Correlation between serum cytokines and clinicopathological features in patients with drug-induced liver injury.

Objectives: Changes in serum levels of cytokines have been proposed as possible biological markers of tissue damage, including drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Here, we aimed to screen cytokine markers that have guiding significance for the degree of inflammation of DILI. Patients and methods: 54 patients with DILI were retrospectively analyzed as the experimental group, and 14 healthy subjects were randomly selected as the control group. A total of 20 cytokines were detected by using a cytokine protein antibody chip, and differentially expressed proteins were screened. Results: There were significant differences in serum cytokines between DILI patients and healthy controls. Compared with the control group, the DILI group expressed 11 differential proteins. IL-8, TNF RII, TNFα, TNF RI, MIP-1ß, MIP-1α, and IL-1ß were differentially expressed in DILI patients with different degrees of inflammation from G1 to G4. MIG, IL-12p40, and IL-10 were differentially expressed in the higher degree of inflammation groups (G2, G3, and G4 groups). Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) was differentially expressed in the group with the highest inflammation degree (G4 group). Chemokine C-C motif ligand 1 (I-309) was only differentially expressed in the lowest inflammation group (G1 group). Conclusion: The changes and differential expression of specific cytokine levels were helpful for evaluating different degrees of inflammation of DILI.

[Pollution Characteristics and Source Apportionment of Atmospheric Volatile Organic Compounds in Summer in Yuncheng City].

Based on the online monitoring data of VOCs, O3, and NO2 in Yuncheng City from June to August 2020, the pollution characteristics of VOCs in Yuncheng City in summer were analyzed. At the same time, the main emission sources were determined using a PMF model, and the chemical reactivity of VOCs was evaluated using the maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) method and fractional aerosol coefficients (FAC). The results showed that the urban area of Yuncheng was seriously polluted by VOCs and NO2 in the early morning and evening during summer, the peak value of VOCs daily variation occurred at 08:00 and 20:00, respectively, and was mainly affected by the morning and evening peaks in traffic. The ρ(VOCs) from June to August was 50.52 µg·m-3, and the species with the highest proportion were alkanes (39.39%) and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs, 34.63%). Five VOCs emission sources were determined by the PMF model, of which the largest contribution was from motor vehicle exhaust emission sources (33.10%), followed by industrial emission sources (29.46%), natural gas and coal combustion sources (17.31%), solvent use sources (11.94%), and plant emission sources (8.19%). Controlling motor vehicle exhaust emission sources is the key to alleviate VOCs pollution in summer in Yuncheng City. The average ozone formation potential (OFP) of VOCs was 162.88 µg·m-3, in which OVOCs had the highest contribution rate (45.37%); acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, ethylene, isoprene, and toluene were the key active components; and industrial emission sources were the emission sources with the highest contribution rate. The average value of secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAp) of VOCs was 0.40 µg·m-3, in which the contribution rate of aromatic hydrocarbons was the highest (88.00%), and the solvent use source was the emission source with the highest contribution rate.

[Spatiotemporal Distribution and Seasonal Characteristics of Regional Transport of PM2.5 in Yuncheng City].

The spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of PM2.5 pollution in Yuncheng City were analyzed based on the ambient air quality monitoring data from March 2019 to February 2020, and the hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory (HYSPLIT) and cluster analysis were used to discuss the contamination transportation pathway and the distribution of potential pollution sources affecting PM2.5 in Yuncheng City in different seasons. The results showed that the PM2.5 concentration in Yuncheng was the highest in winter (111.24 µg·m-3) and the lowest in summer (30.02 µg·m-3). PM2.5/PM10 was greater than 0.6 in autumn and winter, indicating that the particulate matter pollution in Yuncheng City in autumn and winter was mainly fine particulate matter; spatially, the annual mean value of PM2.5 presented distribution characteristics that were high in the northern and central regions and low in the eastern and western regions. The high-value areas of PM2.5 were significantly and strongly correlated with SO2, NO2, and CO, indicating that local emissions contributed to the high values. The highest values in spring and winter were located in Hejin City (58.50 µg·m-3) and Jishan County (142.33 µg·m-3), and the highest values in summer and autumn were located in Pinglu County (36.92 µg·m-3) and the Salt Lake area (62.94 µg·m-3), respectively. Transportation analysis showed that spring and winter were mainly affected by air masses transporting northwestward, accounting for 58.69% and 55.77%. In summer, air masses were mainly eastward and southward, and in autumn, pollution was from short-distance transport air masses from southwestern Henan. The largest ratio was 32.89%; the potential source area was the smallest in spring and summer; it then began to grow in autumn, and it was the widest in the winter and had the highest contribution. The main source area in spring and summer was located in western and central Henan, and in autumn and winter, source areas were concentrated at the junction of Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan and west of Shaanxi.

