Visible light-induced metal-free cascade denitrogenative borylation and iodination of nitroarenes.

An efficient method was developed for the one-pot construction of C-B and C-I via visible light-induced transformation of nitroarenes. This protocol relies on the photochemical properties of nitroarenes under visible light, followed by reduction with B2pin2 and diazotization with tBuONO. An array of arylboronates and iodobenzenes were constructed smoothly after excitation with purple LEDs at room temperature. In addition, the synthetic utility of this method was further demonstrated in the late-stage modification of a drug molecule. The advantages of this strategy include metal-free system, mild reaction conditions and acceptable substrate scope.

Radiogenomics: a key component of precision cancer medicine.

Radiogenomics, focusing on the relationship between genomics and imaging phenotypes, has been widely applied to address tumour heterogeneity and predict immune responsiveness and progression. It is an inevitable consequence of current trends in precision medicine, as radiogenomics costs less than traditional genetic sequencing and provides access to whole-tumour information rather than limited biopsy specimens. By providing voxel-by-voxel genetic information, radiogenomics can allow tailored therapy targeting a complete, heterogeneous tumour or set of tumours. In addition to quantifying lesion characteristics, radiogenomics can also be used to distinguish benign from malignant entities, as well as patient characteristics, to better stratify patients according to disease risk, thereby enabling more precise imaging and screening. Here, we have characterised the radiogenomic application in precision medicine using a multi-omic approach. we outline the main applications of radiogenomics in diagnosis, treatment planning and evaluations in the field of oncology with the aim of developing quantitative and personalised medicine. Finally, we discuss the challenges in the field of radiogenomics and the scope and clinical applicability of these methods.

Hesperidin Anti-Osteoporosis by Regulating Estrogen Signaling Pathways.

Osteoporosis (OP) is distinguished by a reduction in bone mass and degradation of bone micro-structure, frequently resulting in fractures. As the geriatric demographic expands, the incidence of affected individuals progressively rises, thereby exerting a significant impact on the quality of life experienced by individuals. The flavonoid compound hesperidin has been subject to investigation regarding its effects on skeletal health, albeit the precise mechanisms through which it operates remain ambiguous. This study utilized network pharmacology to predict the core targets and signaling pathways implicated in the anti-OP properties of hesperidin. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were employed to confirm the stability of the interaction between hesperidin and the core targets. The effects of hesperidin on osteoblastic cells MC3T3-E1 were assessed using MTT, ELISA, alkaline phosphatase assay, and RT-qPCR techniques. Furthermore, in vivo experiments were conducted to determine the potential protective effects of hesperidin on zebrafish bone formation and oxidative stress response. The results demonstrate that network pharmacology has identified 10 key target points, significantly enriched in the estrogen signaling pathway. Hesperidin exhibits notable promotion of MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation and significantly enhances ALP activity. ELISA measurements indicate an elevation in NO levels and a reduction in IL-6 and TNF-α. Moreover, RT-qPCR analysis consistently reveals that hesperidin significantly modulates the mRNA levels of ESR1, SRC, AKT1, and NOS3 in MC3T3-E1 cells. Hesperidin promotes osteogenesis and reduces oxidative stress in zebrafish. Additionally, we validate the stable and tight binding of hesperidin with ESR1, SRC, AKT1, and NOS3 through molecular dynamics simulations. In conclusion, our comprehensive analysis provides evidence that hesperidin may exert its effects on alleviating OP through the activation of the estrogen signaling pathway via ESR1. This activation leads to the upregulation of SRC, AKT, and eNOS, resulting in an increase in NO levels. Furthermore, hesperidin promotes osteoblast-mediated bone formation and inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines, thereby alleviating oxidative stress associated with OP.

