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Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a recurrent systemic inflammatory disease. At present, there are few biological indicators that can effectively reflect CSU activity in clinical practice, and some indicators have not been widely used. To identify sensitive and easy-to-check indicators may be helpful for the diagnosis and treatment of as well as prediction of therapeutic efficacy in CSU. This review comprehensively summarizes current clinical application of indicators related to CSU activity, in order to provide a reference for clinical practice and related scientific research.
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Objective:To explore predictive factors for the efficacy of omalizumab in the treatment of refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) .Methods:Totally, 40 patients with refractory CSU treated with omalizumab were enrolled from Department of Dermatology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from 2019 to 2021. Before treatment, clinical data including the urticaria activity score over 7 days (UAS7) and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) were collected; venous blood samples were collected for the detection of total immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, eosinophil counts and basophil counts, anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) IgG antibody levels, mean platelet volume, as well as C-reactive protein (CRP) , D-dimer, complements C3 and C4, interleukin (IL) -2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α and interferon (IFN) -γ levels, and percentages of CD4 + T cells and CD8 + T cells; meanwhile, the autologous serum skin test (ASST) was performed. After 12-week treatment with omalizumab, 40 CSU patients were divided into well-responding group and poorly-responding group according to the UAS7 score, and the above laboratory indicators were compared between the two groups. For continuous variable indicators with significant differences, the accuracy of prediction and optimal cut-off values were determined by using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve; for categorical variable indicators with significant differences, the sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of poor clinical response to omalizumab were calculated; correlations among the above indicators were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results:After 12-week treatment with omalizumab, 28 CSU patients responded well to omalizumab, and 12 responded poorly. Before treatment, the poorly-responding group showed significantly increased proportions of patients with eosinopenia (6/12) , basopenia (7/12) , decreased C3 (6/12) , decreased C4 (6/12) , positive anti-TPO IgG antibodies (5/12) and low total IgE levels (8/12) , increased proportion of CD4 + T cells (71.13% ± 3.26%) , and increased IL-17A levels (27.16 ± 9.75 pg/ml) compared with the well-responding group (14.3%, 10.7%, 14.3%, 7.1%, 10.7%, 14.3%, 60.33% ± 5.12%, 19.24 ± 10.84 pg/ml, respectively; all P < 0.05) , but decreased IL-6 levels compared with the well-responding group ( t = 5.75, P < 0.05) . According to the ROC analysis and calculation of sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, the above indicators showed high accuracy in predicting therapeutic effect of omalizumab, and the optimal cut-off values of IL-6, IL-17A, and CD4 + T cell proportion were 8.672 pg/ml, 23.415 pg/ml, and 67.95%, respectively. In addition, the IL-6 level was significantly positively correlated with the total IgE level in CSU patients at baseline ( r = 0.43, P = 0.006) . Conclusion:Before the selection of omalizumab for the treatment of refractory CSU, there is a need to detect the eosinophil and basophil counts, levels of complements C3, C4, anti-TPO IgG antibodies, total IgE, IL-17A and IL-6, and CD4 + T cell proportions to predict therapeutic effect of omalizumab, so as to determine whether omalizumab is suitable for the patients.
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Objective:To analyze clinical characteristics of neurosyphilis patients with abnormal mental behaviors as the initial symptom, and to provide a reference for clinical classification of, as well as outcome prediction and efficacy monitoring in neurosyphilis.Methods:Clinical data were collected from 67 HIV-negative neurosyphilis patients with abnormal mental behaviors as the initial symptom in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from November 2012 to November 2019, and retrospectively analyzed. Statistical analysis was carried out by using t test. Results:Among the 67 patients, 52 (77.6%) were males, and 15 (22.4%) were females; there were 63 (94.0%) middle-aged and elderly patients and 4 (6.0%) adolescent patients; 38 (56.7%) patients were diagnosed with progressive general paresis, 21 (31.3%) with meningovascular neurosyphilis, 1 (1.5%) with meningeal neurosyphilis, 3 (4.5%) with tabes dorsalis, and 4 (6.0%) with mixed-type neurosyphilis. As laboratory examination showed, 67 patients all presented with positive serum rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test, serum Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) test, and cerebrospinal fluid TPPA test, 55 (82.1%) had positive cerebrospinal fluid RPR test, 47 (70.1%) had elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein levels of > 0.45 g/L, 50 (74.6%) had increased white blood cell counts of > 8 ×10 6/L in cerebrospinal fluids, and 28 (41.8%) had elevated IgG levels in cerebrospinal fluids. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed multiple ischemic foci in 21 (31.3%) cases, multiple leukodystrophy in 17 (25.4%) , cerebral atrophy in 15 (22.4%) , infarction in 8 (11.9%) , and encephalitis-like changes in 2 (3.0%) . Of the 67 patients, 48 were treated with penicillin in aqueous solutions, 15 with ceftriaxone, and 4 with doxycycline. Six months later, the follow-up showed that 46 (68.7%) patients responded to the treatment, and the early course of disease was significantly shorter in the highly responsive group than in the poorly responsive group ( P < 0.05) . Conclusion:The middle-aged and elderly males were predominant in the neurosyphilis patients with abnormal mental behaviors as the initial symptom, magnetic resonance imaging is helpful for clinical classification and prognosis prediction of neurosyphilis, and early and standardized antisyphilitic treatment can markedly improve the prognosis of patients.
