[Research advances on size selection and vault prediction of posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens].

Posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens (pIOL) implantation has been widely adopted for the correction of refractive errors. Among pIOLs, the Implantable Collamer Lens is the most common choice. The selection of the appropriate pIOL size and achieving the desired postoperative vault to minimize complications has consistently been a focal point in academic research. With the advancement of ophthalmic biometric measurement technology and the application of artificial intelligence in the field of medicine, numerous new technologies and methods for pIOL size selection and vault prediction have emerged in recent years. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the topic of how to choose the pIOL size and predict the vault.

[Clinical and biological features and prognosis of patients with leukemic non-nodal mantle cell lymphoma].

Objective: To investigate the clinical, biological and prognostic characteristics of leukemic non-nodal mantle cell lymphoma (nnMCL). Methods: The clinical data of 14 patients with nnMCL and 238 patients with classical mantle cell lymphoma (cMCL) in Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from November 2000 to October 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Among the 14 patients with nnMCL, there were 9 males and 5 females, with the age [M (Q1, Q3)] of 57.5 (52.3, 67.0) years. Among the 238 patients with cMCL, there were 187 males and 51 females, with the age of 58.0 (51.0, 65.3) years. The clinical and biological characteristics of the two groups were recorded and compared. Follow-up and efficacy evaluation were conducted by re-examination during hospital stay and telephone follow-up and so on. Results: The proportion of CD200 expression in nnMCL patients was 8/14, which was higher than that in cMCL patients [14.6% (19/130)] (P=0.001). The proportion of CD23 expression in nnMCL patients was 8/14, which was higher than that in cMCL patients [13.5% (23/171)] (P<0.001). The proportion of CD5 expression in nnMCL patients was 10/14, which was lower than that in cMCL patients [97.4% (184/189)] (P=0.001). The proportion of CD38 expression in nnMCL patients was 4/14, which was lower than that in cMCL patients [69.6% (112/161)] (P=0.005). The expression proportion of sex-determining region of Y chromosome-related high-mobility-group box 11 (SOX11) in nnMCL patients was 1/5, which was lower than that in cMCL patients [77.9% (60/77)] (P=0.014). The proportion of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (IGHV) mutations in nnMCL patients was 11/11, which was higher than that in cMCL patients [26.0% (13/50)] (P<0.001). As of April 11, 2021, the follow-up time for nnMCL and cMCL patients was 31 (8-89) months and 48 (0-195) months, respectively. Among the 14 nnMCL patients, 6 patients were still under observation, and 8 patients were treated. The overall response rate (ORR) was 8/8, including 4 patients with complete remission and 4 patients with partial response. The median overall survival and median progression-free survival were not reached in nnMCL patients. In the cMCL group, 50.0% (112/224) patients achieved a complete response, 24.6% (55/224) patients achieved a partial response, and ORR was 74.6% (167/224). There was no statistically significant difference in ORR between the two groups (P=0.205). Conclusions: nnMCL patients have an indolent progression, with higher expression rates of CD23 and CD200 and lower expression rates of SOX11, CD5 and CD38. Most patients have IGHV mutations, with a relatively good prognosis, and"watch and wait"approach is an optional treatment.

In silico package models for deriving values of solute parameters in linear solvation energy relationships.

Environmental partitioning influences fate, exposure and ecological risks of chemicals. Linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) models may serve as efficient tools for estimating environmental partitioning parameter values that are commonly deficient for many chemicals. Nonetheless, scarcities of empirical solute parameter values of LSER models restricted the application. This study developed and evaluated in silico methods and models to derive the values, in which excess molar refraction, molar volume and logarithm of hexadecane/air partition coefficient were computed from density functional theory; dipolarity/polarizability parameter, solute H-bond acidity and basicity parameters were predicted by quantitative structure-activity relationship models developed with theoretical molecular descriptors. New LSER models on four physicochemical properties relevant with environmental partitioning (n-octanol/water partition coefficients, n-octanol/air partition coefficients, water solubilities, sub-cooled liquid vapour pressures) were constructed using the in silico solute parameter values, which exhibited comparable performance with conventional LSER models using the empirical solute parameter values. The package models for deriving the LSER solute parameter values, with advantages that they are free of instrumental determinations, may lay the foundation for high-throughput estimating environmental partition parameter values of diverse organic chemicals.

