Diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy accompanied with primary aldosteronism-Case report.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is known to be the most prevalent genetic cardiac condition. However, there have been limited reports on the diagnosis of HCM accompanied by secondary hypertension and the subsequent systematic therapy. In this case report, we present the case of a 65-year-old male patient who presented with recurring chest discomfort during physical activity, along with refractory hypertension. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transthoracic echocardiogram(TTE) revealed the presence of HCM in this individual. Further investigation revealed hypokalemia, elevated aldosterone levels, decreased plasma renin activity, and an aldosterone-to-renin ratio above 30. These findings strongly indicated primary aldosteronism (PA) as an additional condition affecting this patient. Through the utilization of whole exome sequencing, we successfully identified a suspected pathogenic gene TTN as the underlying cause of the patient's condition. The presence of HCM accompanied by secondary hypertension due to PA resulted in significant enlargement of the left ventricle, particularly the ventricular septum. While certain genetic mutations may suggest a potential link to cardiomyopathy development, they cannot definitively establish a direct association between HCM and PA.

The diagnostic potential of plasma SCUBE-1 concentration for pulmonary embolism: A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the potential application of plasma signal peptide-complement C1r/C1s, Uegf and Bmp1-epidermal growth factor domain-containing protein 1 (SCUBE-1) as a biomarker in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 177 patients who underwent PE diagnostic test and 87 healthy controls. The results of CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) were used as reference standards for PE diagnosis. The levels of SCUBE-1 and D-dimer in participants' plasma were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared among patients with confirmed PE, suspicious PE and healthy controls. The diagnostic values were analysed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. In addition, differences in plasma SCUBE-1 levels were compared among patients with different risk stratifications. RESULTS: The plasma SCUBE-1 concentration levels in patients with CTPA confirmed PE (14.28 ± 7.74 ng/ml) was significantly higher than those in the suspicious patients (11.11 ± 4.48 ng/ml) and in healthy control (4.40 ± 3.23 ng/ml) (P < 0.01). ROC curve analysis showed that at the cut-off of 7.789 ng/ml, SCUBE-1 has significant diagnostic value in differentiating PE patients from healthy control (AUC = 0.919, sensitivity = 81.25%, specificity = 92.13%), and the performance is more accurate than D-dimer (cut-off 273.4 ng/ml, AUC = 0.648, sensitivity = 65.75%, specificity = 67.42%). The combination of D-dimer with SCUBE-1 did not further improve the diagnostic value. However, SCUBE-1 did not show significant diagnostic value in identifying PE among suspicious patients There was no significant difference in SCUBE-1 level among different risk groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: We believe that SCUBE-1 could be a potential coagulation-related marker for the diagnosis of PE.

Metal Phenolic Network-Integrated Multistage Nanosystem for Enhanced Drug Delivery to Solid Tumors.

Metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) are an emerging class of supramolecular surface modifiers with potential use in various fields including drug delivery. Here, the development of a unique MPN-integrated core-satellite nanosystem (CS-NS) is reported. The "core" component of CS-NS comprises a liposome loaded with EDTA (a metal ion chelator) in the aqueous core and DiR (a near-infrared photothermal transducer) in the bilayer. The "satellite" component comprises mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) encapsulating doxorubicin and is coated with a Cu2+ -tannic acid MPN. Liposomes and MSNs self-assemble into the CS-NS through adhesion mediated by the MPN. When irradiated with an 808 nm laser, CS-NS liberated the entrapped EDTA, leading to Cu2+ chelation and subsequent disassembly of the core-satellite nanostructure. Photo-conversion from the large assembly to the small constituent particles proceeded within 5 min. Light-triggered CS-NS disassembly enhanced the carrier and cargo penetration and accumulation in tumor spheroids in vitro and in orthotopic murine mammary tumors in vivo. CS-NS is long circulating in the blood and conferred improved survival outcomes to tumor-bearing mice treated with light, compared to controls. These results demonstrate an MPN-integrated multistage nanosystem for improved solid tumor treatment.

