Chronic inflammation regulates adipose tissue fibrosis / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:In recent years,studies have shown that obesity is closely related to chronic inflammation.Due to excessive energy intake,inflammatory macrophage infiltration and inflammatory response occur in visceral adipose tissue,which is crucial for the regulation of adipose tissue fibrosis. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the molecular mechanism of inflammation-related signals involved in the regulation of adipose tissue fibrosis and to provide reference for the treatment of adipose tissue fibrosis and related metabolic diseases through anti-inflammatory pathways. METHODS:Relevant documents were retrieved from CNKI and PubMed,and the Chinese and English search words were"inflammation,inflammatory factors,inflammatory signals,lip fibrosis,adipose fibrosis,adipose tissue fibrosis"respectively.The search period was from January 2003 to December 2022.Finally,52 documents meeting the criteria were included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:During obesity,visceral adipose tissue expands through adipocyte proliferation and hypertrophy to store excess energy,and defects caused by remodeling or functional changes mainly include impaired angiogenesis,adipocyte apoptosis promoted by white adipose tissue hypoxia,macrophage infiltration,and adipocyte fibrosis.Adipose tissue fibrosis has adverse effects on the natural growth of adipose cells.The factors that trigger chronic inflammation of adipose tissue include a variety of signal stimuli,such as adipocyte death caused by hypoxia,mechanical signal transduction caused by extracellular matrix remodeling and lipogenic factor imbalance.Inflammatory factors such as interleukin-1β,tumor necrosis factor-α,C-type lectins and adiponectin secreted by adipocytes and other inflammatory signaling pathways such as nuclear factor-κB,transforming growth factor-β/Smad and MAPK jointly regulate the process of adipose tissue fibrosis.

Setup error analysis of image registration using various regions of interest after individualized nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiotherapy immobilization / 中国医学物理学杂志

Objective To explore the effects of image registration using various regions of interest(ROI)on the setup error for nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)patients who were immobilized individually.Methods Forty-three NPC patients who required radiotherapy were enrolled.The patients were immobilized with customized plastic foam and thermoplastic mask,and CBCT verification was performed once a week.In CBCT images,ROI was divided into the whole ROI(ROIPTV)and 7 local ROI containing different cervical structures(ROIsphenoid sinus,ROIatlantoaxial,ROIneck3,ROIneck4,ROIneck5,ROIneck6,and ROIneck7),which were then used for registrations with localized CT image.The setup errors in superior-inferior(SI),left-right(LR),anterior-posterior(AP),Pitch,Roll,and Yaw directions were recorded.Results In SI direction,the setup errors within 0.3 cm accounted for 89.74%for ROIneck7,and more than 90%for the other ROI.The proportion of setup errors within 0.3 cm gradually increased with the neck upward in LR direction,and they were 76.78%,81.70%,85.26%,and above 90%for ROIneck7,ROIneck6,ROIneck5,and the other ROI,respectively.In AP direction,the proportions of setup errors within 0.3 cm were less than 90%,except for ROIatlantoaxial and ROIneck3.The setup errors of ROIsphenoid sinus,ROIatlantoaxial,ROIneck3,and ROIneck4 were significantly positively correlated with ROIPTV in SI direction,and the correlation coefficients(R)were 0.94,0.95,0.90,and 0.83,respectively.In LR direction,there were positive correlations between the setup errors of ROIatlantoaxial and ROIsphenoid sinus(R=0.95),ROIneck3 and ROIsphenoid sinus(R=0.91),ROIPTV and ROIneck3(R=0.91).The setup errors of ROIPTV in AP direction were positively correlated with ROIatlantoaxial vertebrae and ROIneck3(R=0.88,0.90).The margins of all ROIs ranged from 0.38 cm to 1.01 cm.The extension of ROIneck6 and ROIneck7 in AP direction exceeded 0.9 cm,and the extension of ROIneck7 reached 0.95 cm in SI direction.Conclusion ROIPTV and ROIsphenoid sinus,ROIatlantoaxial,ROIneck3 are significantly correlated in SI,LR,and AP directions.The setup error of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients gradually increases with the neck down.The nasopharyngeal and cervical regions need to be expanded in segments when patients are immobilized individually.

