Mycobacterium Infection of Abscess with Hemoptysis as the Initial Manifestation.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium abscessus is a new pathogen in recent years, which belongs to non-tuberculosis mycobacterium. Mycobacterium abscessus is widely involved in many nosocomial infections and secondary aggravation of genetic respiratory diseases. Mycobacterium abscessus is naturally resistant to most antibiotics and is difficult to treat. We report a case of mycobacterium abscessus infection with hemoptysis as the first manifestation. METHODS: Bronchoscopy, next-generation sequencing (NGS). RESULTS: Acid-fast staining of bronchoscopic lavage fluid showed that a small amount of acid-fast bacilli could be seen. NGS test showed the presence of Mycobacterium abscess, sequence number 137 (reference range ≥ 0), and symptomatic treatment against non-tuberculosis mycobacteria. CONCLUSIONS: For the follow-up infection of patients with hemoptysis, the treatment effect of antibiotics is not good, so the pathological tissue should be obtained by bronchoscopy or percutaneous lung biopsy in time, and the diagnosis should be confirmed by NGS if necessary.

A comparative study of the morphology and molecular biology between the Schneiderian membrane and palatine mucoperiosteum.

Schneiderian membrane is an indispensable structure for osteogenesis under the sinus floor space after maxillary sinus floor elevation.Therefore,this study aimed to compare the Schneiderian membrane and palatine mucoperiosteum in various aspects to explore whether the Schneiderian membrane has a periosteal layer and osteogenic ability. Schneiderian membrane and palatine mucoperiosteum specimens were collected and stained with HE, Masson, and Sirius red. Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the expression and localization of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Then MSCs from two tissues were isolated,cultured, and identified. The expression of osteogenic markers OCN, RUNX2, and BMP2 ware detected by Western blotting and quantitative PCR after osteogenic differentiation.The morphological observations revealed both the Schneiderian membrane and palatine mucoperiosteum were composed of three layers.Immunofluorescence staining showed that the inner bone surface layer of the Schneiderian membrane was rich in MSCs, which was similar to the cambium layer of the palatine mucoperiosteum.In addition, MSCs from two tissues showed similar morphological phenotype. After further osteogenic induction of the two groups, the expression of BMP2, RUNX2, and OCN were significantly increased. This study provide a novel insight into that Schneiderian membrane is a mucoperiosteal membrane rich of MSCs, containing a periosteal layer and osteogenic ability similar to mucoperiosteum.

The diverse roles of YAP in the regulation of human nasal epithelial remodeling.

Yes-associated protein (YAP) is essential in maintaining tissue size. Aberrant epithelial remodeling is a key pathological alteration in both inflammation and benign tumors in nasal mucosa. We sought to investigate the expression and localization patterns of YAP in remodeled nasal epithelium of basal cell hyperplasia, goblet cell metaplasia and squamous metaplasia. YAP expression patterns were evaluated in tissues obtained from patients with NP (n = 45) and IP (n = 27), and control subjects with septal deviation (n = 17) and tissue-derived primary cell cultures. Compared to the normal epithelium, expressions of YAP were significantly higher in basal cell hyperplasia (NP, 11.4-fold; IP, 19.6-fold), followed by squamous metaplasia (8.2-fold) and mild to moderate goblet cell metaplasia (2.9-fold); while their expression was lower in severe goblet cell metaplasia (3.3-fold). Our resultsshowed that: 1) ectopic nuclear YAP expression associated with p63+ basal cell hyperplasia and the high proliferative potential epithelial cells; 2) increase of cytoplasmic YAP correlated with mild to moderate goblet cell metaplasia; 3) increase of cytoplasmic YAP correlated with squamous cell metaplasia. The in vitro cell model also demonstrated almost concordant changes of YAP with the mucosa findings. Different YAP expression and localization patterns should play critical but differential roles in the nasal epithelial remodeling processes under mucosal inflammation and benign tumor formation.

Value of quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in predicting extramural venous invasion in locally advanced gastric cancer and prognostic significance.

