No effect of 6-month supplementation with 300 mg/d docosahexaenoic acid on executive functions among healthy school-aged children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) plays an essential role in brain, and its status is dependent on dietary intakes. School-aged children in rural China, who consume diets low in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, may benefit from DHA supplementation. Therefore, this trial was performed to examine the effect of 6-month DHA supplementation on executive functions (EFs) among healthy school-aged children in rural China. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 106 primary school children aged 7-12 years in rural China. Participants were randomized to receive either 300 mg/d DHA or placebo for 6 months. EFs including working memory and cognitive flexibility were evaluated at baseline, at 3 months and at 6 months, using Digit Span Backwards and Wisconsin card sorting test, respectively. Socio-demographic data were collected at baseline, and erythrocyte membrane fatty acids and serum neurotransmitters were measured at baseline and after 6-month intervention. RESULTS: Ninety-four children (88.7%) completed the study according to the protocol. Changes in erythrocyte membrane fatty acids indicated good compliance of the participants. There was no significant intervention effect on serum neurotransmitters. In two-factor ANCOVA, both groups showed a significant improvement in the Digit Span Backwards and the Wisconsin card sorting test from baseline to endpoint. However, no significant intervention effect was found on any EF scores. Linear regression analysis suggested no significant association between changes in erythrocyte DHA level with changes in any EF scores. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with 300 mg/d DHA for 6 months had no benefit on EFs including working memory and cognitive flexibility among healthy school-aged children. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02308930 on December 5, 2014.

Effects of probiotic supplementation on serum trimethylamine-N-oxide level and gut microbiota composition in young males: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To explore whether probiotic supplementation could attenuate serum trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) level and impact the intestinal microbiome composition. DESIGN: Forty healthy males (20-25 years old) were randomized into the probiotic group (1.32 × 1011 CFU live bacteria including strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Bifidobacterium animalis, and Bifidobacterium longum daily) or the control group for 4 weeks. All participants underwent a phosphatidylcholine challenge test (PCCT) before and after the intervention. Serum TMAO and its precursors (TMA, choline and betaine) were measured by UPLC-MS/MS. The faecal microbiome was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. RESULTS: Serum TMAO and its precursors were markedly increased after the PCCT. No statistical differences were observed in the probiotic and the control group in area under the curve (AUC) (14.79 ± 0.97 µmol/L 8 h vs. 19.17 ± 2.55 µmol/L 8 h, P = 0.106) and the pre- to post-intervention AUC alterations (∆AUC) (- 6.33 ± 2.00 µmol/L 8 h vs. - 0.73 ± 3.04 µmol/L 8 h, P = 0.131) of TMAO; however, higher proportion of participants in probiotic group showed their TMAO decrease after the intervention (78.9% vs. 45.0%, P = 0.029). The abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (P = 0.043) and Prevotella (P = 0.001) in the probiotic group was significantly increased after the intervention but without obvious differences in α- and ß-diversity. CONCLUSIONS: The current probiotic supplementation resulted in detectable change of intestinal microbiome composition but failed to attenuate the serum TMAO elevation after PCCT. CLINICALTRIALS. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT03292978. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV WEBSITE: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03292978 .

[Analysis of animal models of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based on clinical features of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine].

This study analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of existing animal models in China and abroad and their goodness of fit based on the clinical characteristics and diagnostic criteria of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and western medicine, followed by the collation and summarization of model evaluation methodologies. The results showed that the existing animal models of stable COPD were mainly modeled via smoke exposure or the combination of multiple methods like smoke exposure plus lipopolysaccharide or protease or bacterial infection. These animal models generally failed to simulate the clinical characteristics of TCM, and their goodness of fit in western medicine was higher than that in TCM. There is a lack of research on the animal models of stable COPD and the disease-syndrome combination models. Although the modeling is guided by the pathogenesis or mechanism of diseased humans, the established models were still not identical with the actual clinical situations. In-depth research is needed to develop quantitative standards for stable COPD models.