The Association between Educational Attainment and the Risk of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease among Chinese Adults: Findings from the REACTION Study

Background/Aims@#Low educational attainment is a well-established risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in developed areas. However, the association between educational attainment and the risk of NAFLD is less clear in China. @*Methods@#A cross-sectional study including over 200,000 Chinese adults across mainland China was conducted. Information on education level and lifestyle factors were obtained through standard questionnaires, while NAFLD and advanced fibrosis were diagnosed using validated formulas. Outcomes included the risk of NAFLD in the general population and high probability of fibrosis among patients with NAFLD. Logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate the risk of NAFLD and fibrosis across education levels. A causal mediation model was used to explore the potential mediators. @*Results@#Comparing with those receiving primary school education, the multi-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for NAFLD were 1.28 (1.16 to 1.41) for men and 0.94 (0.89 to 0.99) for women with college education after accounting for body mass index. When considering waist circumference, the odds ratios (95% CIs) were 0.94 (0.86 to 1.04) for men and 0.88 (0.80 to 0.97) for women, respectively. The proportions mediated by general and central obesity were 51.00% and 68.04% for men, while for women the proportions were 48.58% and 32.58%, respectively. Furthermore, NAFLD patients with lower educational attainment showed an incremental increased risk of advanced fibrosis in both genders. @*Conclusions@#In China, a low education level was associated with a higher risk of prevalent NAFLD in women, as well as high probability of fibrosis in both genders.

Distribution characteristics of special types of diabetes mellitus in Chinese population: A literature-based analysis from 2011 to 2021 / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To analyze the distribution characteristics of special types of diabetes in China, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of special types of diabetes.Methods:Pubmed, CNKI, and WanFang Data were searched for the case reports and clinical studies of special types of diabetes in China from 2011 to 2021. After independent literature screening by 2 researchers according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, diseases and the number of corresponding cases included were extracted for statistics. The etiological composition and disease characteristics of three subtypes of special type diabetes were analyzed.Results:A total of 613 articles(7 377 patients)were included and roughly divided into eight subtypes of special type diabetes according to etiological classification for disease composition analysis. The results by ratio in descending order were as follows: mono-genetic gene defects in islet β-cell function, pancreatogenic diabetes, diabetes induced by drugs or chemicals, endocrine disease, mono-genetic gene defects in insulin action, other genetic syndromes associated with diabetes, infection, and uncommon immune-mediated diabetes. The disease composition of the three subtypes of special types of diabetes that we focused on were mono-genetic gene defects in islet β-cell function(50.21%), pancreatogenic diabetes(35.65%), and mono-genetic gene defects in insulin action(1.56%). The composition analysis of the special types of diabetes in each subtype showed that neonatal diabetes mellitus(NDM, n=1 749, 23.71%)and maturity onset diabetes in young(MODY, n=1 554, 21.07%)accounted for the largest proportions. According to the composition analysis of each subtype of MODY patients, the top three subtypes were MODY2(50.89%), MODY3(16.03%), and MODYX(8.91%). In addition, taking MODY as an example, patients with de novo mutations(DNMs)and(or)new mutation sites were summarized and analyzed. The results revealed 31 MODY patients with DNMs(1.99%) and 339 MODY patients with new mutation sites(21.81%). Conclusions:According to the literature analysis, NDM and MODY represent the largest proportion of patients with special type diabetes in China. MODY2 patients make up the largest proportion of MODY patients. In addition, diabetic patients carrying DNMs and(or)new mutation sites should be taken seriously.

