[Value of multidetector computed tomography angiography and image analysis before bronchial artery embolization in the treatment of hemoptysis].

Objective: To estimate the value of multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) and image analysis before bronchial artery embolization (BAE) in the treatment of hemoptysis. Methods: A total of 165 patients with hemoptysis who underwent BAE at the Department of Interventional Radiology of Xiangyang Central Hospital from August 2017 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into two groups: MDCTA group [with preoperative MDCTA, 88 patients,63 males and 25 females,aged 23 to 87(62.6±12.3) years] and control group [77 patients, 52 males and 25 females, aged 26 to 83 (59.8±12.7) years]. The number of bronchial arteries and non-bronchial systemic arteries, and clinical success rate were compared between the two groups. Comparisons within groups were performed using the t-test or nonparametric paired Wilcoxon test for quantitative data with paired design, while comparisons between groups were performed using the t-test for the mean of two independent samples or the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test for independent samples and comparisons between groups were performed using the chi-square test. Results: The number of orthotopic and ectopic bronchial arteries found in BAE procedure in the MDCTA group was significantly higher than that in the control group [1.77±0.72 vs. 1.42±0.82, P=0.003; 0 (0, 0) vs. 0 (0, 0), P=0.033, respectively]; in the MDCTA group, the numbers of orthotopic and ectopic bronchial arteries found by MDCTA were significantly higher than those found in BAE procedure [2.22±0.63 vs. 1.77±0.72, P<0.001; 0 (0, 0) vs. 0 (0, 0), P=0.005, respectively]. The number of non-intercostal arteries found by MDCTA in the MDCTA group was significantly higher than that in the control group [0 (0, 0) vs. 0 (0, 0), P=0.038]. Hemostatic success was significantly higher in the MDCTA group than that in the control group (88.6% vs. 68.8%, P=0.002). Conclusions: MDCTA and image analysis help to detect more bronchial arteries and improve the hemostatic success rate before bronchial artery embolization in the treatment of hemoptysis.

MiR-92b inhibited cells EMT by targeting Gabra3 and predicted prognosis of triple negative breast cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer without the three markers, which has a poor prognosis than other types. Recently, studies have identified that microRNA-92b (miR-92b) acted as potential oncogene in tumor progression, however, the biological roles of miR-92b in TNBC remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the functions of miR-92b and verify its effect on the regulation of Gabra3 in TNBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dual-Luciferase reporter assay was recruited to confirm whether miR-92b directly binds to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of Gabra3 mRNA in TNBC. Transwell assay was employed to analyze the capacities of migration and invasion. Western blot was applied to evaluate the expression of the special proteins that including Gabra3, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and GAPDH. RESULTS: We demonstrated that miR-92b was remarkably low expressed in TNBC tissues and cell lines, and particularly in inhibiting the migration, invasion and EMT of TNBC cells. On the contrary, Gabra3 was significantly overexpressed in TNBC tissues and cell lines in comparison with the corresponding paracancerous tissues and the normal breast epithelial cell line. The expression of miR-92b had a negative correlation with the expression of Gabra3 in TNBC tissues. Downregulation of Gabra3 could inhibit the migration, invasion and EMT of TNBC cells. MiR-92b mediated the expression of Gabra3 through directly binding to the 3'-UTR of Gabra3 mRNA. In addition, low expression of miR-92b or overexpression of Gabra3 predicted poor prognosis of TNBC patients. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-92b inhibited the migration and invasion-mediated EMT through directly targeting the 3'-UTR of Gabra3 mRNA in triple negative breast cancer. The newly identified miR-92b/Gabra3 axis may make it to be a new target for clinical diagnosis and treatment of TNBC.