Traditional Chinese medicine use in the pathophysiological processes of intracerebral hemorrhage and comparison with conventional therapy.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) refers to hemorrhage caused by non-traumatic vascular rupture in the brain parenchyma, which is characterized by acute onset, severe illness, and high mortality and disability. The influx of blood into the brain tissue after cerebrovascular rupture causes severe brain damage, including primary injury caused by persistent hemorrhage and secondary brain injury (SBI) induced by hematoma. The mechanism of brain injury is complicated and is a significant cause of disability after ICH. Therefore, it is essential to understand the mechanism of brain injury after ICH to develop drugs to prevent and treat ICH. Studies have confirmed that many traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) can reduce brain injury by improving neurotoxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress (OS), blood-brain barrier (BBB), apoptosis, and neurological dysfunction after ICH. Starting from the pathophysiological process of brain injury after ICH, this paper summarizes the mechanisms by which TCM improves cerebral injury after ICH and its comparison with conventional western medicine, so as to provide clues and a reference for the clinical application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of hemorrhagic stroke and further research and development of new drugs.

A Metal-Free Visible-Light Photoredox Construction and Direct C-H Functionalization of Pyridines: Green Synthesis of Polysubstituted Picolinaldehydes.

The development of a novel environmental benign and sustainable synthetic method for highly efficient construction and direct C-H functionalization of N-heterocycles remains a pivotal central research topic for organic and medicinal chemistry. Herein, a novel visible-light-enabled biomimetic aza-6π electrocyclization for efficient assembly of diverse pyridines and further tandem Minisci-type reaction were developed. A broad spectrum of polysubstituted picolinaldehydes were readily constructed with high efficacy and good functional group tolerance under metal- and oxidant-free conditions.

A comparison of submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection and endoscopic full-thickness resection for gastric fundus submucosal tumors.

AIM: Both submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) and endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) are effective methods for gastric fundus submucosal tumors (SMTs). However, there is little data that compares the two methods. The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of STER and EFTR for the treatment of SMTs in the gastric fundus. METHODS: Clinical data was retrospectively collected from patients with gastric fundus SMTs who underwent STER or EFTR at our hospital from April 2011 to May 2016. Epidemiological data (gender, age), tumor size, procedure-related parameters, complications, postoperative hospital stay, cost and follow-up data were compared. RESULTS: A total of 43 patients were enrolled: 15 underwent STER and the remaining 28 cases underwent EFTR. There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to gender, age, tumor size, en bloc resection rate, operation time, pathohistological results and cost (p > 0.05). However, patients who underwent EFTR had a longer suture time, required a larger number of clips for closure and a prolonged postoperative hospital stay (p < 0.05). No recurrence was noted in either the STER or the EFTR group during a mean follow-up of 12.1 and 22.8 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment efficacy of STER and EFTR for the treatment of gastric fundus SMTs was comparable. However, STER has some advantages over EFTR in terms of suture time, the number of clips required for closure and postoperative hospital stay.

[Feature Selection and Interpretation in Infrared Quantitative Models of Liquiritin and Glycyrrhizin in Radix Glycyrrhizae].

Feature selection can improve the interpretation of the modeling variables to a certain extent by selecting variables from the complex spectra backgrounds. However, the improvement of models interpretation does not mean that the modeling variables have the exact physical or chemical significance. In this paper, We explore the relation between the chemical characteristics of target components and the spectrum variables selected with 3 kinds of variables selection methods which are moving window partial least squares regression (mwPLS), synergy interval partial least squares regression (siPLS) and competitive adaptive re-weighted sampling (CARS), and compare the interpretation difference of the variables selected with the above variables selection methods. The results show that the variables selected with mwPLS accord with ν(φ)C=C of liquiritin and δCH3 or δCH2 of glycyrrhizin, which are the obvious spectra differences between the flavonoids and saponins in Radix Glycyrrhizae, and the variables selected with siPLS are the characteristic intervals combinations of the flavonoids or saponins in Radix Glycyrrhizae, which is the combination of ν(ø)C=C, ν(ø)C-O, ν(ø)C-H of flavonoids or the combination of νC-O vC-H, νO-H of saponins while the variables selected with CARS can better accord with most of the characteristic peaks from 1000 to 4000 cm(-1) of liquiritin or glycyrrhizin in Radix Glycyrrhizae, and the predict performance of the infrared quantitative model established on the spectroscopic variables selected with CARS can be improved. Therefore, most of the variables selected with CARS can be interpreted by the characteristic peaks in the infrared characteristic region of the target components, which is beneficial to improve the interpretation of the quantitative model.

Characteristic Analysis and Risk Control of Syngas Explosion during Underground Coal Gasification.