The safety of tranexamic acid administration in total knee arthroplasty: a population-based study from Taiwan.

Tranexamic acid is an effective treatment to reduce blood loss. We performed a retrospective observational study to evaluate safety in unilateral total knee arthroplasty. We utilised Taiwan's national health insurance database to identify relevant patients and to retrieve information on peri-operative blood transfusions and tranexamic acid administration within 60 days of follow-up. We examined changes in the rate of transfusions and adverse events with respect to tranexamic acid administration using logistic regression. We observed a total of 226,719 knee arthroplasty cases during 2010-2019. Transfusion and tranexamic acid administration rates were 38.9% (88,258) and 42.9% (97,237), respectively. Tranexamic acid was associated with a 50% decrease in blood transfusions (RR: 0.50, 95%CI: 0.48-0.51). After propensity-score matching, tranexamic acid was not associated with pulmonary embolism; deep vein thromboembolism; artery vein thromboembolism; acute myocardial infarction; ischaemic stroke; or in-hospital mortality, but was significantly associated with acute kidney injury. Patients with existing chronic kidney disease suffered a high absolute risk of kidney injury irrespective of tranexamic acid administration (832 per 10,000, 95%CI 797-869). Tranexamic acid was also associated with surgical site infection. There was strong interaction between blood transfusion; tranexamic aid administration; and development of surgical site infection. In conclusion, tranexamic acid use was associated with decreased blood transfusion and was not associated with thromboembolic events. However, careful consideration is required before use in patients with pre-existing renal disease. Further, our observed interaction between patients given tranexamic acid who subsequently require transfusion requires careful consideration with respect to enhanced prophylaxis against surgical site infection.

[Research progress in the application of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma in dentin bonding].

As a convenient and effective surface modification approach, non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTAPP)can be used to improve dentin bonding, and has recently become a research focus. Studies have shown that NTAPP can alter dentin surface properties, improve the penetration and polymerization of adhesives, stimulate the cross-linking of collagen, and change the micro-morphology and element content of dentin surface, thus improve the dentin bonding quality. This article introduces the current research progress in the application of NTAPP in the field of dentin bonding, in order to provide innovative information for future research in optimization of the quality of dentin bonding.

[Clinical and biological characteristics of non-IgM lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma].

Objective: The study aims to explore the clinical and biological characteristics of patients with non-IgM lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) . Methods: The clinical data of 340 patients with LPL admitted to the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College were collected retrospectively, including 23 cases of the non-IgM LPL and 317 cases of the Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) , from July 1993 to August 2020. The clinical and biological characteristics of the two groups were compared. Results: Among 23 patients with the non-IgM type LPL, two patients secreted monoclonal IgA, 14 patients secreted monoclonal IgG, and seven patients did not secrete monoclonal immunoglobulin. The median age of the non-IgM LPL and WM were both 62 (35-81) years old. Compared with the WM group, the proportion of women (56.5% vs 27.3%, P=0.007) , the proportion of splenomegaly (60.1% vs 43.8%, P=0.100) , and the proportion of extranodal invasion (21.7% vs 12.3%, P=0.672) in non-IgM LPL group were higher. Eighteen patients were tested for MYD88 gene mutation, and the overall mutation rate of MYD88 was 55.6%. In the non-IgM LPL group, a total of 17 patients received treatment, which had a comparable proportion (94.4% vs 92.7%, P=0.488) to the WM group. Sixteen patients were evaluated for efficacy, and the overall remission rate of the first-line treatment was 87.5%. The median follow-up time was 33.9 (3.5-125.1) months, and the median PFS and OS were both not reached. The 3-year PFS and OS rates were 71.4% and 68.9%, respectively. In the WM group, the median PFS was 66.2 months and the median OS was 78.1 months. Compared with the WM group, in the non-IgM group no significant differences in PFS (P=0.340) and OS (P=0.544) were seen. Conclusion: The clinical and biological characteristics of the non-IgM LPL and WM patients were similar. However, the proportion of women and extranodal involvement were higher in the non-IgM LPL group. The survival and prognosis of the non-IgM LPL patients were similar to those of the WM patients.