Biomimetic Liposomal Nanoplatinum for Targeted Cancer Chemophototherapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer is limited by tumor hypoxia. Platinum nanoparticles (nano-Pt) as a catalase-like nanoenzyme can enhance PDT through catalytic oxygen supply. However, the cytotoxic activity of nano-Pt is not comprehensively considered in the existing methods to exert their multifunctional antitumor effects. Here, nano-Pt are loaded into liposomes via reverse phase evaporation. The clinical photosensitizer verteporfin (VP) is loaded in the lipid bilayer to confer PDT activity. Murine macrophage cell membranes are hybridized into the liposomal membrane to confer biomimetic and targeting features. The resulting liposomal system, termed "nano-Pt/VP@MLipo," is investigated for chemophototherapy in vitro and in vivo in mouse tumor models. At the tumor site, oxygen produced by nano-Pt catalyzation improves the VP-mediated PDT, which in turn triggers the release of nano-Pt via membrane permeabilization. The ultrasmall 3-5 nm nano-Pt enables better penetration in tumors, which is also facilitated by the generated oxygen gas, for enhanced chemotherapy. Chemophototherapy with a single injection of nano-Pt/VP@MLipo and light irradiation inhibits the growth of aggressive 4T1 tumors and their lung metastasis, and prolongs animal survival without overt toxicity.

Erratum: Characterization of an orthotopic gastric cancer mouse model with lymph node and organ metastases using bioluminescence imaging.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.9313.].

Nanobowl-Supported Liposomes Improve Drug Loading and Delivery.

Liposomal drug delivery for cancer therapy can be limited due to drug leakage in circulation. Here, we develop a new method to enhance the stability of actively loaded liposomal doxorubicin (DOX) through embedding a stiff nanobowl in the liposomal water cavity. Nanobowl-supported liposomal DOX (DOX@NbLipo) resists the influence of plasma protein and blood flow shear force to prevent drug leakage. This approach yields improved drug delivery to tumor sites and enhanced antitumor efficacy. Compared to alternative methods of modifying liposome surface and composition for stability, this approach designs a physical support for an all-aqueous nanoliposomal cavity. Nanobowl stabilization of liposomes is a simple and effective method to improve carrier stability and drug delivery.

Enhanced Drug Delivery by Nanoscale Integration of a Nitric Oxide Donor To Induce Tumor Collagen Depletion.

Delivery of therapeutics into the solid tumor microenvironment is a major challenge for cancer nanomedicine. Administration of certain exogenous enzymes which deplete tumor stromal components has been proposed as a method to improve drug delivery. Here we present a protein-free collagen depletion strategy for drug delivery into solid tumors, based on activating endogenous matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1 and -2) using nitric oxide (NO). Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were loaded with a chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin (DOX) as well as a NO donor ( S-nitrosothiol) to create DN@MSN. The loaded NO results in activation of MMPs which degrade collagen in the tumor extracellular matrix. Administration of DN@MSN resulted in enhanced tumor penetration of both the nanovehicle and cargo (DOX), leading to significantly improved antitumor efficacy with no overt toxicity observed.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Brucellosis, Toxoplasmosis, and Neosporosis Among Yanbian Yellow Cattle in Jilin Province, China.

Brucellosis and Toxoplasmosis are important zoonotic diseases, and Neospora caninum is a parasite causing disease in cattle and other animals. Brucella spp. and N. caninum can cause abortions in cattle, and Toxoplasmosis is a relevant cause of abortion for small ruminants, resulting in economic loses to farmers. In this study, from July 2015 to April 2017, a total of 535 Yanbian yellow cattle blood samples were collected from 3 cities in Jilin Province, China. We detected the frequency of N. caninum, Toxoplasma gondii, and Brucella spp. using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, indirect hemagglutination assay, and real-time PCR methods, respectively. The frequency of Brucella was 7.7% (41/535), and the seroprevalences of N. caninum and T. gondii were 6.2% (33/535) and 5.0% (27/535), respectively. The region, gender, and age of Yanbian yellow cattle were considered as risk factors when analyzed using a logistic regression model. These findings provide the foundation for the prevention and control of infection by these pathogens in Yanbian yellow cattle and humans.