Gas explosion is one of the main accident risks during underground coal gasification (UCG). There are significant differences in the gas composition and explosive environment between UCG syngas and other gases. Previous research on the explosion characteristics of UCG syngas is not comprehensive enough, especially without considering the influence of the initial temperature on various characteristic parameters. A set of calculation methods for explosion characteristic parameters of UCG syngas based on existing research was proposed, which was applied to analyze explosion characteristics of syngas produced by different gasifying processes in the Huating UCG industrial test. The results showed that with the initial temperature improving, the maximum temperature and upper explosion limit of different gases increased, while the maximum pressure, lower explosion limit, and oxygen content safety limit decreased. However, the explosion thermal effect, pressure rise rate, and explosion characteristic values showed small changes. When the initial temperature increased from 298 to 1473 K, the explosion temperature of different gas explosions increased from 1645-2286 to 2652-3238 K, the maximum pressure dropped from 0.59-0.81 MPa (absolute pressure) to 0.19-0.23 MPa, the lower explosion limit dropped from 12.34-29.79% to 0.58-1.77%, the upper explosion limit increased from 55.68-83.35% to 70.89-93.73%, and the safety limit of oxygen content dropped from 4.86-6.37% to 0.26-0.34%. In addition, the gas calorific value also affected the values of various explosion characteristic parameters, among which the explosive thermal effect, maximum temperature, maximum pressure, pressure rise rate, explosion characteristic value, and safety limit of oxygen content in the syngas were all proportional to the calorific value of gas, while the lower and upper limits of explosion were inversely proportional to it. Based on the above research, syngas explosion-prone stages and causes of each potential risk area in the Huating UCG project were analyzed, the explosion characteristic parameters were determined, and targeted prevention and control measures were proposed accordingly. This study can lay a theoretical foundation for the study of syngas explosion characteristics and risk control for the UCG project.

Improving salt-tolerant artificial consortium of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for bioconverting food waste to lipopeptides.

High-salt content in food waste (FW) affects its resource utilization during biotransformation. In this study, adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE), gene editing, and artificial consortia were performed out to improve the salt-tolerance of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for producing lipopeptide under FW and seawater. High-salt stress significantly decreased lipopeptide production in the B. amyloliquefaciens HM618 and ALE strains. The total lipopeptide production in the recombinant B. amyloliquefaciens HM-4KSMSO after overexpressing the ion transportor gene ktrA and proline transporter gene opuE and replacing the promoter of gene mrp was 1.34 times higher than that in the strain HM618 in medium containing 30 g/L NaCl. Lipopeptide production under salt-tolerant consortia containing two strains (HM-4KSMSO and Corynebacterium glutamicum) and three-strains (HM-4KSMSO, salt-tolerant C. glutamicum, and Yarrowia lipolytica) was 1.81- and 2.28-fold higher than that under pure culture in a medium containing FW or both FW and seawater, respectively. These findings provide a new strategy for using high-salt FW and seawater to produce value-added chemicals.

Oroxylin A ameliorates ultraviolet radiation-induced premature skin aging by regulating oxidative stress via the Sirt1 pathway.

Skin is susceptible to premature aging in response to ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced oxidative stress, which can ultimately result in aberrant aging or age-related disorders. Accordingly, strategies that can be adopted to mitigate oxidative stress may contribute to protecting skin from induced aging-related damage, thereby offering promising approaches for the treatment of skin diseases and disorders. In this regard, oroxylin A (OA), a natural flavonoid isolated from certain plants used in traditional Chinese medicine, is considered to have notable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties, and is often used to treat certain inflammatory diseases. To date, however, there has been comparatively little research on the effects of OA with respect skin aging. In this study, we utilized UV radiation-induced mouse and cellular models of aging to assess the efficacy of OA in protecting against skin aging. Subsequently, to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effect of OA on skin aging, we performed molecular docking analysis to investigate the involvement of the anti-aging gene Sirt1, which was further confirmed on the basis of Sirt1 gene silencing. We accordingly demonstrated that by promoting an increase in the expression of Sirt1, OA can contribute to suppressing UV-induced skin photo-aging in cells/mice by reducing oxidative stress. Furthermore, we established that by activating Sirt1, OA can also promote the dissociation of Nrf2 from Keap1 and its subsequent nuclear translocation. Collectively, our findings in this study reveal OA to be an effective natural compound that can be administered to delay the aging of skin triggered by UV, both in vivo and in vitro, by binding to Sirt1 to promote the deacetylation and nuclear translocation of Nrf2, thereby contributing to a reduction in oxidative stress. These findings may this provide a therapeutic target for the prevention of skin aging or aging-induced skin diseases.