[Antibiotic resistance and virulence characteristics analysis of a carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae].

Objective: To characterize the antibiotic resistance and virulence in a carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP). Methods: A CRKP (designated K. pneumoniae C35) was isolated from a stool sample. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of antimicrobial agents were determined using the broth microdilution method. Whole-genome sequencing and genome analysis were performed to identify the antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. The genetic relationship among K. pneumoniae C35 and other CRKP isolates from our hospital was analyzed by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing of core genomes. Conjugation experiments were carried out by filter mating to evaluate the transferability and efficiency of resistance genes. The virulence phenotype was determined by Galleria mellonella infection model. Results: K. pneumoniae C35 exhibited resistance to the majority of tested antibiotics, especially carbapenems, sulbactam, and polymyxins. SNP typing showed that K. pneumoniae C35 shared a high degree of sequence homology with several CRKP isolates from different wards. This ST11 CRKP carried 13 resistance genes, including blaKPC-2, blaCTX-M-199, mcr-1, and tet(A) variant. blaKPC-2 gene was located on an IncFⅡ plasmid with>69 800 bp in size, blaCTX-M-199 and mcr-1 genes were located on an IncI2 plasmid (>64 800 bp), and tet(A) variant was located on an unknown Inc-type plasmid (83 628bp). All these three plasmids were conjugative. K. pneumoniae C35 was found to harbor rmpA, rmpA2, and iucABCD aerobactin-related genes, and was considered to be classic carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (CR-hvKP). The virulence potential of this strain was confirmed in a Galleria mellonella infection model. The survival rate of the larvae injected with strain C35 at 48 h after infection was significantly lower than that of negative control strain (16.7% vs 80.0%). Conclusion: Multiple conjugative plasmids are identified in a faecal CR-hvKP. The IncI2 plasmid co-carrying both blaCTX-M-199 and mcr-1 genes is firstly identified in CR-hvKP. The emergence of such strain should be alerted and active surveillance is warranted.

Carcinogenesis of Male Oral Submucous Fibrosis Alters Salivary Microbiomes.

Most oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tumors arise from oral premalignant lesions. Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), usually occurring in male chewers of betel quid, is a premalignant stromal disease characterized by a high malignant transformation rate and high prevalence. Although a relationship between the inhabited microbiome and carcinogenesis has been proposed, no detailed information regarding the oral microbiome of patients with OSF exists; the changes of the salivary microbiome during cancer formation remain unclear. This study compared the salivary microbiomes of male patients with OSCC and a predisposing OSF background (OSCC-OSF group) and those with OSF only (OSF group). The results of high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene indicated that OSF-related carcinogenesis and smoking status significantly contributed to phylogenetic composition variations in the salivary microbiome, leading to considerable reductions in species richness and phylogenetic diversity. The microbiome profile of OSF-related malignancy was associated with increased microbial stochastic fluctuation, which dominated the salivary microbiome assembly and caused species co-occurrence network collapse. Artificial intelligence selection algorithms consistently identified 5 key species in the OSCC-OSF group: Porphyromonas catoniae, Prevotella multisaccharivorax, Prevotella sp. HMT-300, Mitsuokella sp. HMT-131, and Treponema sp. HMT-927. Robust accuracy in predicting oral carcinogenesis was obtained with our exploratory and validation data sets. In functional analysis, the microbiome of the OSCC-OSF group had greater potential for S-adenosyl-l-methionine and norspermidine synthesis but lower potential for l-ornithine and pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotide synthesis and formaldehyde metabolism. These findings indicated that the salivary microbiome plays important roles in modulating microbial metabolites during oral carcinogenesis. In conclusion, our results provided new insights into salivary microbiome alterations during the malignant transformation of OSF.

[Diagnostic and prognostic value of peripheral lymphocyte subtyping for invasive candidiasis infection in critically ill patients with non-neutropenic sepsis].