Herb-induced autoimmune-like hepatitis associated with Xiang-tian-guo (Swietenia macrophylla seeds): A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) has a relatively low incidence, whereas the incidence of herb-induced liver injury (HILI) is still under investigation. As a special type of DILI, the diagnosis of drug-induced autoimmune-like hepatitis presents a persistent challenge, because this condition has partial characteristics of both DILI and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), such as a certain history of medication use and histology that similar is to AIH. Thus, the differential diagnosis between DILI and AIH can be confusing. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 67-year-old woman taking xiang-tian-guo for 6 months was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of experiencing jaundice for 2 weeks. DIAGNOSIS: A liver biopsy exhibited interface inflammation, foam cells, and "rosette" -like hepatocytes. She was diagnosed with herb-induced liver injury (hepatocellular and acute), a RUCAM score of 7 (probable), a severity for grade 4 liver injury, and accompanied autoimmune-like changes. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was instructed to cease the administration of suspicious drugs. The patient also received liver protection and albumin transfusion. OUTCOMES: After 25 days of hospitalization, the patients aminotransferase levels returned to normal. No recurrence was observed after the administration of the treatments and a close follow-up. LESSONS: We must to be vigilant about the safety of xiang-tian-guo as a herbal medicine. When faced with the difficulty of distinguishing between AIH and DILI, long-term follow-up observations for recurrence can aid clinicians in making a judgment.

A Novel Strategy to Fabricate Cation-Cross-linked Graphene Oxide Membrane with High Aqueous Stability and High Separation Performance.

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes have shown enormous promise in desalination and molecular/ionic sieving. However, the instability of GO membranes in aqueous solutions seriously hinders their practical applications. Herein, we report a novel and simple strategy to fabricate stable GO membranes in water-based environments through the insertion of various metal cations from metal foils (e.g., copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) foils) and natural deposition. Based on the cation-π, coordination, and electrostatic interaction between metal cations and GO nanosheets, the aqueous stability and mechanical strength of the membranes are significantly improved. The permeation rates for acetone, toluene, and p-xylene molecules across the GO membrane cross-linked by copper ions with a deposition time of 24 h are 0.966, 0.074, and 0.100 mol m-2 h-1, respectively. Moreover, this membrane displays excellent separation performance, and the separation factor of K+/Mg2+ is up to 68.8 in mono-/multivalent metal cation sieving, which indicate the effective molecular/ionic sieving performance. Meanwhile, the ionic sieving of the GO membrane cross-linked by copper ions has excellent repeatability and long-term stability. The versatility of this natural deposition strategy to fabricate GO membranes cross-linked by metal cations is investigated by using Fe foil, Zn foil, and Ni foil as well as other porous substrates such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethersulfone (PES), and nylon membranes and filter paper. This fabrication strategy also enables low-cost preparation of large-area GO membranes. Therefore, GO membranes cross-linked by metal cations and prepared by this simple metal cation incorporation strategy have large potential application for molecular/ionic sieving in various solution systems.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis with increased immunoglobulin G4 levels: A case report.

RATIONALE: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is recognized as an autoimmune-mediated liver disease characterized by progressive biliary inflammation and fibrosis. Some PSC cases with elevated immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) levels are likely to be misdiagnosed with immunoglobulin G4-related sclerosing cholangitis (IgG4-SC). Thus, distinguishing these 2 diseases is particularly important. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 34-year-old male presented with right hypochondrium abdominal intermittent pain and jaundice lasting for 1 month. Here, we present a case of PSC with increased IgG4 levels with improvement of quality of life upon liver transplantation (LT). DIAGNOSIS: The diagnosis of PSC was confirmed based on clinical symptoms, laboratory test results, imaging findings, pathologic results and a lack of response to steroid therapy. INTERVENTIONS: LT surgery was performed successfully when his vital parameters were stabilized. Immunosuppressive agents were routinely used after LT. OUTCOMES: Three years after LT, liver function values show that alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were in the normal range. An abdominal ultrasonography showed no obvious abnormalities. LESSONS: There are similar biochemical characteristics and cholangiographic findings between PSC and IgG4-SC. Therefore, distinguishing these 2 diseases is particularly important. LT remains the only option for end-stage PSC. Early diagnosis and effective treatment can achieve a good prognosis.