[Effect of Bifidobacterium on the expression of ß-defensin-2 in intestinal tissue of neonatal rats with necrotizing enterocolitis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Bifidobacterium on the expression of ß-defensin-2 (BD-2) in intestinal tissue of neonatal rats with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). METHODS: A total of 40 rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control, Bifidobacterium control, NEC model, and Bifidobacterium treatment, with 10 rats in each group. A rat model of NEC was induced by hypoxia, cold stimulation, and artificial feeding. The rats in the Bifidobacterium control and Bifidobacterium treatment groups were given Bifidobacterium via the gastric tube after cold stimulation once a day for three consecutive days. The morphological changes of the terminal ileum were observed under a light microscope and the intestinal injury score was determined. Immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were used to measure the protein and mRNA expression of BD-2 in the ileal mucosal tissue. RESULTS: The NEC model group had a significantly higher intestinal injury score than the normal control, Bifidobacterium control, and Bifidobacterium treatment groups (P<0.05). The Bifidobacterium treatment group had a significantly higher intestinal injury score than the normal control and Bifidobacterium control groups (P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression of BD-2 in the normal control group was significantly lower than in the Bifidobacterium control, NEC model, and Bifidobacterium treatment groups (P<0.05). The Bifidobacterium control group had significantly higher mRNA and protein expression of BD-2 than the NEC model and Bifidobacterium treatment groups (P<0.05). The Bifidobacterium treatment group had significantly higher mRNA and protein expression of BD-2 than the NEC model group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Bifidobacterium can induce the expression of BD-2 in intestinal tissue of rats and reduce inflammatory response by increasing the expression of BD-2. This provides a protective effect on neonatal rats with NEC.

miRNA-21 Expression in the Serum of Elderly Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND The aims of this study were to examine the expression of miRNA-21 in the serum of elderly patients (>65 years) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to investigate the potential role of serum miRNA-21 as a marker of early cardiac myocyte damage. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-eight elderly patients with recent AMI, 27 elderly patients with unstable angina pectoris, and 25 healthy elderly individuals were included in the study. Serum miRNA-21 expression was determined following total RNA extraction and reverse-transcribed into cDNA, followed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels were analyzed by electrochemiluminescence. Apoptosis of human cardiac myocytes (HCM) was analyzed using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and protein expression of caspase-3 was detected using Western blot. RESULTS Expression levels of miRNA-21 in the serum of elderly patients with AMI were positively correlated with serum levels of CK-MB (r=0.3683, P=0.0229) and cTnI (r=0.5128, P=0.009). Following tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α induction, the apoptosis rates of HCM transfected with the miRNA-21 mimic short hairpin RNA (shRNA) were downregulated by 39.1% compared with control HCM cells, and protein expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and p38 were unchanged (P>0.05); protein expression of p-JNK, p-p38 and caspase-3 were downregulated by 37.1%, 35.8%, and 36.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Expression of miRNA-21 was upregulated in the serum of elderly patients with AMI, which inhibited TNF-a induced apoptosis in HCM by activating the JNK/p38/caspase-3 signaling pathway.

Long-term efficacy of implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy plus defibrillator for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death in patients with mild heart failure: an updated meta-analysis.

Previous studies of implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy plus defibrillator (CRT-D) therapy used for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death have suggested that CRT-D therapy is less effective in patients with mild heart failure and a wide QRS complex. However, the long-term benefits are variable. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized trials identified in systematic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database. Three studies (3858 patients) with a mean follow-up of 66 months were included. Overall, CRT-D therapy was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality than was implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy (OR, 0.78; 95 % CI, 0.63-0.96; P = 0.02; I (2) = 19 %). However, the risk of cardiac mortality was comparable between two groups (OR, 0.74; 95 % CI, 0.53-1.01; P = 0.06). CRT-D treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of hospitalization for heart failure (OR, 0.67; 95 % CI, 0.50-0.89; P = 0.005; I (2) = 55 %). The composite outcome of all-cause mortality and hospitalization for heart failure was also markedly lower with CRT-D therapy than with ICD treatment alone (OR, 0.67; 95 % CI, 0.57-0.77; P < 0.0001; I (2) = 0 %). CRT-D therapy decreased the long-term risk of mortality and heart failure events in patients with mild heart failure with a wide QRS complex. However, long-term risk of cardiac mortality was similar between two groups. More randomized studies are needed to confirm these findings, especially in patients with NYHA class I heart failure or patients without LBBB.

Serum betaine is inversely associated with low lean mass mainly in men in a Chinese middle-aged and elderly community-dwelling population.