Objective: To assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of lymphocyte subtyping for invasive candidiasis infection (ICI) in critically ill patients with non-neutropenic sepsis. Methods: A prospective observational cohort study was performed at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), 377 patients with non-neutropenic sepsis admitted to Department of Critical Care Medicine from January 2017 to November 2019 were enrolled. There were 9.0% (34/377) patients diagnosed as ICI. Vital signs, supportive care therapy and microbiological specimens were collected. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subtypes, serum globulin, complements, inflammatory factors such as interleukin(IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor were detected within 24 hours after sepsis was diagnosed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value and prognostic significance of immunological indicators for ICI. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors for ICI. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to analyze survival. Results: The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score was 17.0 (13.0, 21.0) in all 377 patients. The sequential organ failure score (SOFA) was 11.0 (8.0, 13.0), and the 28-day mortality rate was 27.6% (104/377). Peripheral blood CD8+absolute T lymphocyte count≤177 cells/µl, CD28+CD8+T-cell count≤81 cells/µl and 1, 3-ß-D-glucan (BDG) ≥88.20 ng/L were closely correlated with the diagnosis of ICI (AUC=0.793,95%CI 0.749-0.833,P<0.000 1;AUC=0.892,95%CI 0.856-0.921, P<0.000 1;AUC=0.761, 95%CI 0.715-0.803,P<0.000 1, respectively), with sensitivity of diagnosis 94.12%, 100.00%, and 88.24%; the specificity of diagnosis 81.34%, 62.39%, 63.56% respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified CD8+T-cell count≤139 cells/µl (OR=7.463, 95%CI 1.300-42.831, P=0.024) and CD28+CD8+T-cell counts≤52 cells/µl (OR=57.494, 95%CI 3.986-829.359, P=0.003) as independent risk factors for higher mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis suggested that CD8+T-cell count ≤139 cells/µl (P=0.0159) and CD28+CD8+T-cell count≤52 cells/µl (P=0.000 1) were associated with higher mortality within 28 days (68.8%, 91.7%). Conclusions: Low CD28+CD8+T cell count in peripheral blood is closely related to the development and clinical outcome of ICI in sepsis patients, which could be used as an effective indicator for the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of ICI.

[Primary development of visual uroflow scale].

OBJECTIVE: To develop the visual uroflow scale (VUS), analyze the relationship of VUS score and index of free uroflowmetry, assess urination function preliminarily and improve the work efficiency in the clinic. METHODS: Male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) patients, who attended the Department of Urology in Peking University People's Hospital from March 2016 to March 2017, were assessed for their urination function according to the Visual Uroflow Scale without help from clinicians before undertaking a free uroflowmetry test. And afterwards, a free uroflowmetry was undertaken, and variables including maximal flow rate (Qmax), the average flow rate (Qave) and voiding volume (VV) was obtained. During the study, 124 cases were collected and 53 cases met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the study cohort. The Spearman correlation analysis was used for analyzing the correlation of VUS scores with free uroflowmetry variables and age. The validity of VUS was evaluated. RESULTS: Most of the patients could choose the very figure matched with self-condition by first instinct without any help from the clinician. The data were analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis. In the present study, voiding time was positively correlated with the VUS score (correlation coefficient, 0.62, P < 0.05). In the present cohort, the patients chose the third and fourth figures to take longer time to urinate, implying worse LUTS situation. Flow time and VUS scores were positively correlated (correlation coefficient, 0.61, P < 0.05). The patients with higher VUS scores would spend more time on urinate, no matter how long urinary hesitation was. Both Qmax and Qave were negatively correlated with the VUS score (correlation coefficient －0.54, －0.62, P < 0.05). The study illustrated that the VUS score suggested that the Qmax basically and further reflected the urination function. And its relationship to age revealed the decreased urination function of aging male, which had reached a consensus. CONCLUSION: Development of VUS has helped the clinician assess the urination function preliminarily at the first time. Patients are assessed for a VUS score before getting surgery or receiving the drug for treatment, and can be re-assessed after. The VUS score can provide an objective quantitative basis to evaluate the treatment efficacy. In addition, considering that it is convenient, timesaving and easy to understand, the VUS is available for follow-up.

Long non-coding RNA TTN-AS1 promotes the metastasis in breast cancer by epigenetically activating DGCR8.