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The interleukin (IL) -23/IL-17 axis is the main pathway in the pathogenesis of plaque-type psoriasis vulgaris, and IL-17A plays a key role in the relevant immune pathways. IL-17A mediates overlapping inflammatory pathways in atherosclerosis and psoriasis, promotes inflammation, coagulation and thrombosis, and plays an important role in the occurrence and development of cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with psoriasis. Inhibiting the inflammatory effect of IL-17A can reduce the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with severe psoriasis. This review summarizes recent research progress in IL-17A-mediated systemic inflammation and cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with psoriasis, and provides a reference for prevention and reduction of cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with psoriasis in clinical practice.
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Objective:To analyze clinical features of 78 infants with scabies and their causes of misdiagnosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on infants aged < 6 months with confirmed scabies at Department of Dermatology in Zhengzhou Children′s Hospital, Jingjiang People′s Hospital, Tangdu Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018. Then, epidemiological features, skin lesion characteristics, treatment and causes of misdiagnosis of infantile scabies were analyzed.Results:A total of 78 infants with scabies were collected. Their age of onset and duration from onset to diagnosis [ M ( P25, P75) ] were 8.5 (7, 12) and 4 (3.5, 5) weeks respectively. At the time of diagnosis, 45 (57.7%) patients showed lower body weight than the first quartile [ P25] of body weight of age- and gender-matched healthy peers, 40 (47.4%) had fussiness and irritation, and 68 (87.2%) had sleep disorders like night crying and increased frequency of night waking. Infantile scabies more frequently occurred in autumn (30 cases [38.5%]) and winter (22 cases [28.2%]) , and least frequently occurred in summer (8 cases [10.3%]) . In the case of 58 patients, there was at least 1 member with scabies at the same time, who had resided with the patients in their families for a long time; in the case of 12 patients, scabies was transmitted through previous contact with temporary residents with scabies in their families. Scabies lesions most commonly occurred on the chest and abdominal regions (80.8%) , followed by the limbs (76.9%) ; skin lesions were polymorphic, and lesions at different stages could coexist; the rashes mainly manifested as edematous red or non-edematous brown papules, blisters, papulovesicles and nodules, and some burrows could be characterized by an oval, linear, serpiginous, comma- or J-shaped appearance. All the patients had visited the clinic for 1 - 4 times with an average of 2.38 visits. Forty-eight (61.5%) patients initially visited non-dermatology departments, and 30 (38.5%) initially visited dermatological outpatient clinics. Incorrect diagnoses included infantile eczema, papular urticaria, impetigo, miliaria, prurigo, urticaria pigmentosa, infantile acropustulosis, herpes simplex and varicella. All the patients received topical sulfur 5% ointment. Nine (11.5%) patients experienced a sudden exacerbation of skin lesions after the topical treatment, and 20 (25.6%) needed 2 - 3 sessions of treatment. No recurrence was observed in all the patients at 2, 4 and 8 weeks after the end of treatment. Conclusions:Infantile scabies lesions are polymorphic, widely distributed, and easily misdiagnosed. To prevent misdiagnosis and improve the early diagnosis rate, a detailed clinical interrogation with clinical-epidemiological examination should be performed.