A case report of hereditary hemochromatosis caused by mutation of SLC40A1 gene.

RATIONALE: Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a frequent autosomal recessive disease. The pathogenesis of disease is excessive intestinal absorption of dietary iron, resulting in pathologically high iron storage in tissues and organs. As a systemic disease, it has several manifestations including cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, cardiomyopathy, joint disease. However, a proportion of patients are asymptomatic. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 34-year-old man who had abnormal liver function for 9 months without specific symptoms. He underwent various tests, including liver biopsy and genetic testing, which eventually ruled out common liver diseases and identified iron metabolic abnormalities. In addition, we confirmed the pathogenic genes by sequencing the genes of him and his families. DIAGNOSIS: Combined with the symptoms, auxiliary examinations and sequencing results, the patient was diagnosed as HH. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was given a low iron diet and phlebotomy therapy interval 2 weeks until the ferritin is <100 mg/L. OUTCOMES: The patient' condition is stable during the follow-up period. LESSONS: When clinicians are confronted with unexplained liver dysfunction, the possibility of the HH should be considered. Liver biopsy and gene sequencing are helpful in diagnosis. Phlebotomy treatment is the most economical and practical treatment for HH at present, but it should vary from person to person.

Mutation in PHKA2 leading to childhood glycogen storage disease type IXa: A case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Glycogen storage disease (GSD) type IX, characterized by liver enlargement and elevated aminotransferase levels, is the most frequent type of GSD. The global incidence of GSD type IXa is only about 1/100,000 individuals. Case reports of GSD type IX are rare in China. We present the first case report of GSD type IXa in Northeast China caused by mutation of PHKA2. PATIENT CONCERNS: An 11-year-old boy was referred to our hospital because of liver enlargement with consistently elevated transaminase levels over 6 months. DIAGNOSIS: Histopathological results following an ultrasound-guided liver biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of GSD. Further genetic testing showed that the patient had GSD type IXa caused by the c.133C>T mutation in PHAK2. INTERVENTIONS: We placed the patient on a high-protein and high-starch diet and provided hepatoprotective and supportive therapy. OUTCOMES: The patient's transaminase levels decreased significantly and were nearly normal at 10-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported case of GSD type IXa in Northeast China. We hope that the detailed and complete report of this case will provide a reference for the diagnosis of liver enlargement of unknown etiology in future clinical practice.

RBF and NSGA-II based EDM process parameters optimization with multiple constraints.

In this study, the radial basis function (RBF) which has good performance for nonlinear problem is introduced to approximate the implicit relationships between EDM parameters and performance responses for 304 steel. The fitting precision of RBF is compared with the second order polynomial response surface (PRS), support vector regression (SVR) and Kriging model (KRG) using the multiple correlation coefficient (R2) based cross validation error method. Then the RBF model is called to conduct multi-objective optimization using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) method. The energy consumption index unit energy consumption (UEC) and the air-pollution indices PM2.5 and PM10 are considered in proposed multi-objective optimization model. UEC is considered as the objective function to reduce the machining cost and the PM indices are termed as the constraints to protect the operators' health. The pulse current, time period and duty cycle are considered as the main factors affecting the EDM responses. According to the Pareto plots of multi-objective optimization model, conclusion can be drawn that SR and PM10 play significant roles in multi-optimization and PM2.5 has less influence on optimization results. The results of the present study reveal that using maximum material removal rate (MRR) and minimum UEC as objective and using surface roughness (SR), PM2.5 and PM10 as constraints can be an effective method to provide appropriate process parameters reference for EDM machining.