[Impacts of establishment of chest pain center on the door-to-balloon time and the short-term outcome after primary percutaneous coronary intervention of patients with ST segment elevated myocardial infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of the establishment of chest pain center (CPC) model based on the pre-hospital real-time tele-12-lead electrocardiogram on the door-to-balloon (D-to-B) time and short-term outcome after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) of patients with ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS: A regular CPC was established with pre-hospital transmitted real-time 12-lead electrocardiogram system for pre-hospital diagnosis of STEMI and enabled the STEMI patients to bypass the emergency room and directly treated in the catheter lab to shorten the D-to-B time. The mean D-to-B time, the short-term outcome and medical costs were compared in PPCI patients before (93 cases, group A) and after (149 cases, group B) the establishment of CPC. RESULTS: After the establishment of CPC, the annual mean D-to-B time was significantly shortened [(127 ± 79) min in group A vs.(72 ± 23 )min in group B, P < 0.01], the shortest monthly mean D-to-B time was remarkably reduced in group B than in group A [(56 ± 11) min vs. (73 ± 14) min, P < 0.01]. The annual ratio of D-to-B below 90 minutes was significantly increased from 62.4% (58/93) in group A to 91.9% (137/149) in group B (P < 0.05) . The in-hospital mortality rate tended to be lower and the incidence of heart failure during hospitalization was significantly reduced in group B compared with group A [3.4% (5/149) vs. 6.5% (6/93), P > 0.05; 14.1% (21/149) vs. 24.7% (23/93), P < 0.05]. The length of hospital stay was slightly shortened from (8.98 ± 4.89) days to (7.79 ± 5.43) days (P > 0.05). Corrected mean medical cost went down by 9.4% (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The establishment of CPC may significantly shorten the D-to-B time, improve the short-term outcome and reduce the hospitalization cost for PPCI patients with STEMI.

MicroRNA miR-2765-3p regulates reproductive diapause by targeting FoxO in Galeruca daurica.

The forkhead box O (FoxO), as a conserved transcription factor, plays an indispensable role in regulating insect diapause. However, how FoxO is regulated to control diapause in insects remains unknown. In this study, we discovered functional binding sites for miR-2765-3p in the 3' untranslated region of FoxO in Galeruca daurica. The luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-2765-3p targeted FoxO and suppressed its expression. The expression profiles of miR-2765-3p and FoxO displayed opposite patterns during the female developmental process. Overexpression of miR-2765-3p by the injection of the miR-2765-3p agomir into adult females reduced FoxO expression, leading to the suppression of lipid accumulation, promotion of ovarian development, and inhibition of reproductive diapause. This is similar to the phenotype that results from the depletion of FoxO by injecting dsFoxO into adult females. In addition, the repression of miR-2765-3p by injecting the miR-2765-3p antagomir increased the FoxO transcript level, leading to the stimulation of lipid accumulation, depression of ovarian development, and induction of reproductive diapause. A hormone injection assay showed that the juvenile hormone (JH) agonist (methoprene) upregulated miR-2765-3p and downregulated FoxO. Notably, injecting methoprene rescued ovarian development defects associated with miR-2765-3p inhibition. These findings indicate that the JH/miR-2765-3p/FoxO axis plays a vital role in the regulation of reproductive diapause in G. daurica.