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Objective@#To explore the relationships of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) with severity of skin lesions in children with psoriasis and peripheral neutrophil count, and to evaluate in vitro effect of NGAL on expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-22 (IL-22) by a human immortalized keratinocyte cell line HaCaT.@*Methods@#From January 1st 2017 to December 31st 2018, 98 children who newly developed psoriasis were enrolled from Department of Dermatology of 6 hospitals in China, including 51 males and 47 females. Their age was 7.00 ± 2.99 years (range: 3-14 years) , and their course of disease was 7.4 ± 5.85 days (range: 3-28 days) . The serum level of NGAL was detected in all the patients before and two weeks after treatment, and the relationships of NGAL with psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores and peripheral neutrophil count were evaluated. Western blot analysis and reverse-transcription (RT) -PCR were performed to determine the protein and mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-22 in HaCaT cells, respectively, after 12-hour treatment with NGAL at concentrations of 0 (control group) , 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1 mg/L. Statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS 16 software. by using t test and one-way analysis of variance.@*Results@#After 2-week treatment, the PASI score, neutrophil count and NGAL level in children with psoriasis significantly decreased (1.80 ± 1.19, [6.16 ± 0.76] × 109/L, 90.86 ± 0.75 μg/L, respectively) compared with those before the treatment (10.38 ± 3.42, [11.01 ± 2.85] × 109/L, 113.48 ± 21.26 μg/L, respectively; t = 31.42, 18.34, 16.37 respectively, all P < 0.001) . Before the treatment, the serum level of NGAL in the patients was positively correlated with the PASI score and peripheral neutrophil count (r = 0.918, 0.799 respectively, both P < 0.05) . The mRNA and protein expression of IL-22 in HaCaT cells significantly differed among these groups treated with different concentrations of NGAL (F = 176.31, 296.96 respectively, both P < 0.001) , so did the mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α (F = 193.28, 318.80 respectively, both P < 0.001) . Additionally, the protein and mRNA expression of IL-22 and TNF-α in HaCaT cells was significantly higher in the 0.125-, 0.25-, 0.5- and 1-mg/L NGAL group than in the control group (all P < 0.05) . The NGAL level was positively correlated with the protein and mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-22 in HaCaT cells (all P < 0.05) .@*Conclusions@#The serum level of NGAL was high in children with psoriasis, and positively correlated with severity of skin lesions and peripheral neutrophil count. NGAL can upregulate the expression of TNF-α and IL-22 in HaCaT cells in vitro.
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Objective To explore the relationships of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) with severity of skin lesions in children with psoriasis and peripheral neutrophil count,and to evaluate in vitro effect of NGAL on expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-22 (IL-22) by a human immortalized keratinocyte cell line HaCaT.Methods From January 1st 2017 to December 31st 2018,98 children who newly developed psoriasis were enrolled from Department of Dermatology of 6 hospitals in China,including 51 males and 47 females.Their age was 7.00 ± 2.99 years (range:3-14 years),and their course of disease was 7.4 ± 5.85 days (range:3-28 days).The serum level of NGAL was detected in all the patients before and two weeks after treatment,and the relationships of NGAL with psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores and peripheral neutrophil count were evaluated.Western blot analysis and reverse-transcription (RT)-PCR were performed to determine the protein and mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-22 in HaCaT cells,respectively,after 12-hour treatment with NGAL at concentrations of 0 (control group),0.125,0.25,0.5,1 mg/L.Statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS 16 software.by using t test and one-way analysis of variance.Results After 2-week treatment,the PASI score,neutrophil count and NGAL level in children with psoriasis significantly decreased (1.80 ± 1.19,[6.16 ± 0.76] × 109/L,90.86 ± 0.75 μ g/L,respectively) compared with those before the treatment (10.38 ± 3.42,[11.01 ± 2.85] × 109/L,113.48 ± 21.26 μ g/L,respectively;t =31.42,18.34,16.37 respectively,all P ＜ 0.001).Before the treatment,the serum level of NGAL in the patients was positively correlated with the PASI score and peripheral neutrophil count (r =0.918,0.799 respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).The mRNA and protein expression of IL-22 in HaCaT cells significantly differed among these groups treated with different concentrations of NGAL (F =176.31,296.96 respectively,both P ＜ 0.001),so did the mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α (F =193.28,318.80 respectively,both P ＜ 0.001).Additionally,the protein and mRNA expression of IL-22 and TNF-α in HaCaT cells was significantly higher in the 0.125-,0.25-,0.5-and 1-mg/L NGAL group than in the control group (all P ＜ 0.05).The NGAL level was positively correlated with the protein and mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-22 in HaCaT cells (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The serum level of NGAL was high in children with psoriasis,and positively correlated with severity of skin lesions and peripheral neutrophil count.NGAL can upregnlate the expression of TNF-α and IL-22 in HaCaT cells in vitro.
