconiosis combined with respiratory failure. METHOD: Three were 46 inpatients with pneumoconiosis combined with respiratory failure. Twenty-six inpatients treated with conventional therapy and NIPPV were categorized as treatment group; Twenty inpatients just treated by conventional therapy served as control group. Compared with the changes of HR, RR and arterial blood gas index (PH, PaCO2, PaO2) in two groups after treatment. RESULTS: The effective ratio of treatment group was 88.5%, control group was 60%, which had significant difference (P < 0.05); The HR in treatment group after treatment was (95.38 +/- 10.75) beats per minute, control group was [(103.00 +/- 12.56) beats per minute; The RR in treatment group was (21.69 +/- 1.37) breaths per minute, control group was [(22.60 +/- 1.57) breaths per minute]; The PaCO2 in treatment group was (52.88 +/- 10.75)mm Hg, control group was [(59.66 +/- 11.49)mm Hg]; All of those were significantly decreased than those in control group (P < 0.05). The PaO2 in treatment group was (100.77 +/- 25.3) mm Hg, control group was [(71.82 +/- 17.94) mmHg]; Compared with the control group, PaO2 in the treatment group increased significantly (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: NIPPV is beneficial to pneumoconiosis combined with respiratory failure in different degrees.