CD31 induces inflammatory response by promoting hepatic inflammatory response and cell apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether CD31 could regulate paracetamol-induced liver injury, thereby providing a new direction for the prevention and treatment of drug-induced hepatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wild-type (WT) mice were treated with acetaminophen (APAP) (250 mg/kg) or isodose of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). 1, 3, 6 and 12 h after the treatment, the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression level of CD31 in the liver of mice were determined by Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting, respectively. Once CD31 was confirmed to be involved in APAP-induced liver injury, the acute liver injury model in WT mice and CD31 gene deficient (CD31-/-) mice induced by APAP was established. Serum samples were collected at 8 and 24 h after APAP injection (250 mg/kg), and the activity of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was measured. The liver tissues of mice were isolated and analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Meanwhile, mononuclear cells (MNCs) were isolated from the liver tissues of mice. The number of infiltrating macrophages and neutrophils was detected by flow cytometry, and the activation level of these cells was analyzed. The expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines in liver tissues, such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC), MCP-1 and IL-6, were determined by RT-PCR. The expression levels of cytokines in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Moreover, the protein expression levels of JNK, Caspase-3, and cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) in liver tissues were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: After APAP treatment, we found that WT mice were more sensitive to APAP-induced liver injury. The level of ALT in WT mice was significantly higher than that of CD31-/- mice, meanwhile, more necrotic or apoptotic cells were found in WT mice. Results also indicated that the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, including KC, IL-1ß, MCP-1 and IL-6, were significantly higher in WT mice. Meanwhile, the number of infiltrating macrophages and neutrophils in the liver tissues of WT mice were much more than that of CD31-/- mice. CONCLUSIONS: APAP-treated CD31-/- mice exhibited less liver injury when compared with WT mice. We also confirmed that CD31 was greatly involved in APAP-induced inflammatory response by promoting hepatic inflammatory and cell apoptosis, which might provide a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of drug-induced hepatitis.

Recent advances on topical antimicrobials for skin and soft tissue infections and their safety concerns.

Antimicrobial resistance of disease-related microorganisms is considered a worldwide prevalent and serious issue which increases the failure of treatment outcomes and leads to high mortality. Considering that the increased resistance to systemic antimicrobial therapy often needs of the use of more toxic agents, topical antimicrobial therapy emerges as an attractive route for the treatment of infectious diseases. The topical antimicrobial therapy is based on the absorption of high drug doses in a readily accessible skin surface, resulting in a reduction of microbial proliferation at infected skin sites. Topical antimicrobials retain the following features: (a) they are able to escape the enzymatic degradation and rapid clearance in the gastrointestinal tract or the first-pass metabolism during oral administration; (b) alleviate the physical discomfort related to intravenous injection; (c) reduce possible adverse effects and drug interactions of systemic administrations; (d) increase patient compliance and convenience; and (e) reduce the treatment costs. Novel antimicrobials for topical application have been widely exploited to control the emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms. This review provides a description of antimicrobial resistance, common microorganisms causing skin and soft tissue infections, topical delivery route of antimicrobials, safety concerns of topical antimicrobials, recent advances, challenges and future prospective in topical antimicrobial development.

Synthesis of platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes with 9,9-dihexyl-4,5-diazafluorene and their in vivo antitumour activity against Hep3B xenografted mice.

Two complexes dichloro(9,9-dihexyl-4,5-diazafluorene)platinum(II) (Pt-DHF) and dichloro(9,9-dihexyl-4,5-diazafluorene)palladium(II) (Pd-DHF) were synthesized and their in vivo antitumour activity was investigated using an athymic nude mice model xenografted with human Hep3B carcinoma cells. Pt-DHF- and Pd-DHF-treated groups showed significant tumour growth inhibition (with about 9-fold and 3-fold tumour growth retardation) when compared with the vehicle control group. The liver toxicology effects on the animals of the two compounds were investigated. Pt-DHF and Pd-DHF-treated groups had a lower alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase values than those of the vehicle treated group as the animals from the vehicle control group had very heavy hepatoma burden. We assume that both complexes could be further investigated as effective antitumour agents and it is worthwhile to study their underlying working mechanism.

Antiangiogenic activity of 2-formyl-8-hydroxy-quinolinium chloride.