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Objective To analyze the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of patients with adult Japanese encephalitis (JE),and to investigate the diagnostic value of MRI for the disease.Methods Thirty-two adult JE patients who underwent cranial MRI at General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University between August 2016 and September 2018 were enrolled.All patients had disease onset between August and September and they aged 17 to 83 years old.The clinical data,laboratory results,MRI signal characteristics of each scanning sequence and the distribution of the brain lesions were retrospectively analyzed.Results Of the 32 adult JE patients,29 (90.6％)cases had acute onset,28 (87.5％) cases had unconsciousness and cognitive impairment,26 (81.2％) cases had intracranial hypertension,3 (9.4％) cases had meningeal irritation,3 (9.4％) cases had Parkinson-like symptoms,10 (31.2％) cases had epilepsy,and 15 (46.9％) cases had decreased muscle strength.Twenty patients were positive for JE virus-specific IgM antibodies.Twenty-eight patients underwent cerebrospinal fluid examination,15 (53.6％) cases showed intracranial pressure ≥180 mmH2O (1 mmH2O =0.009 8 kPa),7 (25％) cases developed lymphocyte reaction,and 16 (57.1％) cases showed mixed cell reaction.Twenty-three cases (71.9％) showed lesions of brain on MRI,including thalamus (17 cases,73.9％),hippocampus (13 cases,56.5％),cerebral peduncle (6 cases,26.1％),cortical and subcortical (4 cases,17.4％),basal ganglia (2 cases,8.7％),brainstem (1 case,4.3％) and splenium of corpus callosum (1 case,4.3％).Positive T1 weight image (T1WI) and T2 weight image (T2WI) results were found in 21 patients,respectively,23 patients had positive T2-fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images,and 20 patients had positive diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) images.Among them,T2-FLAIR and DWI images showed more lesions,wider range of lesions and clearer boundary of cortical involvement range than T1WI and T2WI images.Conclusions Bilateral thalamus and hippocampus are often involved in adult JE.T2-FLAIR and DWI sequences are more sensitive to detect lesions.Combining MRI images with epidemiological characteristics,clinical manifestations,and laboratory tests is of great assistance for early diagnosis of JE.
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Objective To investigate serum complement 1q (C1q) levels in the patients with coronary artery disease (CAD),and evaluate its clinical values in predicting and discriminating acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stable coronary artery disease (SCAD).Methods A total of 52 ACS patients,66 SCAD patients and 54 healthy controls were enrolled in this study.Their serum C1q and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) levels were detected by an immune turbidimetric method and an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay,respectively.Their serum total cholesterol,triglyceride,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were also determined.Then,the Gensini scores in CAD patients were calculated,and the clinical values of Clq in predicting and discriminating ACS and SCAD were evaluated by stepwise multiple linear regression analysis and Logistic regression analysis.Results Serum C1q and ox-LDL levels in ACS (C1q:t =4.405,P＜0.001;ox-LDL:Z=5.941,P＜0.001) and SCAD (C1q:t =2.320,P=0.022;ox-LDL:Z =4.119,P ＜0.001) patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls.Moreover,serum C1q (t =2.344,P =0.021) and ox-LDL (Z =2.166,P =0.030) levels in ACS patients were significantly higher than that in SCAD patients.Serum C1 q levels were positively correlated with serum ox-LDL (r =0.246,P =0.028) and TG (r =0.232,P =0.002) levels and Gensini scores (r =0.341,P =0.020) in ACS patients.The stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that serum ox-LDL levels were still independently correlated with serum C1 q levels in ACS patients (β =0.676,P =0.045,adjusted R2 =0.380) after adjusting for age,gender and other biochemical markers.The Logistic regression analysis showed that the increased serum C1q and ox-LDL levels were closely related to the occurrence of ACS (C1q:OR =1.05,95％ CI =1.03-1.08,P ＜ 0.001;ox-LDL:OR =1.18,95％ CI =1.08-1.29,P ＜0.001) and SCAD (C1q:OR =1.04,95％CI=1.01-1.06,P=0.003;ox-LDL:OR=I.11,95％CI=1.03-1.18,P=0.004),and that they could discriminate ACS and SCAD (C 1 q:OR =1.01,95 ％ CI =1.00-1.03,P =0.022;ox-LDL:OR =1.06,95 ％ CI =1.01-1.12,P =0.023).Conclusion Serum C1q levels increase significantly in CAD patients,and that of ACS patients is significantly higher than SCAD patients.In ACS patients,serum C1q levels are independently correlated with ox-LDL levels.Serum C1q levels may be served as a novel biomarker for the prediction and discrimination of ACS and SCAD.