Metabolic Disease Management Guideline for National Metabolic Management Center(2nd edition) / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

The latest epidemiological data suggests that the situation of adult diabetes in China is severe, and metabolic diseases have become significant chronic illnesses that have a serious impact on public health and social development. After more than six years of practice, the National Metabolic Management Center(MMC) has developed distinctive approaches to manage metabolic patients and has achieved a series of positive outcomes, continuously advancing the standardized diagnosis and treatment model. In order to further improve the efficiency, based on the first edition, the second edition guideline was composed by incorporating experience of the past six years in conjunction with the latest international and domestic guidelines.

Dissecting Causal Relationships Between Gut Microbiota, Blood Metabolites, and Stroke: A Mendelian Randomization Study / 대한뇌졸중학회지

Background@#and Purpose We investigated the causal relationships between the gut microbiota (GM), stroke, and potential metabolite mediators using Mendelian randomization (MR). @*Methods@#We leveraged the summary statistics of GM (n=18,340 in the MiBioGen consortium), blood metabolites (n=115,078 in the UK Biobank), and stroke (cases n=60,176 and controls n=1,310,725 in the Global Biobank Meta-Analysis Initiative) from the largest genome-wide association studies to date. We performed bidirectional MR analyses to explore the causal relationships between the GM and stroke, and two mediation analyses, two-step MR and multivariable MR, to discover potential mediating metabolites. @*Results@#Ten taxa were causally associated with stroke, and stroke led to changes in 27 taxa. In the two-step MR, Bifidobacteriales order, Bifidobacteriaceae family, Desulfovibrio genus, apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), phospholipids in high-density lipoprotein (HDL_PL), and the ratio of apolipoprotein B to ApoA1 (ApoB/ApoA1) were causally associated with stroke (all P<0.044). The causal associations between Bifidobacteriales order, Bifidobacteriaceae family and stroke were validated using the weighted median method in an independent cohort. The three GM taxa were all positively associated with ApoA1 and HDL_PL, whereas Desulfovibrio genus was negatively associated with ApoB/ApoA1 (all P<0.010). Additionally, the causal associations between the three GM taxa and ApoA1 remained significant after correcting for the false discovery rate (all q-values <0.027). Multivariable MR showed that the associations between Bifidobacteriales order, Bifidobacteriaceae family and stroke were mediated by ApoA1 and HDL_PL, each accounting for 6.5% (P=0.028) and 4.6% (P=0.033); the association between Desulfovibrio genus and stroke was mediated by ApoA1, HDL_PL, and ApoB/ApoA1, with mediated proportions of 7.6% (P=0.019), 4.2% (P=0.035), and 9.1% (P=0.013), respectively. @*Conclusion@#The current MR study provides evidence supporting the causal relationships between several specific GM taxa and stroke and potential mediating metabolites.

Study on the dynamic variation of the secondary metabolites in Viscum coloratum using targeted metabolomics / 中国天然药物

Viscum coloratum (Kom.) Nakai is a well-known medicinal plant. However, the optimal harvest time for V. coloratum is unknown. Few studies were performed to analyze compound variation during storage and to improve post-harvest quality control. Our study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the quality of V. coloratum in different growth stages, and determine the dynamic variation of metabolites. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantify 29 compounds in V. coloratum harvested in six growth periods, and the associated biosynthetic pathways were explored. The accumulation of different types of compounds were analyzed based on their synthesis pathways. Grey relational analysis was used to evaluate the quality of V. coloratum across different months. The compound variation during storage was analyzed by a high-temperature high-humidity accelerated test. The results showed that the quality of V. coloratum was the hightest in March, followed by November, and became the lowest in July. During storage, compounds in downstream steps of the biosynthesis pathway were first degraded to produce the upstream compounds and some low-molecular-weight organic acids, leading to an increase followed by a decrease in the content of some compounds, and resulted in a large gap during the degradation time course among different compounds. Due to the rapid rate and large degree of degradation, five compounds were tentatively designated as "early warning components" for quality control. This report provides reference for better understanding the biosynthesis and degradation of metabolites in V. coloratum and lays a theoretical foundation for rational application of V. coloratum and better quality control of V. coloratum during storage.

