Combining glomerular basement membrane and tubular basement membrane assessment improves the prediction of diabetic end-stage renal disease.

BACKGROUND: To address the prognostic value of combining tubular basement membrane (TBM) and glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickness in diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 110 patients with type 2 diabetes and biopsy-proven DN from 2011 to 2018. The pathological findings were confirmed according to the Renal Pathology Society classifications. GBM and TBM thicknesses were determined using the Haas' direct measurement/arithmetic mean method and orthogonal intercept method, respectively. Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate the hazard ratios (HRs) for the influence of combined GBM and TBM thickness for predicting end-stage renal disease (ESRD). RESULTS: Patients were assigned to three groups according to the median GBM and TBM thickness: GBMlo TBMlo (GBM < 681 nm and TBM < 1200 nm), GBMhi TBMlo /GBMlo TBMhi (GBM ≥ 681 nm and TBM < 1200 nm, or GBM < 681 nm and TBM ≥ 1200 nm), and GBMhi TBMhi (GBM ≥ 681 nm and TBM ≥ 1200 nm). The GBMhi TBMlo /GBMlo TBMhi and GBMhi TBMhi groups displayed poorer renal function, a more severe glomerular classification and interstitial inflammation, and poorer renal survival rates than the GBMlo TBMlo group The GBMhi TBMlo /GBMlo TBMhi and GBMhi TBMhi groups had adjusted HRs of 1.49 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-9.75) and 3.07 (95% CI, 2.87-12.78), respectively, compared with the GBMlo TBMlo group. CONCLUSIONS: TBM thickness enhanced GBM thickness for renal prognosis in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Real dynamic assessment of tear film optical quality for monitoring and early prevention of dry eye.

To evaluate real dynamic assessment of tear film optical quality for monitoring and prevention of dry eye.Right eyes of 62 normal and 39 dry eye subjects were included. Dynamic measurement of objective scatter index (OSI) was performed by using the Optical Quality Analysis System II (OQAS II), correlation coefficient between OSI and time (CCOT) was calculated. According to whether the CCOT was significantly ascending, normal and dry eye groups were further subdivided for comparison. By using Scheimpflug-Placido topographer, non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT) was recorded, and a 2-dimensional precorneal tear film map was reconstructed and divided into central, middle, and peripheral corneal zones, distribution of tear break-up spots in the 3 corneal zones were analyzed.The numbers of tear break-up spots were higher in all the 3 corneal zones of the dry eye subjects (P < .01), when compared with the normal subjects. The Dry Eye subjects with ascending CCOT had the shortest NITBUT (P < .001-.034) and the most tear break-up spots over the whole cornea (P < .001-.044). Between the dry eye subjects with non-ascending CCOT and those with ascending CCOT, difference of tear break-up spots was found significant only in the peripheral corneal zone (P < .01).Non-ascending and ascending CCOT of dry eye patients reflect different stability of tear film. Real dynamic assessment of tear film optical quality is potential for monitoring and early prevention of dry eye.

Application of a Simple Quantitative Assessment of Atherosclerotic Lesions in Freshly Isolated Aortas from Rabbits.

Rabbits are widely used for the study of atherosclerosis; however, the lack of a unified and quantitative analysis of atheroma limits data interpretation and comparisons between laboratories. In this study, we applied a simple quantitative method, referred to as the oil red O (ORO) dye-eluting method, for analysis of atherosclerotic plaques in freshly isolated aortas. It employs ORO staining of the plaques followed by elution of the dye that is subjected to quantitative measurement. Atherosclerosis was induced in rabbits by feeding a 1% (w/w) high cholesterol diet for 4 or 12 weeks. Thoracic aortas were isolated and sufficiently stained by ORO. These dyes were easily and completely extracted by 100% ethanol and quantified by spectrophotometric measurement at 510 nm. A series of cross-sectional slices at 100-µm intervals were counterstained by elastic van Gieson. It was found that there was a highly positive correlation between the dye concentration and the amount of plaque tissue, determined as volume of plaques (regression coefficient r2: 0.8792, p < 0.001). The color equivalence of the dye content was expressed as µg/mm2 of intimal aorta area to allow direct comparisons among aortas. The color equivalences of ORO content in rabbits fed 12 weeks were almost 5.0 times higher than those fed 4 weeks. Thus, this ORO dye-eluting method is useful for quantification of atherosclerotic plaques in aortas in rabbits, as well as other animal models.

[Clinical value of transvaginal ultrasound, MRI and hysteroscopy in the assessment of endometrial cancer lesion size].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of transvaginal ultrasound, hysteroscopy and MRI in the assessment of endometrial cancer lesions size. METHODS: Data from 56 patients who successively underwent transvaginal ultrasound, MRI and hysteroscopy inspection preoperative endometrial carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed to assess the accuracy of lesions size. RESULTS: The pathologic lesions size measured mean maximum diameter of 56 cases was (3.05±0.23) cm, while the mean maximum diameter measured by vaginal ultrasound, MRI and hysteroscopy were respectivelly (2.46±0.31) cm, (3.12±0.08) cm, and (3.18±0.21) cm. Compared with the pathologic measured values, the compliance rates of transvaginal ultrasound, hysteroscopy and MRI were respectively 54% (30/56), 71% (40/56) and 75% (42/56), which vaginal ultrasound measurement value was significantly different than that by pathologic measured (P=0.031), while there were significant difference between the hysteroscopy measured lesion size and pathologic measured, or between MRI measured values and pathologic measured (all P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Preoperative assess the endometrial cancer lesions size, significance of vaginal ultrasound examination is limited, and MRI and hysteroscopy examination is accurate, but easy to over-estimated lesion size.

[Assessment of groundwater vulnerability to nitrate in He'nan Province of China based on principal component regression].

According to the hydrological and morphological characteristics, He'nan Province was divided into mountainous region and plain region. The level of rich water, infiltration modulus of precipitation, fertilization level per unit area, proportions of vegetable planting area, and soil texture were selected as the common indices, and the slope and groundwater depth were selected as specific indices to assess the groundwater vulnerability to nitrate. Principal component regression analysis was adopted to determine the index weights, and the spatial distribution of groundwater vulnerability to nitrate in He'nan Province was assessed with ArcGIS 9.2. In the Province, the groundwater vulnerability to nitrate was mainly at low and medium level, and the region with this vulnerability level accounted for 68.4% of the total. The high vulnerability region accounted for 19.8%, and the extremely high vulnerability region occupied 11.8%. The main factors affecting the groundwater vulnerability to nitrate in plain region were soil texture, fertilization level, and infiltration modulus of precipitation, while those in mountainous region were fertilization level, soil texture, and slope. This study provided a theoretical basis for reasonable fertilization and agricultural environment management.