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During the past three decades, studies have shown that tumor cells could ″manipulate″host immunity to escape the immune defenses in the tumor microenvironment. One of the most important underlying mechanisms is immune-suppression regulated by programmed cell death-1 or its ligand 1 (PD- 1/ PD- L1), which makes PD- 1/PD- L1 blockadea promising target of cancer immune- therapy. Tumors could suppress immuno- response of T cells by activating PD- 1/PD- L1 signaling pathway. Therefore, inhibiting the interaction between PD-1 and PD-L1 could reconstitute the enduring antitumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment via enhancing the T-cell response, there after augmenting the endogenous antitumor force of the immune system. Along these lines, inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1 has been applied in multiple clinical trials against various types of tumors. Recent studies indicated that PD-1/PD- L1 blockade have demonstrated high efficacy and safety against melanoma, lung, kidney and several other solid tumors, as well as hematological malignancies. Nevertheless, the efficacy of this checkpoint blockade approach is not universal. Some investigation suggested that lack of responses to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy of patients without PD-1/PD-L1 over-expression was expected. In this review, we summarize the history and current understanding of multiple intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms via which PD-1/PD-L1 is regulated and research advances in preclinical/clinical aspects of PD-1/PD-L1, as well as significance and perspectives regarding the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in immune-antitumor therapy.
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Objective To estimate the treatment effect of a tumor necrosis factor ? alpha antagonist (etanercept) on Stevens?Johnson syndrome induced by drugs. Methods After exclusion of tuberculosis, hepatitis, severe infections and tumors, 17 patients with drug?induced Stevens?Johnson syndrome were treated with subcutaneous injections of 25 mg(initial dose, 50 mg)etanercept once every 3 days for 6 times. Meanwhile, supportive therapies and compound glycyrrhizin injections were given to counteract inflammation and protect the liver. Results All of the patients were cured. Body temperature in 15 febrile patients gradually decreased within 24- 48 hours after the first injection of etanercept, and returned to normal in 72 hours. The number of vesicles stopped increasing, and lesion color turned from bright red to dull red within 24 hours. Skin condition was evidently controlled within 72 hours, and skin appearance almost returned to normal after 2 weeks of treatment, and was completely restored after 4- 5 weeks. The recovery of mucous membrane was slower than that of skin. Serum aminotransferase levels gradually declined after the first dose of etanercept and almost returned to normal in 2-4 weeks in 14 patients. Serum levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine began to decrease after 1- 2 weeks of treatment. The serum level of tumor necrosis factor?alpha nearly dropped into or was maintained in the normal range within 3 weeks after the start of treatment. Conclusion Early usage of tumor necrosis factor?alpha antagonists at an adequate dose is beneficial to the rapid control of Stevens?Johnson syndrome.
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Objective To explore the role of p16 gene methylation in fibroblasts in the occurrence and development of keloid.Methods Skin tissue specimens were resected from the lesions of patients with keloid and normal skin of healthy human controls.Fibroblasts were isolated from these tissue specimens and subjected a primary culture.An immunohistochemical analysis was performed to measure the expression of p16 protein in tissue specimens,real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR to determine the mRNA expression level (expressed as 2-△△Ct) of p 16 and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) in fibmblasts,and bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) to estimate the methylation status of p16 gene in the tissue specimens and primary fibroblasts.Results The keloid fibroblasts (KFbs) showed significandy lower mRNA expression of p16 gene (0.64 ± 0.18 vs.1.92 ± 0.23,t =10.54,P＜ 0.05),but significantly higher mRNA expressions of 3 DNMTs (DNMT1:2.58 ± 0.23 vs.1.13 ± 0.21,t =11.22,P ＜ 0.05; DNMT3A:4.87 ± 0.46 vs.2.38 ± 0.32,t =10.81,P＜ 0.05; DNMT3B:1.57 ± 0.12 vs.0.57 ± 0.16,t =12.45,P＜ 0.05) compared with the normal fibmblasts (NFbs).The DNA methylation rate in the p16 gene promoter region was significantly increased in keloid tissue (1.81％ ± 0.46％) and KFbs (3.15％ ± 0.94％) compared with normal skin tissue (0.90％ ± 0.35％,F =14.23,P＜ 0.01) and NFbs (0.17％ ± 0.29％,F=37.62,P＜ 0.01).Conclusions The methylation and low expression of p16 gene in KFbs may be associated with the uncontrolled growth of keloid,and DNMTs may play a role in the pathogenesis of keloid.