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "Long non-coding RNA TTN-AS1 promotes the metastasis in breast cancer by epigenetically activating DGCR8, by P. Qiu, Y. Dou, L.-Z. Ma, X.-X. Tang, X.-L. Liu, J.-W. Chen, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (24): 10835-10841-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201912_19787-PMID: 31858552" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/19787.

[Risk factors of anastomotic leakage after robotic surgery for low and mid rectal cancer].

Objective: To investigate the risk factors associated with anastomotic leakage after robotic surgery in mid-low rectal cancer. Methods: A retrospective case-control study method was conducted. Inclusion criteria: (1) 18 to 80 years old; (2) pathologically confirmed rectal cancer; (3) distance <10 cm from tumor to anal margin; (4) robotic anterior rectal resection. Patients with previous history of colorectal cancer surgery, distant metastases or other malignant tumors, undergoing emergency surgery, with severe abdominal adhesions or those receiving combined organ resection were excluded. Based on the above criteria, 636 patients undergoing robotic radical sphincter-preserving surgery for mid-low rectal cancer in Zhongshan Hospital from January 2015 to December 2018 were included in this study, including 398 males (62.6%) and 238 females (37.4%) with a mean age of (61.9±11.3) years. Sixty-eight cases (10.7%) received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Amony the 636 included patients, 123(19.3%) underwent natural orifice specimen extraction surgery (NOSES) and 15 (2.3%) underwent preventive stoma. According to the cirteria developed by the International Rectal Cancer Research Group in 2010, the anastomotic leakage was classified as grade A (no requirement of intervention), B (requirement of intervention), and C (requirement of operation). Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between anastomotic leakage and clinicopathological factors. Factors in univariate analysis with P<0.05 were included in the multivariate analysis. Results: Anastomotic leakage occurred in 38 cases (6.0%). The grading of anastomotic leakage was grade A in 13 cases (2.0%), grade B in 19 cases (3.0%), and grade C in 6 cases (0.9%). The 3-year disease-free survival rate of patients with anastomotic leakage and without anastomotic leakage was 83.5% and 83.6% respectively (P=0.862); the 3-year overall survival rate of the two group was 85.1% and 87.5% respectively (P=0.296). The results of univariate logistic regression analysis showed that male (P=0.011), longer operation time (P=0.042), distance ≤5 cm from tumor to anal margin (P=0.012), more intraoperative blood loss (P=0.048) were associated with anastomotic leakage (all P<0.05). NOSES was not associated with anastomotic leakage (P=0.704). Multivariate analysis confirmed that male (OR=3.03, 95%CI: 1.37 to 7.14, P=0.010), operation time ≥180 minutes (OR=2.04, 95%CI: 1.03 to 3.99, P=0.040), distance ≤5 cm from tumor to anal margin (OR=2.56, 95%CI:1.28 to 5.26, P=0.008) were independent risk factors for anastomotic leakage. Conclusion: Male, short distance from tumor to anal margin, and long operation time are independent risk factors for anastomotic leakage in patients undergoing robotic mid-low rectal cancer radical surgeries. These patients need to be cautiously treated during surgery.

Mechanically controllable nonlinear dielectrics.

Strain-sensitive Ba x Sr1-x TiO3 perovskite systems are widely used because of their superior nonlinear dielectric behaviors. In this research, new heterostructures including paraelectric Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BSTO) and ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO) materials were epitaxially fabricated on flexible muscovite substrate. Through simple bending, the application of mechanical force can regulate the dielectric constant of BSTO from -77 to 36% and the channel current of BTO-based ferroelectric field effect transistor by two orders. The detailed mechanism was studied through the exploration of phase transition and determination of band structure. In addition, the phase-field simulations were implemented to provide theoretical support. This research opens a new avenue for mechanically controllable components based on high-quality oxide heteroepitaxy.

[Blood-borne occupation exposures in dental practice of medical staff: status and protection].