Tumour growth is closely related to the development of new blood vessels to supply oxygen and nutrients to cancer cells. Without the neovascular formation, tumour volumes cannot increase and undergo metastasis. Antiangiogenesis is one of the most promising approaches for antitumour therapy. The exploration of new antiangiogenic agents would be helpful in antitumour therapy. Quinoline is an aromatic nitrogen compound characterized by a double-ring structure which exhibits a benzene ring fused to pyridine at two adjacent carbon atoms. The high stability of quinoline makes it preferable in a variety of therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications, including antitumour treatment. This work is to examine the potential antiangiogenic activity of the synthetic compound 2-Formyl-8-hydroxy-quinolinium chloride. We found that 2-Formyl-8-hydroxy-quinolinium chloride could inhibit the growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro. Using the diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis model, 2-Formyl-8-hydroxy-quinolinium chloride showed strong antiangiogenic activity. Furthermore, 2-Formyl-8-hydroxy-quinolinium chloride could inhibit the growth of large Hep3B xenografted tumour from the nude mice. We assume that 2-Formyl-8-hydroxy-quinolinium chloride could be a potential antiangiogenic and antitumour agent and it is worthwhile to further study its underlying working mechanism.

An epidemiological study of sleep quality in adolescents in South China: a school-based study.

BACKGROUND: This study explored the prevalence of disturbed sleep and investigated its distribution characteristics and associated factors in adolescents in South China. METHODS: Junior middle school and senior high school students (n = 1221) were recruited from schools in Shanghai, China. Students completed a questionnaire using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and factors associated with disturbed sleep. RESULTS: The prevalence of a tendency towards poor sleep was 34.32% [95% confidence interval (CI): 31.66-36.98] with no significant difference between genders. This tendency increased with age, yielding a significant group effect (P < 0.01). In middle school and high school, the propensity towards poor sleep was 31.34% (95% CI: 28.29-34.39) and 42.22% (95% CI: 36.92-47.52) respectively. The factors associated with poor sleep were more television viewing during weekdays [odds ratio (OR): 1.56, CI: 1.36-1.71], more frequent computer/Internet use (OR: 1.25, CI: 1.08-1.39), earlier school starting time (OR: 1.12, CI: 1.07-1.28), and more time on homework during weekdays (OR: 1.78, CI: 1.51-1.98) and weekends (OR: 1.35, CI: 1.21-1.52) CONCLUSIONS: A tendency towards poor sleep is common in adolescents in South China and its incidence increases with age. The factors associated with this phenomenon indicate that poor sleep in adolescents could be improved, at least partly, by reducing the use of visual technologies and by changing school timetables.

5-(Dimethylamino)-N-(4-ethynylphenyl)-1-naphthalenesulfonamide as a novel bifunctional antitumor agent and two-photon induced bio-imaging probe.

A novel compound, (5-(dimethylamino)-N-(4-ethynylphenyl)-1-naphthalenesulfonamide), was prepared and characterized; it shows dual functional roles as an effective antitumor and a two-photon induced bio-imaging agent.

Review of 1375 enucleations in the TongRen Eye Centre, Beijing.

PURPOSE: To review clinical causes for ocular enucleations and the histopathological features of the enucleated globes in a large third-referral centre in China. METHODS: The retrospective study included 1375 globes enucleated in the Beijing TongRen Hospital between January 2003 and November 2006. The medical records were reviewed, and the clinical indications for enucleation and histopathological findings were evaluated. RESULTS: The enucleated eyes accounted for 0.97% of all operated patients registered in the hospital and for 29.5% of all surgical specimens received in the pathological department. The age distribution showed two peaks at an age group of 0-10 years (main enucleation cause: retinoblastoma) and at an age group of 30-40 years (main cause: trauma). In the whole study group, trauma was the most common clinical diagnosis (62.5%) leading to enucleation, followed by tumours (28.5%), surgically treated or untreated ocular diseases (5.7%), and infectious or inflammatory diseases (1.7%). With respect to the histopathological findings, phthisis bulbi (36.4%) was the most frequent finding followed by ocular malignant tumours (28.5%), and acute severe ocular injury (19.9%). Uveal metastases were the second most common intraocular malignant tumour in adults, in the majority of globes secondary to a primary lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of 1% of enucleations per patient operated and the relatively high rate of ocular traumata as primary cause for enucleation suggest to improve further safety conditions and primary surgical care. The relatively high rate of ocular tumours as cause for enucleations suggests to promote the wide-spread clinical introduction of chemoradioactive tumour therapy.