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Objective To study the proliferation,collagen production and related gene expression in keloids and normal skin fibroblast.Methods Isolated primary cells of keloid fibroblasts (KFb,n=12) and normal human dermal fibroblasts (NFb,n=12) were identified,the cell viability and proliferating potential and the cell cycle were detected,and the difference on the collagen synthesis between KFb and NFb were compared.The expression of cell cycle-associated genes such as p21,p16,and p27 was dectected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR.Results The phase contrast optical microscopy imaging showed that both KFb isolated from keloid tissues and NFb from normal skin tissues possessed classic and similar fibroblast morphology.But there was a significant difference between cell proliferation,Hyp [(2.30±0.10) μg/ml vs.(1.66±0.13) μg/ml,P＜0.05] and collagen levels [(17.19±0.75) μg/ml vs.(12.37±0.94) μg/ml,P＜0.05].Compared with NFb,KFb exhibited more percentage of G2/M phase cells [(5.90±0.62)％ vs.(16.94 ％±1.93)％,P＜0.05]and less percentage of G0/G1 phase cells [(90.24 ±2.27)％ vs.(75.65±1.92)％,P＜0.05].Cell cycle related genes p16,p21 and p27 were low expressed.Collagen type Ⅰ was highly expressed at mRNA levels in KFb than that in NFb [0.84±0.11,1.32±0.2,1.69±0.12,4.33±0.27 in KFb vs.1.43±0.13,2.56±0.26,2.89±0.37,1.40±0.12 in NFb,P＜0.05].Conclusions There are cell dysfunction and abnormal cellular dynamics in keloid fibroblasts.The formation of keloid likely involves aberrant interactions of some genes that affected its development at different extents.
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Objective To investigate the effect of human lung cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) on the radiosensitivity of lung cancer cells when CAF is placed in direct contact co-culture with lung cancer cells.Methods Human lung CAF was obtained from fresh human lung adenocarcinoma tissue specimens by primary culture and subculture and was then identified by immunofluorescence staining.The CAF was placed in direct contact co-culture with lung cancer A549 and H1299 cells,and the effects of CAF on the radiosensitivity of A549 and H1299 cells were evaluated by colony-forming assay.Results The human lung CAF obtained by adherent culture could stably grow and proliferate,and it had specific expression of α-smooth muscle actin,vimentin,and fibroblast activation protein,but without expression of cytokeratin-18.The plating efficiency (PE,％) of A549 cells at 0 Gy irradiation was (20.0 ± 3.9) ％ when cultured alone versus (32.3 ± 5.5) ％ when co-cultured with CAF (t =3.16,P ＜ 0.05),and the PE of H1299 cells at 0 Gy irradiation was (20.6 ± 3.1) ％ when cultured alone versus (35.2 ± 2.3) ％ when co-cultured with CAF (t =6.55,P ＜0.05).The cell survival rate at 2 Gy irradiation (SF2) of A549 cells was 0.727 ±0.061 when cultured alone versus 0.782 ± 0.089 when co-cultured with CAF (t =0.88,P ＞ 0.05),and the SF2 of H1299 cells was 0.692 ±0.065 when cultured alone versus 0.782 ± 0.037 when co-cultured with CAF (t =2.08,P ＞0.05).The protection enhancement ratios of human lung CAF for A549 cells and H1299 cells were 1.29 and 1.25,respectively.Conclusions Human lung CAF reduces the radiosensitivity of lung cancer cells when placed in direct contact co-culture with them,and the radioprotective effect may be attributed to CAF promoting the proliferation of lung cancer cells.