Liver failure associated with benzbromarone: A case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Benzbromarone is a uricosuric agent that reduces proximal tubular reabsorption of uric acid. Because of hepatotoxicity, it has been withdrawn from the market in Europe. Recently, some benefit-risk assessments of benzbromarone suggest that benzbromarone has greater benefits than risks, and the application of benzbromarone in the treatment of gout and hyperuricemia is still under debate. CASE SUMMARY: A 39-year-old man was admitted to the hospital for icterus and nausea, and he was treated with benzbromarone (100 mg/d) for 4 mo because of hyperuricemia. He had a 10-year history of beer drinking (alcohol: about 28 g/d). Laboratory data showed severe liver injury and serious coagulation dysfunction; tests for autoimmune antibodies, viral hepatitis, and human immunodeficiency virus were negative. Despite administration of liver function-protecting drugs and efficient supportive treatment, the patient deteriorated quickly after hospitalization and developed grade II encephalopathy within a few days. The patient accepted continuous plasma exchange six times; however, his condition did not improve. Based on suggestions from multidisciplinary consultation, the patient underwent liver transplantation 26 d after admission. Liver specimen pathology results showed massive necrosis consistent with drug-induced liver injury, supporting the diagnosis of acute liver failure associated with benzbromarone. The patient recovered quickly thereafter. CONCLUSION: This case highlights that clinicians should be on the alert for the severe hepatotoxicity of benzbromarone. Before prescribing benzbromarone, physicians should evaluate the high-risk factors that may lead to liver injury and provide suggestions for monitoring benzbromarone's hepatotoxicity during treatment.

Hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis complicated with dermatomyositis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Twenty percent of patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) develop extrahepatic manifestations with HBV detected in the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, kidneys, and skin. HBV infection has been associated with some autoimmune disorders. Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, which involves a viral infection, and DM has been identified in patients infected with HBV, but there is no direct histological evidence for an association between HBV and DM. CASE SUMMARY: We describe a familial HBV-infected patient admitted with liver function abnormality, rashes, a movement disorder, and an elevated level of creatine kinase (CK). A computed tomography scan of the lung showed pulmonary fibrosis, and a liver biopsy identified nodular cirrhosis. An electromyogram revealed myogenic damage, and a muscle biopsy showed nuclear migration in local sarcolemma and infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells. Immunohistochemical staining showed negative results for HBsAg and HBcAg. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed a negative result for HBV DNA. The patient was diagnosed with HBV-related liver cirrhosis complicated with DM and was treated with methylprednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil, and lamivudine. Eight months later, the patient was readmitted for anorexia and fatigue. The blood examination showed elevated levels of aminotransferases and HBV DNA, however, the CK level was within the normal range. The patient developed a virological breakthrough and lamivudine was replaced with tenofovir. CONCLUSION: DM in chronic HBV-infected patients does not always associate with HBV. Antiviral and immunosuppressive drugs should be taken into consideration.

Nanocomposite Hydrogels with Optic-Sonic Transparency and Hydroacoustic-Sensitive Conductivity for Potential Antiscouting Sonar.

In this paper, we report on the design and simple fabrication of novel nanocomposite hydrogels with optic-sonic transparency and hydroacoustic-sensitive conductivity. The proposed nanocomposite hydrogels are constructed by poly( N, N-dimethylacrylamide) and exfoliated Laponite clay nanosheets via free radical polymerization. With lithium chloride (LiCl) as ionic additives inside the polymeric networks of the hydrogels, the lithium cations (Li+) could be stored on and in the clay nanosheets owing to the electrostatic adsorption and cation exchange. Triggered by hydroacoustic wave oscillation, the stored Li+ ions could escape from the clay nanosheets, resulting in the augmentation of ionic concentration inside the polymeric networks and thus the increase of the conductivity of the nanocomposite hydrogel. Inversely, upon removing the hydroacoustic signals, the Li+ ions could be readsorbed again by the clay nanosheets; as a result, the conductivity of the nanocomposite hydrogel decreases again. Moreover, the fabricated nanocomposite hydrogels also feature high stretchability and spliceable and antifreezing properties. Such novel nanocomposite hydrogels are highly promising for development of systems for camouflaging and sensing sonar scanning.

A methodology for the modular structure planning of product-service systems.

Product-service system (PSS) is an important way of the transformation and upgrading of modern manufacturing industry, it is also one of core development trends of intelligent manufacturing. A PSS can be configured quickly and cheaply to meet the customer's personalized product and service requirements via a PPS design platform, and a modular master structure is the core of PSS design platform. When a PSS instance is configured, it needs to determine the module types and make decisions on the types of PSS firstly, so as to build a master structure for PSS. Therefore, the decision-making on module types and customization degree is a key step to establish the PSS modular master structure. This article proposes a five-step planning method for the modular structure planning of PSS. Firstly, the PSS module types are classified based on the Kano model. Then, bi-level decision-making on modules and its properties are finished by using conjoint analysis method, includes the customer's decision-making on modules and their properties, and the manufacturer's modules and their properties, which provides support for PSS modular optimization configuration design. Finally, the proposed methodology is validated through the case of power transformer. The proposed module planning method for the PSS modular structure helps to determine the module types for PSS services solution layer and generic part layer.