Dissolution behavior of aripiprazole tablets based on near infrared spectroscopy / 药学实践与服务

Objective To establish a near infrared (NIR) quantitative model for the dissolution behavior of aripiprazole tablets. Methods The NIR spectra of aripiprazole tablets were collected and the dissolution tests were performed to determine the dissolution of each tablet at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 30 min. The near infrared spectra regions of 4 000.00-4 396.90, 5 326.43-12 000.00 cm−1 were pretreated by Savitzky-Golay smoothing filter, and the dissolution behavior model was established by partial least squares method. Results The root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) at different time points were analyzed. RMSEP was lower than 8%. The calibration correlation coefficient (RC) and the prediction correlation coefficient (RP) at different time points were above 0.95 (except for the point of 6 min). There was a good correlation between the NIR spectrum and the dissolution at each time point. Conclusion NIR spectroscopy could predict the dissolution behavior of aripiprazole tablets, which lays a foundation for online quality monitoring of tablets by NIR spectroscopy.

Small-molecule anti-COVID-19 drugs and a focus on China's homegrown mindeudesivir (VV116) / 医学前沿

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has stimulated tremendous efforts to develop therapeutic agents that target severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 to control viral infection. So far, a few small-molecule antiviral drugs, including nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid), remdesivir, and molnupiravir have been marketed for the treatment of COVID-19. Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir has been recommended by the World Health Organization as an early treatment for outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. However, the existing treatment options have limitations, and effective treatment strategies that are cost-effective and convenient for tackling COVID-19 are still needed. To date, four domestically developed oral anti-COVID-19 drugs have been granted conditional market approval in China. These drugs include azvudine, simnotrelvir-ritonavir (Xiannuoxin), leritrelvir, and mindeudesivir (VV116). Preclinical and clinical studies have explored the efficacy and tolerability of mindeudesivir and supported its early use in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 cases at high risk for progression. In this review, we discuss the most recent findings regarding the pharmacological mechanism and therapeutic effects focusing on mindeudesivir and other small-molecule antiviral agents for COVID-19. These findings will expand our understanding and highlight the potential widespread application of China's homegrown anti-COVID-19 drugs.

Clinical features of primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical profile of primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia(PBMAH) and sex difference.Methods:One hundred and forty cases of PBMAH were recruited in our center from 2014, and all patients were evaluated for hormone secretion, adrenal imaging, and metabolic parameters.Results:Overt Cushing′s syndrome accounted for 76.4% of PBMAH cohort and 47.9% were female. The overt group had higher serum cortisol and 24 h urinary free cortisol levels, lower adrenocorticotropic hormone, higher serum cortisol after low-dose dexamethasone suppression tests, larger total adrenal size, and a higher percentage of obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hypokalemia than the subclinical group(all P<0.05). When compared with the male group, the female group had smaller adrenal size( P<0.001), lower HbA 1C( P=0.003), higher total cholesterol( P=0.005), and lower density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels( P=0.035). Further, 24 h urinary free cortisol in the male group was found to be positively correlated with diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, 2 h postprandial glucose after oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT), and HbA 1C after adjusted for age, body mass index, and onset duration, and was negatively correlated with body mass index and potassium levels. While 24 h urinary free cortisol in the female group was positively correlated only with diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, and 2 h postprandial glucose after OGTT(all P<0.05). During follow-up, 80.0% of patients achieved remission after unilateral adrenalectomy, with a recurrence rate of 17.9%. Conclusion:PBMAH related metabolic disorder is more pronounced in overt Cushing′s syndrome and males. Unilateral adrenalectomy as an effective treatment can benefit the majority of patients.