Urinary tract infections in women with bacterial vaginosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of urinary tract infections in women with bacterial vaginosis. METHODS: One hundred twenty-nine women who presented for routine gynecologic examinations were evaluated for bacterial vaginosis and urinary tract infections between June 1998 and March 1999. RESULTS: Sixty-seven women had bacterial vaginosis and 62 women did not. Fifteen women with bacterial vaginosis (22.4%) had urinary tract infections, compared with six (9.7%) of those without it. Bacterial vaginosis was associated with an increased risk of urinary tract infections (odds ratio 2.79; 95% confidence interval 1.05, 8.33). CONCLUSION: Women with bacterial vaginosis are at increased risk for urinary tract infections.

Information-seeking behavior of health professionals in Hong Kong: a survey of thirty-seven hospitals.

Shortly after the establishment of Hong Kong's Hospital Authority (HA) in 1990, ten library service networks supported by the Library Information Systems (HALIS) were established to pool resources. A survey was undertaken to investigate the information-seeking behavior of health professionals working in thirty-seven public hospitals, examine their information needs, assess user satisfaction with and the impact of library services (including HALIS), and examine why hospital libraries sometimes fail to meet user needs. The findings revealed disparate use patterns among different groups of health professionals and confirmed that medical staff were most satisfied with the library collections and services. The nurses and hospital executives were found to be underserved. They needed information not only for work-related reasons but also to support self-study and development. The new HALIS service was neither well known nor widely used, especially among nurses. The findings provided valuable measures of performance for comparing different hospitals and assessing changes over time. Survey results also highlighted areas in which improvements are needed, such as collection enhancement, promotion and user training, and assessment of the impact of library service on patient care. Subsequent developments in these directions have led to increased awareness and use of library services and confirmed the direction of strategic plans for growth.

Operable squamous esophageal cancer: current results from the East.

From 1958 through 1992 a total of 3603 patients underwent surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in our department. Among these patients 3099 resections were performed, for an overall resectability of 86.0%. Of the resections, 2341 (75.5%) were classified as curative and 758 (24.5%) palliative. The overall morbidity and 30-day mortality rates were 23.4% and 3.8%, respectively. For resected cases the mortality was 4.0%. The more than 5-year follow-up rate of patients with resection was 97%. The actual 5-, 10-, and 15-year survival rates were 30.4%, 23.6%, and 17.9%, respectively. Recurrence or metastasis remained the cause of death in 60.9% and 25.5% of patients who lived longer than 5 years and 15 years, respectively, after operation. The TNM staging, lymph node metastasis, extra-esophageal invasion, tumor differentiation, tumor length, and category of operation were major determinants influencing long-term prognosis. The left thoracotomy approach was used exclusively in 2613 cases (84.3% of all resected cases) in which intrathoracic resections and anastomoses were performed. The stomach was used as a substitute for the esophagus in 98.8% of the resected cases compared with 1.2% colon transplants. The former procedure was far safer than the latter. Above-average results presented in this paper support the surgical policy we have pursued thus far: to resect the primary tumor by partial or subtotal esophagectomy and to remove all lymph nodes wherever they were found in all patients with disease earlier than stage III. Early detection and early treatment no doubt are the only ways to materially improve the long-term surgical results.

[Evaluation of the new international TNM staging system for carcinoma of the esophagus as compared with the Chinese trial clinicopathological staging system--an analysis of 224 cases].

A further comparison was made between the new international TNM staging system (1987) and the Chinese trial clinicopathological Staging system (1976) in 224 cases of intrathoracic esophageal carcinoma treated by surgical resection at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between 1983.11-1986.5. Our results showed that the new international TNM staging classification is superior to that used in China with regard to the stratification of IIA, IIB and III stage grouping. The new stage grouping reflected fairly well the grade of disease extent. The new staging has greater predictive value for evaluating the incidence of possible Ro resections and especially permits a considerably improved prognostic assessment. Five-year survival rates of patients with radical resection were 80%, 47.3%, 22.2%, 16.1% and 0% in stages I, IIA, IIB, III and IV, respectively. It is suggested that the new TNM stage grouping should be adopted in our country. Some points were discussed in connection with the use of the new TNM stage grouping.