Previous studies have demonstrated that betaine supplements increase lean body mass in livestock and improve muscle performance in human beings, but evidence for its effect on human lean mass is limited. Our study assessed the association of circulating betaine with lean mass and its composition in Chinese adults. A community-based study was conducted on 1996 Guangzhou residents (weight/mass: 1381/615) aged 50-75 years between 2008 and 2010. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect general baseline information. Fasting serum betaine was assessed using HPLC-MS. A total of 1590 participants completed the body composition analysis performed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry during a mean of 3·2 years of follow-up. After adjustment for age, regression analyses demonstrated a positive association of serum betaine with percentage of lean mass (LM%) of the entire body, trunk and limbs in men (all P<0·05) and LM% of the trunk in women (P=0·016). Each sd increase in serum betaine was associated with increases in LM% of 0·609 (whole body), 0·811 (trunk), 0·422 (limbs), 0·632 (arms) and 0·346 (legs) in men and 0·350 (trunk) in women. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the prevalence of lower LM% decreased by 17 % (whole body) and 14 % (trunk) in women and 23 % (whole body), 28 % (trunk), 22 % (arms) and 26 % (percentage skeletal muscle index) in men with each sd increment in serum betaine. Elevated circulating betaine was associated with a higher LM% and lower prevalence of lower LM% in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults, particularly men.

Role of periodontal disease in bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws in ovariectomized rats.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the role of progressive periodontal disease in inducing bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model mimicking human intracortical remodeling process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty 12-week-old Spraque-Dawly (SD) female rats were randomly assigned into two groups. All rats underwent bilateral ovariectomy. Six weeks after surgery, zoledronic acid (ZA) or vehicle control was administered intraperitoneally for 12 weeks. On the same day of injection, a cotton ligature was placed subgingivally around the first left lower molar to induce periodontitis. All animals were sacrificed 12 weeks after injection. The entire mandibles were harvested for micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histological examinations. RESULTS: Micro-CT examination showed that ligature placement caused significant alveolar bone loss both in ZA (0.63 ± 0.13 vs. 0.38 ± 0.06 mm, P < 0.001) and in control (0.88 ± 0.19 vs. 0.40 ± 0.06 mm, P < 0.001) groups. Whereas in the ZA group, bone loss was attenuated compared with the control group (P < 0.01); the bone mineral density in the ZA group (1.00 ± 0.02 g/cm(3)) was significantly higher than that in vehicle control group (0.96 ± 0.03 g/cm(3), P < 0.001). Histological examination found necrotic bone tissue with extensive, empty lacunae in two of 15 rats in ZA group, but in none of the control group. CONCLUSION: Bisphosphonates inhibit alveolar bone resorption in progressive periodontal disease, which might benefit the management of periodontitis, but increase the risk of developing BRONJ.

Skeletal site-specific response to ovariectomy in a rat model: change in bone density and microarchitecture.

OBJECTIVES: Ovariectomized (OVX) rat model has been widely used in osteoporosis-related studies. However, the discrepancies in age and skeletal sites being investigated make it difficult to compare the results from different studies. The purpose of this study was to provide information of systemic skeletal site-specific changes in a stable OVX rat model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-three 6-month Spraque-Dawley female rats were used. Fifteen rats underwent ovariectomy, and fifteen received sham surgery. Three animals without any surgery were sacrificed at week 0 to serve as baseline. Three animals in the OVX and sham group, respectively, were euthanized at week 2, 4, 12, 24 and 36 post-surgery. Ten bone sites, including parietal bone, interparietal bone, maxilla, mandible, humerus, ulna, femur, tibia, lumber vertebra, and ilium, were subjected to micro-CT. RESULTS: Overall, long bones, lumber vertebra, and ilium showed similar trend of bone loss post-OVX, with tibia and femur suffered the most bone loss and spine the least (decreased by 75.0%, 70.4% and 36.6% in bone mineral density BMD at week 36 from base line, respectively). Upon OVX, jaw bones and cranial bones only showed a minor reduction in BMD (decreased by 1~3% from baseline) at week 36. Significant deterioration of trabecular structure was detected in long bones, lumber vertebra, and ilium post-OVX, while jaw bones remained relatively stable. CONCLUSIONS: This study for the first time assessed the systemic site-specific bone loss and microarchitecture changes in OVX rat model. It provided valuable information for selecting bone site and observation time in osteoporosis-related study.

[Repeated injection of mitoxantrone containing thermosensitive liposomes in rat induced ABC phenomenon].

To investigate whether accelerated blood clearance (ABC) phenomenon could be induced after repeated injection of mitoxantrone thermosensitive liposomes, LC-MS/MS and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to measure the concentration of mitoxantrone and the anti-polyethylene glycol (PEG) IgM levels in rat plasma, separately. The drug was rapidly cleared away after the second administration. The anti-PEG IgM was detected after the first dose which was neutralized quickly after the second dose. It is proved that repeated administration of mitoxantrone thermosensitive liposomes in rat caused the ABC phenomenon.