Association between hemoglobin glycation index and 5-year major adverse cardiovascular events: the REACTION cohort study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) was developed to quantify glucose metabolism and individual differences and proved to be a robust measure of individual glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) bias. Here, we aimed to explore the relationship between different HGIs and the risk of 5-year major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) by performing a large multicenter cohort study in China.@*METHODS@#A total of 9791 subjects from the Risk Evaluation of Cancers in Chinese Diabetic Individuals: a Longitudinal Study (the REACTION study) were divided into five subgroups (Q1-Q5) with the HGI quantiles (≤5th, >5th and ≤33.3th, >33.3th and ≤66.7th, >66.7th and ≤95th, and >95th percentile). A multivariate logistic regression model constructed by the restricted cubic spline method was used to evaluate the relationship between the HGI and the 5-year MACE risk. Subgroup analysis between the HGI and covariates were explored to detect differences among the five subgroups.@*RESULTS@#The total 5-year MACE rate in the nationwide cohort was 6.87% (673/9791). Restricted cubic spline analysis suggested a U-shaped correlation between the HGI values and MACE risk after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors ( χ2 = 29.5, P <0.001). After adjustment for potential confounders, subjects with HGIs ≤-0.75 or >0.82 showed odds ratios (ORs) for MACE of 1.471 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.027-2.069) and 2.222 (95% CI, 1.641-3.026) compared to subjects with HGIs of >-0.75 and ≤-0.20. In the subgroup with non-coronary heart disease, the risk of MACE was significantly higher in subjects with HGIs ≤-0.75 (OR, 1.540 [1.039-2.234]; P = 0.027) and >0.82 (OR, 2.022 [1.392-2.890]; P <0.001) compared to those with HGIs of ≤-0.75 or >0.82 after adjustment for potential confounders.@*CONCLUSIONS@#We found a U-shaped correlation between the HGI values and the risk of 5-year MACE. Both low and high HGIs were associated with an increased risk of MACE. Therefore, the HGI may predict the 5-year MACE risk.

Unadjusted and adjusted fracture risk assessment tool and the hip fracture risk in patients with type 2 diabetes / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To evaluate and compare the clinical value of unadjusted fracture risk assessment tool(FRAX) and adjusted FRAX in predicting the risk of hip fracture in patients with type 2 diabetes(T2DM).Methods:In this 10-year retrospective cohort study, 1 730 patients with T2DM were collected from August 2009 to July 2013. The 10-year risk of hip fracture was calculated using the China FRAX model. Hip fracture events during the follow-up period were collected through electronic medical records and telephone interviews. The value of FRAX and adjusted FRAX in predicting the risk of hip fracture in T2DM patients was evaluated from two aspects of discrimination and calibration. Cox regression model was used to investigate the relationship between diabetes related factors and hip fracture.Results:A total of 39 participants(2.3%) experienced hip fracture during a median follow-up of 10 years. The area under the curve of unadjusted FRAX was 0.760, but the calibration ability was poor [calibration χ2: 75.78, P<0.001; calibration ratio(observation/prediction): 3.97(95% CI 2.76~5.17)]. There was no significant improvement in calibration ability of adjusted FRAX. After adjustment for unadjusted or adjusted hip fracture probability calculated by FRAX(FRAX-HF), duration, estimated glomerular filtration rate, insulin use, cerebrovascular diseases, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy were significantly associated with an increased risk of hip fracture( P<0.05). Conclusion:The FRAX tool significantly underestimated the risk of hip fracture in T2DM patients, and there was still significantly underestimation after adjustment due to the failure to eliminate the influence of diabetes-related factors such as disease duration and peripheral neuropathy.