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Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of various spectrum lasers in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Methods Based on the principles and methods of Cochrane systematic reviews, we searched the Cochrane Library (2009, 6 issues), PubMcd, Embase, China Biomedical Literature Database, China Journal Full Text Database, Chinese Scientific Journals Full Text Database. Retrieval time was up to June, 2009. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of lasers for acne vulgaris were included. Results Twelve RCTs totaling 367 patients were included. Because the lack of clinical homogeneity, only descriptive analysis was conducted. Acne lesion counts improved significantly with laser therapy. Adverse effects were limited to transient erythema and edema at treatment sites. Treatment-related pains were well tolerated. Conclusions Current evidence demonstrates that all type lasers in treating acne vulgaris is safe and efficacy. However, higher quality RCT research would be needed to verify the effects and status of lasers on acne vulgaris.
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Objective To investigate the effect of dietary fiber on carbohydrate metabolism of healthy volunteers after the intake of corn starch meal. Methods Totally 12 healthy volunteers aged (25. 8 ± 5. 3) years were enrolled in this study, and they were equally randomly divided into two groups (group A and group B). This was an open, randomized, cross-over, and two-period study, and each period lasted for one day. In period 1, the subjects in group A received fiber-free corn starch and group B received high-fiber corn starch (containing 16 g dietary fiber). In period 2, the two groups are crossed. There was a one-week wash-out time between the two study days. On the study day, breath samples of fasting and 0. 5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0,7. 0, 8. 0 hours post meal were collected to measure13 CO2. Results The delta over baseline at 0. 5, 1.5, 2. 0,2. 5, 3. 0, 4. 0 hour after test meal in fiber free group and in high fiber group were 0. 79, 2. 03, 2. 57, 2. 86,3. 02, 3. 18 and 0. 16, 1. 33, 1.77, 2. 10, 2. 34, 2.42, respectively (the P value was 0. 014, 0. 014, 0. 011,0.018, 0. 036, and 0.020, respectively). Peak concentration of delta over baseline of fiber free group and high fiber group was 3.18 and 2. 56 respectively, there was no significant difference between two groups (P > 0. 05) ,peak time of the group at 4. 0 hour and 3. 5 hour respectively, showed significant difference (P = 0. 032). The cumulative percentage dose recovered 0. 5-6. 0 hours after test meal in fiber-free group and in high-fiber group were 0.41, 1.46, 3.15, 5.50, 8.28, 11.30, 14.42, 17. 62, 23. 65, 28. 78 and 0. 09, 0. 55, 1.61, 3.22,5.23,7.53, 10.09, 12.68, 17.60, 22.27 respectively (the P value was 0.014, 0.018, 0.018, 0.014, 0.013,0.014, 0.018, 0.020, 0.025, and 0.044, respectively). However, there was no significant difference 6.0 hours after meal (P > 0. 05 ). Conclusion The dietary fiber used in this study can delay the absorption of carbohydrate 6. 0 hours within intake without influencing its total absorption amount.
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Objective To test the drug susceptibility of 16 Mycobactena tuberculosis isolates from patients with cutaneous tuberculosis,and to provide a basis for the treatment of this entity.Methods Sixteen strains of mycobacterium were isolated from patients with cutaneous tuberculosis.and they were consistently identified as M.tuberculosis by biochemistry and molecular biology.Absolute concentration method was used to test the susceptibility of these isolates to isoniazid.streptomycin.rifampicin and ethambutol.For two strains resistant to streptomycin,PCR and sequencing were performed to analyse the mutation of rpsL gene.Results Out ofthe 16 strains of M tuberculosis.2 were resistant to streptomycin but sensitive to isoniazid,rifampicin and ethambutol,and 14 were sensitive to isoniazid,streptomycin,rifampicin and ethambutol.Sequencing of the rpsL gene revealed a mutation of AAG to AGG at codon 43 in one streptomycinresistant strain and a substitution of CGC bv CAC at codon 54 in another resistant strain.Conclusions In past five years,the resistance ratio of M tuberculosis was low in patients with cutaneous tuberculosis,and streptomycin resistance predominated in these strains.
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Objective To study the methylation status of p16 gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) of patients with plaque psoriasis, and to study its significance in the pathogenesis of the disease. Methods Thirty-four cases of psoriatic patients and 35 healthy controls were measured for the status of promoter methylation in p16 gene by methylation specific PCR (MSP). A region containing CpG site in p16 gene promoter was amplified by MSP. The severity of psoriasis was evaluated by PASI scores. Results The methylation rates of p16 gene in PBMC were significantly higher (P