[Novel cationic liposome loading siRNA inhibits the expression of hepatitis B virus HBx gene].

In order to solve the problem of selection and in vivo delivery problem in siRNA treatment, hepatitis B virus (HBV) HBx gene which could be targeted by siRNA was studied. The siRNA expression plasmid which specific inhibits HBx expression was obtained by in vitro selection via a dual-luciferase plasmid including HBx-Fluc fusion protein expression domain. The selected siRNA expression plasmid was then encapsulated in PEG-modified cationic liposome, which was devoted into pharmacodynamic studies at both cellular and animal level. The results illustrated that the cationic liposome which encapsulated siRNA expression plasmid could effectively inhibit HBx gene expression both in vitro and in vivo.

A Case of a Eustachian Tube Hairy Polyp Misdiagnosed as an Adenoid Residual in a Child.

Hairy polyps, considered a highly unusual congenital anomaly of the pharynx, are believed by many scholars to arise from the ectoderm and mesoderm during the embryonic stage. These growths often have a pear or sausage shape, are pedunculated, and their size ranges between 0.5 and 6 cm. They are typically grayish white or pink in color. This article discusses a 12-year-old female who had a growth at the Eustachian tube's entrance on the left side of the nasopharyngeal wall, as identified by a computed tomography scan of the neck soft tissue; it was suspected to be a hairy polyp originating from the left Eustachian tube. The diagnosis of a hairy polyp was confirmed through pathology. The hairy polyp at the Eustachian tube, in this case, showed an irregular form with a wide base, making it look similar to an adenoid; thus, increasing the risk of it being misdiagnosed as residual adenoid tissue.

Safety and immunogenicity of heterologous boosting with a bivalent SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine (XBB.1.5/BQ.1) in Chinese participants aged 18 years or more: A randomised, double-blinded, active-controlled phase 1 trial.

Continuous emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants urges the development of new vaccines. We assessed the safety and immunogenicity of SYS6006.32, a bivalent vaccine (XBB.1.5/BQ.1), in healthy adults who had received SARS-CoV-2 primary vaccination. In a randomised, double-blinded, active-controlled trial, 200 participants were randomised to receive one dose of SYS6006.32 (N = 100) or a prototype-based, monovalent control vaccine SYS6006 (N = 100). Adverse events (AEs) were collected through the study. Immunogenicity was assessed by live-virus neutralising antibody (Nab) and pseudovirus Nab. 61 (61.0 %) and 60 (60.0 %) participants reported AE in the SYS6006.32 and SYS6006 groups, respectively. Most AEs were grade 1 or 2. Pain and fever were the most common injection-site and systemic AEs, respectively. No serious AEs were observed. SYS6006.32 heterologous boosting induced robust Nab responses against BA.5, XBB.1.5 and EG.5 with live-virus Nab geometric mean titres (GMTs) increased by 17.1-, 34.0-, and 48.0-fold, and pseudovirus Nab GMTs increased by 12.2-, 32.0-, and 35.1-fold, respectively, 14 days after vaccination. SYS6006.32 demonstrated a superior immunogenicity to SYS6006. SYS6006.32 also induced robust pseudovirus Nab responses against XBB.1.16, XBB.2.3, and BA.2.86, with GMTs 3- to 6-fold higher than those induced by SYS6006. In conclusion, SYS6006.32 showed good safety profile and superior immunogenicity to the monovalent vaccine SYS6006.

Potential relationship of dyslipidemia with dietary patterns in oral lichen planus patients-A case-control study.

Background/purpose: Dyslipidemia and a high fat diet may increase the predisposition for accumulating body fat in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP). This study aimed to investigate the risk factors obesity, dietary patterns, and lipid metabolism. Materials and methods: A population-based case-control study was conducted between September 2020 and October 2021, recruiting 275 pairs of OLP cases and controls. Information on lipid profiles, diet frequency and waist circumference were gathered. Principal component and factor analysis were used to analyze the semi-quantitative dietary frequency survey data of patients to extract specific dietary patterns. Results: Univariate analysis showed that total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein were significantly higher in the OLP group than the control and other oral mucosal disease groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). Compared with the baseline group, obese and overweight patients were more common in the OLP group. Dyslipidemia was more common in the OLP group (68%) compared to the healthy mucosa group (32%; P < 0.001, OR = 4.52, 95% CI = 2.49-8.18). Four dietary patterns were described among the subjects. The traditional prone animal food pattern (OR: 24.81, 95% CI: 6.05-101.71, P < 0.001) and animal food pattern (OR: 28.77, 95% CI: 8.10-102.15, P = 0.001) were associated with an increased risk of OLP. Conclusion: The results indicated that a high-fat diet, dyslipidemia and obesity were strongly linked to disease progression in OLP. A diet high in processed food and fat could increase the risk of OLP.