Effects of growth hormone replacement therapy on glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with hypopituitarism / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of growth hormone replacement therapy(GHRT) on glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with hypopituitarism.Methods:Clinical data of patients with hypopituitarism who received GHRT in Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from December 2016 to February 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into normal glucose regulation(NGR) group and impaired glucose regulation(IGR) group according to their glucose metabolism status before GHRT. The changes of the characteristics of glucose metabolism before and after GHRT were analyzed.Results:A total of 30 patients aged(23.0±5.2) years were included, 23 patients in NGR group and 7 patients in IGR group. After 12 months of GHRT, there were no significant changes in fasting plasma glucose(FPG), 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose(2hPG), and insulin sensitivity index(ISI) in both groups(all P>0.05), while homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance(HOMA-IR) in IGR group was significantly decreased compared with that before GHRT( P<0.05). None of the patients in NGR group progressed to IGR or diabetes mellitus, and none of the 7 patients in the IGR group progressed to diabetes mellitus, while 4 of them recovered from impaired glucose tolerance(IGT) to NGR. Triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels were all significantly decreased in two groups(all P<0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the increase of body mass index was an independent risk factor for the increase of FPG and 2hPG( P<0.05). Conclusion:12-month GHRT significantly improved their blood lipid profiles in patients with hypopituitarism without adversely affecting glucose homeostasis.

Generalized lipodystrophy type 1 due to compound heterozygous mutation of AGPAT2 gene: One case report and literature review / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Congenital generalized lipodystrophy type 1 (CGL1) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by mutations in AGPAT2 gene. The main clinical mainifestations include body subcutaneous fat loss, muscle hypertrophy, obvious subcutaneous veins, pseudoacromegaly, hirsutism, and acanthosis nigricans. What′s more, CGL1 is always accompanied by metabolic diseases. Therefore, it is easily misdiagnosed as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, acromegaly, or Cushing′s syndrome. Meanwhile, it is difficult to distinguish it from partial lipoatrophy syndrome. In this article, we present clinical and molecular characteristics of a patient with CGL1 and review mutations reported in literature to replenish current knowledge about this orphan disease.

Numerical Model for Calculating Active and Passive Properties of Muscles with High Strain Rate / 医用生物力学

Objective On the basis of explicit dynamics calculation theory, a numerical model for calculating active and passive properties of muscles with high strain rate was proposed. Methods In the process of calculating the motion equation of muscle element with high strain rate, Hill’s three-factor muscle model with high strain rate was introduced into the noda force formula to modify the node force in each time step. Results As Hill’s three-factor muscle model was introduced in numerical calculation, the muscle element had the passive characteristics of the general structural constitutive model and its proprietary active characteristics. Conclusions The research findings will contribute to numerical calculation for dynamic response and damage of muscles with high strain rate.

Establishment of online quantitative model for moisture content determination of hydroxychloroquine sulfate particles by near infrared spectroscopy / 药学实践杂志

Objective To establish an online quantitative analysis model for moisture content assay of hydroxychloroquine sulfate particles by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Methods The NIR spectra were collected in real time when the material particles were dried in the fluidized bed. Meanwhile the water content of the particles was measured with the standard moisture tester. The multiplicative signal correction (MSC) and first derivative followed by Karl Norris smoothing were used for spectra pretreatment. Two spectral range (4 935−5 336 cm−1 and 6 911−7 297 cm−1) were selected for the quantitative model with the partial least squares (PLS) regression. Results The quantitative calibration model had good correlation coefficients with Rc value=0.952 9 and Rp value=0.936 6. The root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) was 0.408 and the root mean square error of prediction error (RMSEP) was 0.435. The ratio of standard deviation of validation set to prediction standard deviation (RPD) was 5.18. There was no significant difference between the predicted value and the reference value by t test when the established model was applied in large-scale production. Conclusion The online model established for monitoring water content has high accuracy and stability, which can be applied in industrial scale process to monitor the particle moisture in real time.

Clinical diagnosis and treatment of nerve mediated syncope in children and adolescents / 国际儿科学杂志

Nerve mediated syncope is the most common type of syncope in children, which is a kind of functional cardiovascular disease, including vasovagal syncope(VVS), postural tachycardia syndrome(POTS), orthostatic hypotension(OH), orthostatic hypertension(OHT), situational syncope(SS)and carotid sinus syndrome(CSS). Among them, VVS and POTS are the main ones, accounting for about 95% of children with nerve mediated syncope.Nerve mediated syncope affects the children′s daily life, threatens their physical and mental health, and causes anxiety among the parents.Therefore, there have been lots of researches on this disease in recent years.This paper reviewes the research progress of clinical features, clinical diagnosis and treatment of VVS, POTS, OH and OHT in children and adolescents.