Madelung disease: A case report.

RATIONALE: Madelung disease (MD), a rarely reported disease, also known as benign symmetric lipomatosis, a disorder resulting from alcoholic abuse. It's largely under-recognized and under-reported, possibly because of unawareness of the condition by physicians. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 45-year-old Chinese man presented with intermittent fatigue and abdominal distension and progressive bilateral breast enlargement. He has been a heavy drinker for ten years before onset of the disease with an average daily alcohol intake of more than 120 g/day. DIAGNOSIS: Due to the patient's symptoms, laboratory test results, radiographic findings, he was diagnosed with MD. INTERVENTIONS: We treated him with abstinence from alcohol and supportive therapy. OUTCOMES: The patient is now in stable condition, with improvement in symptoms during follow-up. LESSONS: Doctors, confronted with progressive bilateral breast enlargement in a patient with alcoholic liver disease, should be aware of the underreported MD. Recognition of this syndrome could help doctors establish diagnosis and emphasize the importance of alcohol abstinence as the mainstay of management.

Primary biliary cirrhosis with refractory hypokalemia: A case report.

RATIONALE: Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) represents a class of metabolic disorders characterized by metabolic acidosis with a normal plasma anion gap. As a rare complication of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), RTA is easily overlooked, likely leading to misdiagnosis. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 32-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with PBC at our hospital was found to have hypokalemia due to repeated fatigue for 2 years, and the etiology was unknown. DIAGNOSES: Due to the laboratory test results, radiographic findings, and pathologic results, she was diagnosed with PBC associated with RTA. INTERVENTIONS: She was then treated with ursodeoxycholic acid, potassium citrate, and calcium supplements together with activated vitamin D. OUTCOMES: Thus far, the patient showed a good response to ursodeoxycholic acid, and the clinical symptoms and liver function were significantly improved. LESSONS: Physicians that encounter refractory hypokalemia in a patient with PBC should be aware of the presence of RTA. The early diagnosis and treatment of such patients are of paramount importance to alleviate clinical symptoms and delay disease progression.

Hemolytic anemia in alcoholic liver disease: Zieve syndrome: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Zieve syndrome, a rarely reported disease resulting from alcohol abuse, consists of a triad of symptoms: hemolytic anemia, cholestatic jaundice, and transient hyperlipidemia. It is largely under-recognized and under-reported, possibly because of unawareness of the condition by physicians. Here, we report a case of Zieve syndrome managed at the Jilin University First Bethune Hospital. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 30-year-old Chinese woman presented with a 4-month history of fatigue, yellowish discoloration of the eyes, and tea-colored urine. She had been a heavy drinker for 2 years prior to onset of the disease with an average daily alcohol intake of 60 g/d and more than 80 g/d for the previous 6 months. DIAGNOSIS: The diagnosis of Zieve syndrome was confirmed based on hemolysis and cholestatic jaundice secondary to alcoholic liver disease and heavy drinking. Bone marrow biopsy and liver biopsy both supported the diagnosis. INTERVENTIONS: We treated her with abstinence from alcohol and supportive therapy. OUTCOMES: The patient was discharged 14 days after admission with an improvement in symptoms, which continued to subside during the 2-month follow-up period. LESSONS: Doctors confronted with hemolysis in a patient with alcoholic liver disease should be aware of the under-reported Zieve syndrome. Recognition of this syndrome could help doctors avoid unnecessary invasive procedures and emphasize the importance of alcohol abstinence as the mainstay of management. Glucocorticoids may not be useful in treating hemolytic anemia in Zieve syndrome.

Identification of biomarkers for diagnosis of gastric cancer by bioinformatics.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to discover potential gene biomarkers for gastric cancer (GC) diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Genechips of 10 GC tissues and 10 gastric mucosa (GM, para-carcinoma tissue, normal control) tissues were generated using an exon array of Affymetrix containing 30,000 genes. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between GC tissues and normal control were identified by the Limma package and analyzed by hierarchical clustering analysis. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses were performed for investigating the functions of DEGs. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed to measure the effects of biomarker candidates for diagnosis of GC. RESULTS: Totals of 896 up-regulated and 60 down-regulated DEGs were identified to be differentially expressed between GC samples and normal control. Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that DEGs were highly differentially expressed and most DEGs were up-regulated. The most significantly enriched GO-BP term was revealed to be mitotic cell cycle and the most significantly enriched pathway was cell cycle. The intersection analysis showed that most significant DEGs were cyclin B1 (CCNB1) and cyclin B2 (CCNB2). The sensitivities and specificities of CCNB1 and CCNB2 were both high (p<0.0001). Areas under the ROC curve for CCNB1 and CCNB2 were both greater than 0.9 (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: CCNB1 and CCNB2, which were involved in cell cycle, played significant roles in the progression and development of GC and these genes may be potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of GC.