Cell cycle kinases (AUKA, CDK1, PLK1) are prognostic biomarkers and correlated with tumor-infiltrating leukocytes in HBV related HCC.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the high incidence cancers and third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. HBV is the top most risk factor accounting for 50-80% of the HCC cases. Kinases: Aurora kinase A (AURKA), cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK1) and Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), the key regulators of cell mitosis are overexpressed in varieties of cancers including HCC. However, the exact role of these genes in prognosis of HCC is not fully unveiled. In addition, there is no such an accurate prognostic biomarker for HBV-related HCC. To address this issue, we performed a multidimensional analysis of AURKA, CDK1 and PLK1 with a series of publicly available databases in multiple cancers and with experimental validation in HBV-related HCC tissues. Overexpression of AURKA, CDK1 and PLK1 was found in multiple cancers including HCC. Elevated expression of these genes could result from lowered DNA methylation and genomic alterations. Transcriptional overexpression was significantly correlated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. The expression levels were also significantly positively associated with tumor grades and stages. Furthermore, the expression levels of these genes had a strong correlation with infiltration of immune cells. Our analysis shows that AURKA, CDK1 and PLK1 are correlated with immune infiltration and are the prognostic biomarkers for HBV-induced HCC.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

[Preparation of mouse monoclonal antibodies against human adenovirus 55 Hexon (HAdV55 Hexon) protein].

Objective To prepare specific mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) against human adenovirus type 55 Hexon protein (HAdV55 Hexon). Methods The Hexon genes of HAdV55, 3, 4, 7, 16 and 21 were chemically synthesized as templates for PCR amplification. The prokaryotic expression plasmids pET28a-HAdV55 Hexon and eukaryotic expression plasmids pCAGGS-HAdV3, 4, 7, 16, 21 and 55 Hexon were constructed respectively. The pET28a-HAdV55 Hexon plasmid was transformed into E. coli competent cell BL21 (DE3) and was induced by IPTG. After the purified inclusion body was denatured and renatured, Hexon55 protein was purified by tangential flow filtration system. pCAGGS-HAdV55 Hexon was used to immunize BALB/c mice by cupping, and HAdV55 Hexon protein was used to booster immunization. The anti-HAdV55 Hexon mAb was prepared by hybridoma technique and the titer and subclass were determined. The specificity of antibody was identified by Western blot using HEK293T cells transfected with pCAGGS-HAdV55 Hexon and by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using BHK cells transfected with pCAGGS-HAdV55 Hexon. Both clones with high titer were selected, and the cross-reactivity of pCAGGS-HAdV3, 4, 7, 16, 21 and 55 Hexon transfected cells were analyzed by Western blot analysis and IFA. Results PET28a-HAdV55 Hexon and pCAGGS-HAdV55 Hexon, 3, 4, 7, 16 and 21 expression plasmids were successfully constructed. BL21 transformed with pET28a-HAdV55 Hexon was induced by IPTG. The HAdV55 Hexon protein was mainly expressed in the form of inclusion body. After denaturation and renaturation, the purified HAdV55 Hexon protein was obtained by ultrafiltration. Six hybridoma cell lines secreting HAdV55 Hexon mAb were obtained. The antibody subclass analysis showed that 2 strains were IgG2a subtypes and 4 strains were IgG2b. Two specific HAdV55 Hexon antibodies with high titer were obtained, and there was no cross-reactivity with HAdV3, 4, 7, 16, 21 Hexon. Conclusion The specific mice mAb against HAdV55 Hexon provides an experimental basis for establishing its antigen detection method.

Adipose mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles reduce glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in the retina.

Adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) have protective effects against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, but ADSCs are limited in use for treatment of optic nerve injury. Studies have shown that the extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by ADSCs (ADSC-EVs) not only have the function of ADSCs, but also have unique advantages including non-immunogenicity, low probability of abnormal growth, and easy access to target cells. In the present study, we showed that intravitreal injection of ADSC-EVs substantially reduced glutamate-induced damage to retinal morphology and electroretinography. In addition, R28 cell pretreatment with ADSC-EVs before injury inhibited glutamate-induced overload of intracellular calcium, downregulation of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazoleproprionic acid receptor (AMPAR) subunit GluA2, and phosphorylation of GluA2 and protein kinase C alpha in vitro. A protein kinase C alpha agonist, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate, inhibited the neuroprotective effects of ADSC-EVs on glutamate-induced R28 cells. These findings suggest that ADSC-EVs ameliorate glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in the retina through inhibiting protein kinase C alpha activation.

The clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer and precancerous conditions in gastric DLBCL and MALT lymphoma patients: a multi-center retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to explore the clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer and precancerous conditions in patients with primary gastric lymphoma. METHODS: We analyzed 474 cases of primary gastric lymphoma, mainly DLBCL and MALT, from three clinical centres retrospectively, and compared the clinicopathological parameters of primary gastric lymphoma patients complicated with gastric cancer, precancerous conditions, or with no complications. RESULTS: A total of 5.1% of the patients with primary gastric lymphoma were diagnosed with gastric cancer, including metachronous gastric adenocarcinoma (3.2%) and synchronous gastric adenocarcinoma (1.9%). Of the patients with gastric lymphoma, 14.6% had precancerous conditions including atrophy (14.6%), intestinal metaplasia (8.9%), and low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (1.9%). Primary gastric lymphoma patients with an ulcerative type (p = 0.009) and Lugano classification stage IIE + IV (p < 0.001) lymphoma had a higher risk of complicating with gastric cancers or precancerous conditions. The rate of infection of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) was 68.4% in patients with primary gastric lymphoma, which was higher in patients with MALT lymphoma (p < 0.001), Lugano classification stage I + II (p < 0.001), and patients complicated with precancerous conditions and gastric cancer (p < 0.001), especially gastric cancer of the intestinal type (p = 0.04). Gastric cancer (95.8%) and precancerous conditions (91.3%) occurred mostly in Hp-infected primary gastric lymphoma patients, with a minor subset of Hp-eradicated patients. Primary gastric lymphoma patients had a higher detection rate of early gastric cancer (25.0%) and a five-year survival rate (40.0%) than the general Chinese population. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with primary gastric lymphoma have a high risk of developing gastric cancer and precancerous conditions, and this risk may be related to Helicobacter pylori infection. Follow-up of primary gastric lymphoma provides an opportunity for the detection of early gastric cancer.Key messages5.1% of the patients with primary gastric lymphoma were diagnosed with gastric cancer.14.6% of the patients with gastric lymphoma had premalignant lesions including atrophy (14.6%), intestinal metaplasia (8.9%), and low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (1.9%).Primary gastric lymphoma patients complicating with gastric cancer had a higher infection rate of Helicobacter pylori (100.0%), a detection rate of early gastric cancer (25.0%) and a five-year survival rate (40.0%) than the general Chinese population.

[A multicenter study of coronary artery disease and its risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis in China].

OBJECTIVE: To learn about the prevalence and risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Data were obtained from a 12-month retrospective investigation of the patients with RA, randomly selected from Departments of Rheumatology and Immunology in 21 big hospitals in China. The data were collected about their social conditions, clinical conditions, medications associated with RA, such as disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoid, biologic agents. A nonparameter test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: In the study, 960 patients were enrolled. The prevalence of CAD was 3.5% in China, which was obviously higher than that of normal people. The prevalence of overweight and obesity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and cerebrovascular disease were 35.1%, 12.3%, 17.0%, 7.7%, 0.4% and 3.0%, respectively. Compared with the control group, the CAD group had higher age [(64.7±9.3) years vs. (52.3±14.0) years,P<0.001], more rheumatoid nodules (14.7% vs. 3.1%,P=0.005), lower rate of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use (5.9% vs. 22.6%,P=0.021), higher prevalence rates of lung interstitial disease (17.5% vs. 7.0%,P<0.001), diabetes mellitus and hypertension (29.4% vs. 7.0%,P<0.001; 38.2% vs. 16.2%,P=0.001). There was no obvious correlation of CAD in RA with joint deformity, rheumatoid factor (RF) titer, glucocorticoid use, hypercholesterolemia and body mass index (BMI). Multivariate analysis showed higher age, diabetes mellitus and hypertension were independent predictors of CAD, and the use of HCQ was a protective factor of CAD. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CAD is 3.5%. Higher age, diabetes mellitus and hypertension are independent predictors of CAD, and the use of HCQ is a protective factor of CAD.