Clinical, histological and direct immunofluorescence features in oral mucosal patches striae diseases with malignant potential.

Background/purpose: Oral mucosal patches striae diseases (OMPSD) represent an important category of oral mucosal disease, most of which may have malignant potential (OMPSD-MP). The differential diagnosis is challenging due to overlap of their clinical and pathological features. Materials and methods: 116 OMPSD-MP patients were included in this cross-sectional study from November 2019 to February 2021, including oral lichen planus (OLP), oral lichenoid lesions (OLL), discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) and oral leukoplakia (OLK). The general information, clinical manifestation, histopathological and direct immunofluorescence (DIF) features were statistically analyzed and compared. Results: OLP was the major type of OMPSD-MP (64.7%), followed by OLL (25.0%), OLK (6.0%), DLE (2.6%) and OSF (1.7%), which were pooled as non-OLP group for further assessment. They shared many clinical and histological features in common. The rate of clinical-pathological diagnosis concordance was 73.5% for OLP, and 76.7% for total OMPSD-MP. DIF positive rate was significantly higher in OLP group than non-OLP group (76.0% vs. 41.5%, P < 0.001), in which the deposition of fibrinogen (Fib) and IgM were most frequently found. Conclusion: A significant overlap in clinical and histopathological features of OMPSD-MP was found, while DIF could be useful in differential diagnosis. Fib and IgM might be important immunopathological factors in OLP, which need further exploration.

Analysis of growth resistance mechanisms and causes in tea plants (Camellia sinensis) in high-pH regions of Northern China.

Background: In tea plantations with high-pH (pH > 6.5) in Northern China, tea plants are prone to yellowing disease, albinism, and reductions in components that contribute to plant quality, which affect the scale and rate of tea plantation development in Northern China. Methods: To investigate the potential causes of these issues, Camellia sinensis cv. Pingyang Tezao and Camellia sinensis cv. Ruixue were planted in Shouguang city (a high-pH area, soil pH > 6.5) and Rizhao city (a normal-pH area, soil pH is 4.5-5.5), respectively; differences in growth morphology, pigment content, cell structure, quality-determining components, and element content of the two varieties in the two areas were analyzed. Results: The results showed that tea leaves planted in Shouguang had varying degrees of yellowing disease and albinism; the pigment content in both varieties was significantly lower when planted in Shouguang compared with Rizhao. The cell structure was severely damaged and the main quality-determining components were decreased. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) contents in the leaves of the two tea plant varieties were significantly lower when planted in Shouguang compared with those in Rizhao; the levels of these elements in Shouguang soil were significantly higher than in Rizhao soil. Calcium (Ca) contents in Shouguang soil was 9.90 times higher than that of Rizhao soil. Conclusions: We conclude that the soil in high-pH areas hindered tea plant uptake of N, Zn, Cu, and Mn, which had a detrimental effect on chloroplasts and reductions in chlorophyll synthesis, contributing to yellowing disease and albinism. In addition, excessive calcium (Ca) in Shouguang soil was also an important contributor to these negative effects. High-pH soil hindered tea plant uptake of P and K, resulting in reductions in tea polyphenols, amino acids, and other major quality components.

Safety and immunogenicity of primary vaccination with a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine (SYS6006) in Chinese participants aged 18 years or more: Two randomized, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled and dose-escalation phase 1 clinical trials.