CXC chemokine IP-10: a key actor in liver disease?

Interferon-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), or C-X-C motif chemokine (CXCL10), is a small cytokine belonging to the non-ELR CXC chemokine family. By binding to its specific receptor CXCR3, IP-10 recruits activated CXCR3+ T cells to the liver parenchyma and plays a pivotal role in liver disease initiation and progression. IP-10 is mainly secreted by hepatocytes and liver sinusoidal endothelium. Different IP-10 forms exert different functions: long-length IP-10 directs CXCR3+ T cell migration and is associated with inflammation, while short IP-10 is a CXCR3 antagonist, thereby playing protective role in liver injury. IP-10 levels are positively associated with the severity of liver inflammation, fibrosis stage and acute graft rejection. High IP-10 levels are closely related to anti-HCV therapy failure. Thus, IP-10 may be both a potential prognostic tool and a therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with HCV or HIV/HCV co-infection. The purpose of this review is to highlight the growing advances in basic knowledge and clinical interest of IP-10 in liver disease.

IgG4-related autoimmune pancreatitis overlapping with Mikulicz's disease and lymphadenitis: a case report.

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a form of chronic pancreatitis that is categorized as type 1 or type 2 according to the clinical profile. Type 1 AIP, which predominantly presents in a few Asian countries, is a hyper-IgG4-related disease. We report a case of IgG4-related AIP overlapping with Mikulicz's disease and lymphadenitis, which is rare and seldom reported in literature. A 63-year male from Northeast China was admitted for abdominal distension lasting for one year. He presented symmetric swelling of the parotid and submandibular glands with slight dysfunction of salivary secretion for 6 mo. He had a 2-year history of bilateral submandibular lymphadenopathy without pain. He underwent surgical excision of the right submandibular lymph node one year prior to admission. He denied any history of alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drug use. Serological examination revealed high fasting blood sugar level (8.8 mmol/L) and high level of IgG4 (15.2 g/L). Anti-SSA or anti-SSB were negative. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed a diffusely enlarged pancreas with loss of lobulation. Immunohistochemical stain for IgG4 demonstrated diffuse infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells in labial salivary gland and lymph node biopsy specimens. The patient received a dose of 30 mg/d of prednisone for three weeks. At this three-week follow-up, the patient reported no discomfort and his swollen salivary glands, neck lymph node and pancreas had returned to normal size. The patient received a maintenance dose of 10 mg/d of prednisone for 6 mo, after which his illness had not recurred.

[Cleavage of HCV by HCV specific deoxyribozyme in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To study the cleavage activity of specific deoxyribozyme to hepatitis C virus in vitro. METHODS: Three deoxyribozymes were designed to cleave at sites 157, 168, 173 in HCV 5'-noncoding region with the active region of 5'-GGCTAGCTACAACGA-3' respectively. Plasmid pCMV/T7-NCRC -Delta Luc was completely linearized with restriction endonuclease Xba I. HCV RNA5'-NCRC was transcribed in vitro from the linearized products and radiolabelled with [alpha-32P] UTP. Under the conditions of 37 degrees C, pH7.5, Mg2+ 10 mmol/L, the three deoxyribozymes were mixed with substrate RNA individually for 120 minutes and then the reactions were terminated. The cleavaged products were separated with 8% denaturated polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and displayed by autoradiography. DRz3 was mixed with the substrate RNA at different Mg2+ concentrations. The cleavage efficiency was analyzed with a gel document action analyzing systems. RESULTS: Under the adopted conditions the three deoxyribozymes efficiently cleaved to the target RNA in vitro and the cleavage activity of DRz3 was increased with the increase of Mg2+ concentration. CONCLUSION: The designed deoxyribozymes can cleave 5'-NCR mRNA of HCV efficiently in vitro and it is dose-respondent to Mg2+ concentration.