Characterization of a 56-kb plasmid of Erwinia amylovora Ea322: its noninvolvement in pathogenicity.

A plasmid from Erwinia amylovora strain Ea322, pCPP60, was studied for its involvement in the phytopathogenicity of this strain. Eviction through incompatibility and curing with acridine orange did not affect the pathogenic capability of Ea322. The plasmid was characterized as self-transmissible with a narrow host range. Hybridization of its origin of replication with plasmids of different incompatibility groups revealed affiliation with IncF. The exact subgroup was not determined, although it does not belong to IncFI, IncFII, IncFIV, or IncFV. A sequence of 800 bp, required for conjugation in cis, was cloned in pUC9. A "miniplasmid" containing the origin of replication in a 1.2-kb sequence was constructed. Its high copy number was in contrast with the stringently controlled copy number of the native plasmid of one to three copies per chromosome equivalent.

Endoscopic lithotripsy of gastric bezoars using a laser-ignited mini-explosive device.

This paper reports the successful experiences of in vitro and in vivo studies on endoscopic fragmentation of gastric bezoars using a laser-ignited mini-explosive device. This new technique has been used clinically in 31 patients with gastric bezoars since January 1988. All patients were completely cured without any complication. The relationship between gastric bezoars and ulcers, and the technique of treatment were discussed.

Heterogeneity in acute myeloblastic leukemia.

Morphological-identified blast populations are the hallmark of the malignant clones that dominate hemopoiesis in acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). Marked heterogenity is characteristic of AML blasts. Patient-to-patient variation is seen in their biological properties but is particularly evident in the response to treatment. Intraclonal variation is generated during clonal expansion, particularly as blast stem cells either undergo self-renewal or enter into a series of terminal divisions. These two alternative activities can be monitored in cell culture using a clonogenic assay and a suspension assay. The balance between renewal and differentiation can be altered by exposing blast populations to various growth factors in culture. Further, certain drugs, particularly ara-C, appear to be more toxic for self-renewing divisions than cell-cycle events generally. We suggest that both drugs and growth factors should be assessed for their effects on self-renewal as part of preclinical testing.

Expression of the CSF-1 gene in the blast cells of acute myeloblastic leukemia: association with reduced growth capacity.

Myelopoietic growth factors are known to influence the growth in culture of malignant blast cells from human Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia (AML). We have used cDNA clones for the factor CSF-1 and its receptor fms to study DNA and RNA from the blasts of 25 AML patients. The CSF-1 gene was always in the germline configuration. CSF-1 mRNA was found in about half the blast populations. The cells were also studied for their growth properties in culture. A highly significant association was found between CSF-1 expression and poor growth in suspension culture. Most blast populations expressed fms; the number of fms expression negative samples was to small to permit the detection of any association between fms expression and growth or any interaction between the effects of the expression of the growth factor and its receptor. We propose that CSF-1 may be an important part of the mechanism determining the balance between self-renewal and determination in AML blast clones.

Structure and expression of genes of GM-CSF and G-CSF in blast cells from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia.

The hematopoietic growth factors granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and G-CSF, available as recombinant products, stimulate the growth in culture of blasts from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). We used cDNA probes for each gene to study the genomic organization in blast cells of 22 patients and expression in the blast cells of 18 patients. Alteration in the structure of G-CSF (two instances) and GM-CSF (two instances) was found. In two patients in whom it was possible to study DNA from bone marrow obtained at remission, the new bands detected in the leukemic cells were not found. Fifteen of 18 patients showed no RNA expression of either growth factor. Both patients with GM-CSF abnormalities as seen by Southern analysis expressed an abnormally large GM-CSF message but no G-CSF messages. One patient with an abnormal Southern pattern with G-CSF expressed normal-sized G-CSF and GM-CSF messages. The biologic significance of these findings remains to be determined. Nonetheless, the abnormal Southern patterns may prove to be useful clonal markers in the study of AML.