Objective: To understand the status of blood-borne occupational exposure and protection among health care workers (HCWs) in dental practice, and provide evidence for making effective prevention. Methods: From April 1 to 15, 2019, a stratified random sampling method was conducted to investigate the data of blood-borne occupational exposure among 221 dental HCWs in 2018, and Chi-squared Test was used to evaluate the differences of status on occupational exposure and protection among different professionals, such as nurses, doctors and trainees, and among different-grade hospitals. Results: A total of 166 HCWs were exposed to occupational exposure 269 times, with the annual incidence of 75.11% (166/221) , and 37.55% (101/269) of exposures were reported. However, all source patients of exposures had failed to be traced. 89.59% (241/269) of exposures were sharp injuries. The top three instruments caused injuries were syringe/bilan needles, suture needles and vehicle needles, accounting for 35.68% (86/241) 、16.60% (40/241) and 16.18% (39/241) , respectively; and the top three exposure operations were removal/disposal of needles or instruments, suture/assisting suture and injection of anesthetic, accounting for 37.17% (100/269) 、22.30% (60/269) and 17.84% (48/269) , respectively. There were statistically significant differences among different professionals in occupational exposure frequency, reporting rate, the types of instruments caused injuries, exposure operations and hepatitis B vaccinated time (P<0.01) . The compliance rate of standard precautions, safe operation, post-exposure reporting and prevention, and training on occupational protection were generally poor among HCWs, with significant differences in different-grade hospitals (P<0.01) . Conclusion: There is a high incidence, low reporting rate and poor self-protection of blood-borne occupational exposure among dental HCWs. Strongly suggesting that standard precautions, safe use and disposal of oral instruments, active post-exposure report and prevention must be improved for everyone.

Inflammatory mediators are potential biomarkers for extracorporeal shockwave therapy in horses.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) can potentially mask painful injuries in equine athletes. Tests to detect whether a horse has received ESWT prior to competition are needed. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is known to affect inflammatory mediators in other species, and if these mediators are altered in the horse, these could serve as biomarkers of ESWT. OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that a single application of ESWT will alter the circulating protein concentrations of 10 inflammatory mediators in horse plasma. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective repeated measures experimental study. METHODS: Eleven healthy horses were administered a single dose of ESWT on the dorsal surface of proximal MCIII. Blood samples were collected at -168, -144, -120, -96, -72, -70, -68, -66, -48, -24, -6, -4, -2, 0 h before and 2, 4, 6, 24, 48, 72, 96, 168, 336 and 504 h after ESWT. Plasma concentrations of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß), IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-15, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), soluble toll-like receptor 2 (sTLR2) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured to assess the effects of ESWT on these mediators. RESULTS: Baseline concentrations of inflammatory mediators did not change substantially during the week prior to ESWT. Plasma concentrations of five inflammatory factors changed following ESWT. IL-1ß and IL-6 were significantly down-regulated (P<0.01), while TNF-α, IL-1RA and TLR2 were significantly up-regulated (P<0.01). The remaining cytokines were not significantly affected by ESWT. MAIN LIMITATIONS: This study was performed in a small number of sedentary, healthy pasture-kept horses using a single dose of ESWT applied to a single location. Additional studies are necessary to determine the effect of ESWT on inflammatory mediators in athletic horses undergoing treatment for musculoskeletal injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-1RA, IL-6 and TLR2 were significantly affected by ESWT, and deserve further investigation as possible biomarkers of ESWT.

Long non-coding RNA TTN-AS1 promotes the metastasis in breast cancer by epigenetically activating DGCR8.

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common fatal cancers. Recent studies have identified the vital roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development and progression of BC. This research aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of lncRNA TTN-AS1 in the metastasis of BC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: TTN-AS1 expression of tissues was detected by Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) in 50 BC patients. Wound healing assay and transwell assay were used to observe the phenotypic alteration of BC cells after knockdown or overexpression of TTN-AS1. Moreover, RT-qPCR and Western blot assay were performed to discover the potential targets of TTN-AS1 in BC. RESULTS: TTN-AS1 expression in BC samples was significantly higher than that of the adjacent tissues. Besides, the migration and invasion of BC cells were markedly inhibited after TTN-AS1 was silenced, while promoted after TTN-AS1 overexpression. In addition, a remarkable decrease of DGCR8 was observed after TTN-AS1 was inhibited in BC cells, while DGCR8 was upregulated after overexpression of TTN-AS1. Furthermore, DGCR8 expression showed significant enhancement in BC tissues and was positively associated with TTN-AS1 level. CONCLUSIONS: Our study uncovered a new oncogene in BC and suggested that TTN-AS1 could enhance BC cell migration and invasion via sponging DGCR8, which provided a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of breast cancer.