Vaccination plays a key role in preventing morbidity and mortality caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We aimed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a SARS-CoV-2 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine SYS6006. In the two randomized, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled phase 1 trials, 40 adult participants aged 18-59 years and 40 elderly participants aged 60 years or more were randomized to receive two doses of SYS6006 or placebo (saline). Adverse events (AEs) were collected through 30 days post the second vaccination. Immunogenicity was assessed by live-virus neutralizing antibody (Nab), spike protein (S1) binding antibody (S1-IgG), and cellular immunity. The result showed that 7/15, 9/15 and 4/10 adult participants, and 9/15, 8/15 and 4/10 elderly participants reported at least one AE in the 20-µg, 30-µg and placebo groups, respectively. Most AEs were grade 1. Injection-site pain was the most common AE. Two adults and one elder reported fever. No vaccination-related serious AE was reported. SYS6006 elicited wild-type Nab response with a peak geometric mean titer of 232.1 and 130.6 (adults), and 48.7 and 66.7 (elders), in the 20-µg and 30-µg groups, respectively. SYS6006 induced moderate-to-robust Nab response against Delta, and slight Nab response against Omicron BA.2 and BA.5. Robust IgG response against wild type and BA.2 was observed. Cellular immune response was induced. In conclusion, two-dose primary vaccination with SYS6006 demonstrated good safety and immunogenicity during a follow-up period of 51 days in immunologically naive population aged 18 years or more. (Trial registry: Chictr.org.cn ChiCTR2200059103 and ChiCTR2200059104).

[Relationship between pulmonary surfactant-associated protein B polymorphisms and the susceptibility to neonatal respiratory distress syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between pulmonary surfactant-associated protein B (SP-B) gene polymorphisms and their susceptibility to neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). METHODS: Eighty-eight preterm infants with RDS (RDS group) and 103 infants without RDS (control group) were enrolled. The genomic DNA was isolated using DNA kits. Polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphism technique was used to detect the genotype and allele frequency of the SP-B -18A/C and SP-B 1580C/T single nucleotide polymorphisms. The association between the polymorphisms and RDS was analyzed. RESULTS: SP-B -18A/C and SP-B 1580C/T were found to be polymorphic in both RDS and control groups. The frequencies of CC genotype (X2=12.26, P<0.01) and C allele (X2=11.97, P<0.01) of SP-B 1580C/T were significantly higher in the RDS group than in the control group. The C allele significantly increased the risk of RDS (OR=2.26, 95%CI: 1.42-3.60). The frequencies of genotype and allele of SP-B -18A/C showed no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: SP-B 1580C/T polymorphism contributes to the etiology of RDS and may serve as the susceptibility gene for RDS. The C allele increases the risk of RDS. SP-B -18A/C shows no association with the etiology of RDS.

Salivary cytokine profile in patients with oral lichen planus.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory lesion of oral mucosal, and its pathogenesis involves immune cell-mediated aberrances. However, the findings conflict with each other. This research aimed to comprehensively detect the salivary cytokine profile of patients with OLP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cohort included 60 OLP patients (30 reticular and 30 erosive), and 30 healthy controls, matched in age and sex. Human Cytokine/Chemokine Magnetic Bead Panel Kit (HCYTMAG-60K-PX41) was used to detect salivary inflammation-related cytokines. Rank sum test, group t-test, and ANOVA were used for data analysis in different groups. Moreover, Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between salivary cytokine levels and OLP lesion severity. RESULTS: The levels of TNF-α, G-GSF, IL-1α, IL-1ß and IL-8 were statistically significant higher in both erosive and reticular OLP patients than in the healthy group, while the IL-13 level was significantly lower. Particularly, the salivary TNF-α, GM-CSF, MIP-1α, MIP-1ß, IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 levels were higher in erosive OLP group than other groups. Spearman's rank correlation analysis revealed that the salivary TNF-α, GM-CSF, MIP-1α, MIP-1ß, IL-1ß and IL-6 levels were positively correlated with OLP lesion severity. CONCLUSION: Imbalance of the Th1/Th2-mediated immune response contributes to OLP. Certain salivary cytokines, such as MIP-1α, MIP-1ß, GM-CSF, and IL-6, are positively correlated with OLP severity, and they have a high potential as biomarkers to diagnose and predict OLP prognosis.

A photochromic and scintillation Eu-MOF with visual X-ray detection in bright and dark environments.

The detection of X-rays has always been a frontier of scientific research. An Eu-MOF with both X-ray-induced photochromic and scintillation properties has been synthesized through the combination of a photochromism-active viologen ligand and rare earth Eu element with high-efficiency absorption of X-rays. In a bright environment, Eu-MOF exhibits different color changes under high-energy X-rays and low-energy X-rays, which can effectively distinguish X-rays. Eu-MOF can also be used for X-ray detection by scintillation properties in dark environments. This work provides a new perspective on the design of multifunctional materials that can perform simple X-ray detection in different environments.