BACKGROUND: Extramural venous invasion (EMVI) has been found to be related to poor prognosis in gastric cancer. Preoperative diagnosis of EMVI is challenging, as it can only be detected by surgical pathology. The present study aimed to investigate the value of quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting EMVI preoperatively, and to determine the relationship between prediction results and prognosis in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). METHODS: Between January, 2015, and June, 2017, 79 LAGC patients underwent MRI preoperatively were enrolled in this study. Pathological EMVI (pEMVI) was used as the gold standard for diagnosis. The differences in quantitative DCE-MRI and DWI parameters between groups with different pEMVI status were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to build the combined prediction model for pEMVI with statistically significant quantitative parameters. The performance of the model for predicting pEMVI was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Patients were grouped based on MRI-predicted EMVI (mrEMVI). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to investigate the relationship between mrEMVI and 2-year recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: Of the 79 LAGC patients who underwent MRI, 29 were pEMVI positive and 50 were pEMVI negative. Among the patients' clinical and pathological characteristics, only postoperative staging showed a significant difference between the 2 groups (P=0.015). The pEMVI-positive group had higher volume transfer constant (Ktrans) and rate constant (kep), and lower apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values than the negative group (0.189 vs. 0.082 min-1, 0.687 vs. 0.475 min-1, and 1.230×10-3 vs. 1.463×10-3 mm2/s, respectively; P<0.05). Quantitative parameters, Ktrans and kep, and ADC values, were independently associated with pEMVI which odds ratio values were 3.66, 2.65, and 0.30 (P<0.05), respectively, using multivariate logistic regression. ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value in predicting pEMVI using combined Ktrans, kep, and ADC values were 0.879, 72.4%, 96%, 91.3%, and 85.7%, respectively. A total of 23 cases were considered to be mrEMVI positive, and 56 cases were considered to be mrEMVI negative, according to the predictive results. The median RFS of the mrEMVI-positive group was significant lower than the negative group (21.7 vs. 31.2 months), and the 2-year RFS rate in the mrEMVI-positive group was significantly lower than that of the negative group (43.6% vs. 72.5%, P=0.010). CONCLUSIONS: The quantitative DCE-MRI parameters, Ktrans and kep, and DWI parameter, ADC, are independent predictors of pEMVI in LAGC; mrEMVI was confirmed to be a poor prognostic predictor for RFS.

Local IL-17 positive T cells are functionally associated with neutrophil infiltration and their development is regulated by mucosal microenvironment in nasal polyps.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: IL-17 plays essential roles in neutrophilic inflammation in the lower respiratory tract, however, the characteristics of local IL-17+ T cells in nasal inflammatory mucosa are not fully understood. We investigated the roles of IL-17+ T cells in regulating neutrophil infiltration and the effect of the mucosal microenvironment in modulating IL-17+ T cell differentiation in CRSwNP tissues. SUBJECTS: 47 polyp tissues from chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) patients without corticosteroid therapy and 26 tissues from healthy mucosa were obtained. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry were used to analyze the neutrophil infiltration, local IL-17+ T cell subsets, as well as cytokine producing profiles of IL-17+ T cell; tissue homogenates were used to study neutrophil migration and IL-17+ T cell differentiation. RESULTS: Increase of IL-17+ cells and IL-17+ T cell subsets was significant in polyp tissues versus controls, IL-17+ cell number was positively correlated with neutrophil infiltration; while homogenates from polyp tissues with high IL-17 promoted neutrophil migration in vitro. IL-17 response was found in polyp-derived T cells upon Staphylococcus aureus infection. IL-17+ T cells were also down-regulated in polyps from patients treated with glucocorticoid steroids, and exhibited poly-functionality patterns in polyp tissues. Finally, IL-17+ T cell differentiation could be induced by IL-23, and homogenates from polyps could enhance IL-17+ T cell development. CONCLUSIONS: This study determined a functional association of IL-17+ T cells with neutrophils in CRSwNP, and revealed that polyp microenvironment could promote IL-17+ T cell differentiation, suggesting a potential feedback role for IL-17+ T cell development and local neutrophilic inflammation.

LINC00968 promotes osteogenic differentiation in vitro and bone formation in vivo via regulation of miR-3658/RUNX2.

Osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) is considered as a promising strategy in posterior maxilla tooth implantation. Information on the function and mechanisms of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs is growing, however, the mechanism of LINC00968 and miR-3658 in regulating osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs still needs to be explored. In this study, the LINC00968 and miR-3658 expression level was upregulated and downregulated in DPSCs and peri-implantitis DPSCs (pDPSCs) treated with bone morphogenic protein (BMP)2, respectively. Moreover, the effects of LINC00968 and miR-3658 on BMP2-induced osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs in vitro using Alizarin Red S staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, quantitative real time PCR and Western blot assays showed that overexpression of LINC00968 significantly promoted mineralized bone matrix, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), and osterix (OSX) expression levels for osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs and pDPSCs; and overexpression of miR-3658 showed an opposite result that inhibited osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs and pDPSCs. Luciferase reporter assay showed that luciferase activities of LINC00968-WT reporter and RUNX2-WT reporter were strongly suppressed by miR-3658 overexpression. In addition, the miR-3658 upregulation interfered ectopic bone formation in vivo stimulated by LINC00968. In general, we had identified a novel molecular pathway involving LINC00968/miR-3658/RUNX2 during DPSCs and pDPSCs differentiation into osteoblasts, which might facilitate bone anabolism.

Effects of Heat-Treatment Temperature on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steel by MgO Nanoparticle Additions.

The characteristics and formation mechanisms of intragranular acicular ferrite (IAF) in steel with MgO nanoparticle additions were systematically investigated for different isothermal heat-treatment temperatures, and its influence on mechanical properties was also clarified. The results indicate that the inclusions were finely dispersed and refined after adding MgO nanoparticles. In addition, with decreasing heat-treatment temperature, the microstructure changed from grain boundary ferrite (GBF) and polygonal ferrite (PF) to intragranular acicular ferrite. Moreover, the steel with MgO additions had excellent mechanical properties in the temperature range of 973 to 823 K and an average Charpy absorbed energies value of around 174 J at 873 K due to the significant refinement of the microstructure and nucleation of intragranular acicular ferrite.