[Urodynamic classification of male patients with symptoms of overactive bladder and the outcome classification].

OBJECTIVE: To introduce a urodynamic classification of male patients with symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB) and discuss its clinical significance in practice. METHODS: From January 2015 to January 2017, there were 181 male patients from Peking University People's Hospital who were diagnosed clinically with OAB and underwent preoperative urodynamic test. Finally 126 male patients were enrolled in the research. Male OAB patients could be stratified into four groups based on the chief complaints (whether or not presenting urgency) and the results of urodynamic test (whether or not presenting detrusor overactivity and the ability to stop the involuntary contraction). The contents of this follow-up study included the basic information, the preoperative and postoperative scores of the OAB symptom score (OABSS), the preoperative and postoperative scores of the international prostate symptom score (IPSS), and the amount of the concomitant diseases. RESULTS: According to the classification, the amounts of the four types of OAB patients were 32 (25.40%) for type I, 27 (21.43%) for type II, 59 (46.83%) for type III, and 8 (6.35%) for type IV, respectively. The data of their heights showed no statistical significance (P>0.05). The ages, weights and the amount of the concomitant diseases of type IV were obviously higher than those of the other three types (P<0.05). And the ages, weights and the amount of the concomitant diseases of the other three types had shown no statistical significance (P>0.05). The improvement of the OABSS and IPSS scores of the type IV were obviously inferior to the other three types (P<0.05). The improvements of the OABSS and IPSS scores of type III were obviously higher than those of the other three (P<0.05). The discrepancy of the OABSS and IPSS scores of type I and type II had shown no statistical significance (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Type IV has the worst outcome and type III has the best among the four types of OAB. And this classification system will certainly have a profound significance in guiding and directing our clinical diagnosis and treatments, and evaluating the prognosis of the patients with OAB.

[Analysis of urodynamic study of female outpatients with lower urinary tract symptoms and follow-up of the patients with detrusor underactive].

OBJECTIVE: To find out the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and analyze the characteristics of the urodynamics diagnosis in female outpatients. To study the natural history of detrusor underactive (DU) by the followed up. METHODS: A retrospective study of the female LUTS outpatients in Peking University People's Hospital from Jan. 2005 to Dec. 2015 was performed. The basic information and the urodynamic results of a total of 656 female outpatients were collected. The distribution of storage symptoms, voiding symptoms, complications and urodynamic diagnosis were analyzed. The symptoms and urodynamic results were compared among the groups, which were divided according to age, urodynamic diagnosis and diabetes mellitus. A follow-up of 163 female DU outpatients was performed, including the treatments and the American Urological Association symptoms scores (AUAss). RESULTS: Frequency (25.03%) is the most common symptom in female outpatients, followed by stress urinary incontinence (20.04%), urgency (19.97%), and difficulty of voiding (17.32%). Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) accounted for the first (36.04%) of the whole outpatients, followed by the DU (24.08%), and bladder outlet obstruction (17.58%). The patients aged 51-60 years occupied the peak of almost all the diagnosis. There was a higher proportion of the young female patients than that of the middle and old patients diagnosed with no abnormal after the urodynamic study. The first, strong, urge and maximum bladder capacity were significantly larger in DU patients with diabetes than without diabetes. Follow-up results of the DU patients showed there was no significantly difference of the AUAss scores in both the two groups before and after the follow-up, but the quality of life decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: Female LUTS outpatients showed a main complaint of storage symptoms. SUI ranked the first in female patients with LUTS. With the increase of age, bladder sensation and detrusor function decrease. In elderly patients, DU became the first ranked disease instead of SUI. Diabetes can affect the sensory function of bladder in patients with DU, and then increase the difficulty of voiding. The patients with DU, absent from treatment, experienced a lower quality of life.