[Survey of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors application in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors application in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in China and to analyze the related factors. METHODS: A retrospective survey was conducted in 21 hospitals from different parts of China. The patients with RA were randomly enrolled. Data of their social backgrounds, clinical conditions, usage and adverse effects of TNF inhibitors were collected. The costs of TNF inhibitors and the indirect costs of the disease were calculated. A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the factors related to TNF inhibitors application. RESULTS: In the study, 1 095 RA patients from July 2009 to November 2010 were enrolled, of whom 112 had received TNF inhibitors, representing 10.2% of the total patients. The patients who received etanercept and infliximab were 7.4% (86/1 095) of the patients and 2.4% (26/1 095), respectively. There were 0.5% of the patients (5/1 095) who had received both of the TNF inhibitors. The patients who had accepted etanercept and treatment duration for less than 3 months and 3-6 months accounted for 38.5% and 25.0% respectively, while those treated with Infliximab were 38.1%. Their health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) scores were 1.1, 0.5 and 0.1, corresponding to treatment duration of infliximab for less than 3, 3-6 and 6-9 months and those were 1.3, 1.0, 0.3 corresponding to treatment duration of etanercept, respectively. Infliximab costs were RMB 24 525.0, 69 300.0 and 96 800.0 Yuan and etanercept costs were RMB 7 394.8, 9 158.6, 54 910.9 Yuan, respectively. Indirect costs for RA patients who accepted infliximab for less than 3, 3-6 and 6-9 months were RMB 365.6, 0 and 158.9 Yuan and those who accepted etanercept were RMB 2 158.4, 288.5 and 180.1 Yuan, respectively. Allergy and infection were the main side-effects of etanercept and both happened in 3.5% of all the patients. Liver damage happened in 2.3% of all the patients, while allergy and infection happened in 6.5% of all the patients who accepted infliximab. Logistic regression analysis showed that patients with higher education experience increased the odds of entering the TNF inhibitors group (OR: 1.292, 95%CI: 1.132-1.473, P=0.000). CONCLUSION: About one-tenth of RA patients in China have accepted TNF inhibitors. Higher education experience is the key factor for using TNF inhibitors.

[Sulphasalazine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in China: a cross-sectional study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the medication status of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to analyze the clinical use of sulphasalazine (SSZ) and the adverse effect. METHODS: A total of 1 096 outpatients and inpatients diagnosed with RA were investigated in 21 hospitals all over China from July 2009 to December 2010, including gender, age of onset, clinical manifestations, as well as the clinical characteristics and medication status of 160 RA patients who received SSZ therapy. RESULTS: In the group of 160 patients who received SSZ, the male-to-female ratio was 1:7, The average age at onset was (46.1±15.0) years, while the average course was (9.9±7.8) years. The average dose of sulphasalazine was (1.87±0.52) g/d for a mean duration of (26.3± 14.6) months. Only 17% (27/160) of the patients received SSZ monotherapy. Methotrexate (63.1%), leflunomide (36.2%) and hydroxychloroquine (18.1%) were most commonly used combination drugs. And 36.2% (58/160) of the patients used the two-drug combination of methotrexate plus sulphasalazine .In this group, 41.9% (67/160) once used SSZ but withdrew for adverse events and other reasons, while 17.5% (28/160) withdrew for adverse events, of which the most common were gastrointestinal (8.8%), skin (3.8%) and liver toxicity (3.1%). CONCLUSION: Sulphaszlazine is not a common choice in the RA therapeutics in China, and the average dose of SSZ is lower than the standard dose of 2 to 3 g/d . The adverse events of SSZ are common; however, there are few severe adverse events or threat to life,SSZ is relatively safe in clinical practice.

Transcriptome-wide identification of microRNAs in response to 20-hydroxyecdysone in Galeruca daurica.

Both 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and miRNAs have multiple functions in the regulation of various physiological processes in insects. However, little is known about the interaction between 20E and miRNAs. In this study, six small RNA libraries were constructed from the adult Galeruca daurica treated with 20E and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), respectively. Using small RNA sequencing, a total of 183 miRNAs, including 140 known and 43 novel miRNAs, were identified. Compared with the control (DMSO), 52 miRNAs (21 up-regulated and 31 down-regulated) were significantly differentially expressed after 20E treatment. The KEGG and GO analysis of the predicted genes targeted by 20E-responsive miRNAs indicate that 20E may influence the metabolic change during reproductive diapause in G. daurica via regulating miRNAs.