Series interpretation to Chinese Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acromegaly(2020)(Part 1): Genetic causes of acromegaly / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Acromegaly is a commonly functional pituitary tumor. Standardized managements are crucial for the patients. Chinese Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acromegaly(2020) has been updated in 2020 based upon latest advance. This essential introduction about genetic causes would further guide and standardize the management of acromegaly.

Mining genes associated with furanocoumarin biosynthesis in an endangered medicinal plant, Glehnia littoralis

The endangered medicinal plant Glehnia littoralis is one of the important natural source of furanocoumarin, which has been used as mucolytic, antitussive, antitumour and antibacterial. However, the genetic information of furanocoumarin biosynthesis in G. littoralis is scarce at present. The objective of this study was to mine the putative candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis pathway of furanocoumarin and provide references for gene identification, and functional genomics of G. littoralis. We carried out the transcriptome analysis of leaves and roots in G. littoralis, which provided a dataset for gene mining. Psoralen, imperatorin and isoimperatorin were detected in G. littoralis by high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Candidate key genes were mined based on the annotations and local BLAST with homologous sequences using BioEdit software. The relative expression of genes was analysed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Further, the CYP450 genes were mined using phylogenetic analyses using MEGA 6.0 software. A total of 156,949 unigenes were generated, of which 9021 were differentially-expressed between leaves and roots. A total of 82 unigenes encoding eight enzymes in furanocoumarin biosynthetic pathway were first obtained. Seven genes that encoded key enzymes in the downstream furanocoumarin biosynthetic pathway and expressed more in roots than leaves were screened. Twenty-six candidate CYP450 unigenes expressed abundantly in roots and were chiefly concentrated in CYP71, CYP85 and CYP72 clans. Finally, we filtered 102 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) unigenes. The transcriptome of G. littoralis was characterized which would help to elucidate the furanocoumarin biosynthetic pathway in G. littoralis and provide an invaluable resource for further study of furanocoumarin.

Evaluation value of Rades score on radiotherapy-related survival prognosis in patients with metastatic spinal cord compression / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To evaluate the radiotherapy-related survival prognosis value of Rades score in patients with metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC).Methods:The clinical data of 110 patients with MSCC who underwent radiotherapy from January 2010 to January 2014 in Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences were retrospectively analyzed. The primary tumor was 36 cases of prostate cancer, 18 cases of myeloma/lymphoma, 15 cases of breast cancer, 7 cases of lung cancer, and 34 cases of other types of cancer. The survival status, overall survival time and Rades score were recorded. The influencing factors of survival prognosis and the relationship between the Rades score and survival prognosis were analyzed.Results:The 84.5% (93/110) patients had a radiotherapy dose of 20 Gy/5 times; 5.5% (6/110) patients (operated patients or myeloma/lymphoma patients) had a radiotherapy dose of 30 Gy/10 times. Thirty-seven cases were treated by surgery. The patients were followed up for (38.6 ± 15.2) months, and the overall survival period was (15.2 ± 0.5) months. Cox proportional hazards model analysis result showed that the primary tumor type, surgical treatment, combined chemotherapy and Rades score were the risk factors of survival prognosis in patients with MSCC ( P<0.05). Among the 110 patients, Rades score was 20 to 30 scores in 17 cases (group A), 31 to 35 scores in 40 cases (group B), and 36 to 45 scores in 53 cases (group C). The 6-month survival rate in group C was significantly higher than that in groups A and group B: 45.3% (24/53) vs. 0 and 27.5% (11/40), and there was statistical difference ( P<0.05). The 5-year survival rate in group C was 22.6% (12/53), and the 5-year survival rates in both groups A and group B were 0. Conclusions:Rades score is related to the survival prognosis of MSCC patients, and can assist in formulating radiotherapy programs for MSCC patients.