Effect of ferric citrate on hippocampal iron accumulation and widespread molecular alterations associated with cognitive disorder in an ovariectomized mice model.

OBJECTIVE: Nowadays, the prevalence of cognitive impairment in women has gradually increased, especially in postmenopausal women. There were few studies on the mechanistic effects of iron exposure on neurotoxicity in postmenopausal women. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of iron accumulation on cognitive ability in ovariectomized mice and its possible mechanism and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention of cognitive dysfunction in postmenopausal women. METHODS: Female C57BL/6N ovariectomized model mice were induced with ferric citrate (FAC). The mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: control, sham, ovariectomized (Ovx), Ovx + 50 mg/kg FAC (Ovx + l), and Ovx + 100 mg/kg FAC (Ovx + h). The impact of motor and cognitive function was verified by a series of behavioral tests. The levels of serum iron parameters, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase were measured. The ultrastructure of mice hippocampal microglia was imaged by transmission electron microscopy. The differential expression of hippocampal proteins was analyzed by Tandem Mass Tag labeling. RESULTS: Movement and cognitive function in Ovx + l/Ovx + h mice were significantly decreased compared to control and Sham mice. Then, iron exposure caused histopathological changes in the hippocampus of mice. In addition, proteomic analysis revealed that 29/27/41 proteins were differentially expressed in the hippocampus when compared by Ovx vs. Sham, Ovx + l vs. Ovx, as well as Ovx + h vs. Ovx + l groups, respectively. Moreover, transferrin receptor protein (TFR1) and divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) protein expression were significantly increased in the iron accumulation mice model with ovariectomy. CONCLUSION: Iron exposure could cause histopathological damage in the hippocampus of ovariectomised mice and, by altering hippocampal proteomics, particularly the expression of hippocampal iron metabolism-related proteins, could further influence cognitive impairment in ovariectomized mice.

Automated endometrial identification and volume calculation in normal uteri using a novel smart ERA technique.

To evaluate the repeatability of a novel automated technique called Smart ERA (Smart Endometrial Receptivity Analysis) for the automated segmentation and volume calculation of the endometrium in patients with normal uteri,, and to compare the agreement of endometrial volume measurements between Smart ERA, the semi-automated Virtual Organ Computer-aided Analysis (VOCAL) technique and manual segmentation. This retrospective study evaluated endometrial volume measurement in infertile patients who underwent frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET). Transvaginal three-dimensional ultrasound scans were performed using a Resona R9 ultrasound machine. Data was collected from patients between 2021 and 2022. Patients with normal uteri and optimal ultrasound images were included. Endometrial volumes were measured using Smart ERA, VOCAL at 15° rotation, and manual segmentation. Intra-observer repeatability and agreement between techniques were assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis. A total of 407 female patients were evaluated (mean age 33.2 ± 4.7 years). The repeatability of Smart ERA showed an ICC of 0.983 (95% CI 0.984-0.991). The agreement between Smart ERA and the manual method, Smart ERA and VOCAL, and VOCAL and the manual method, as assessed by ICC, were 0.986 (95% CI 0.977-0.990), 0.943 (95% CI 0.934-0.963), and 0.951 (95% CI 0.918-0.969), respectively. The Smart ERA technique required approximately 3 s for endometrial volume calculation, while VOCAL took around 5 min and the manual segmentation method took approximately 50 min. The Smart-ERA software, which employs a novel three-dimensional segmentation algorithm, demonstrated excellent intra-observer repeatability and high agreement with both VOCAL and manual segmentation for endometrial volume measurement in women with normal uteri. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution, as the algorithm's performance may not be generalizable to populations with different uterine characteristic. Additionally, Smart ERA required significantly less time compared to VOCAL and manual segmentation.

Revealing the distinct clinical patterns and relapse risk factors in seronegative IgG4-RD patients: A retrospective cohort study over a decade.

OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to investigate the distinct clinical patterns of seronegative IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) patients. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 698 treatment-naïve IgG4-RD patients in this study. Patients were divided into four different subgroups according to their baseline serum IgG4 levels. The distinct clinical patterns of seronegative IgG4-RD patients were revealed through the comparison of baseline clinical data and disease prognosis among the different subgroups. COX regression analyses were used to investigate the risk factors for disease relapse and to construct the nomogram model. RESULTS: Seronegative IgG4-RD patients account for a minority of IgG4-RD patients (49/698, 7.02%). The proportions of seronegative IgG-RD patients in our study and several Asian cohorts were significantly lower than those of the European and American cohorts. Seronegative IgG4-RD patients got lower serum IgG levels (p < 0.0001), lower eosinophil count (p < 0.0001), lower serum IgE levels (p < 0.0001)), lower IgG4-RD responder index (RI) scores (p < 0.0001), and fewer affected organ numbers (p < 0.0001) compared with other subgroups, whereas they were more likely to manifest fibrotic type with some special organ involvement. Younger age at onset, GCs monotherapy, elevated C-reactive protein level, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate level are the risk factors for the disease relapse of seronegative IgG4-RD patients. An effective nomogram model predicting disease relapse of seronegative IgG4-RD patients was constructed. Seronegative IgG4-RD patients with scores >84.65 at baseline were susceptible to suffering from disease relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct clinical features and multiple risk factors for disease relapse of seronegative IgG4-RD patients have been revealed in this study. A nomogram model was constructed to effectively predict disease relapse during the follow-up period.

Mediating Effect of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Underlying the Link Between Vitamin D and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Vitamin D was well-known to be associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has been linked to vitamin D and GDM, respectively. We hypothesize that changes in IGF-I metabolism induced by 25(OH)D3 might contribute to GDM. Therefore, we investigated the independent and combined relationships of serum 25(OH)D3 and IGF-I concentrations with GDM risk, and the mediation effect of IGF-I on 25(OH)D3. A total of 278 pregnant women (including 125 cases and 153 controls) were recruited in our current study. Maternal serum 25(OH)D3 and IGF-I were measured in the second trimester. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations of 25(OH)D3 and IGF-I concentrations with the risk of GDM. Mediation analyses were used to explore the mediation effect of IGF-I on the association between 25(OH)D3 and the risk of GDM. After adjusted for the confounded factors, both the third and fourth quartile of 25(OH)D3 decreased the risk of GDM (OR = 0.226; 95% CI, 0.103-0.494; OR = 0.109; 95% CI, 0.045-0.265, respectively) compared to the first quartile of 25(OH)D3. However, the third and fourth quartile of serum IGF-I (OR = 5.174; 95% CI, 2.287-11.705; OR = 12.784; 95% CI, 5.292-30.879, respectively) increased the risk of GDM compared to the first quartile of serum IGF-I. Mediation analyses suggested that 19.62% of the associations between 25(OH)D3 and GDM might be mediated by IGF-I. The lower concentration of serum 25(OH)D3 or higher IGF-I in the second trimester was associated with an increased risk of GDM. The serum IGF-I level might be a potential mediator between 25(OH)D3 and GDM.

Study on the Consistency Between Automatic Measurement Based on Convolutional Neural Network Technology and Manual Visual Evaluation in Intracavitary Ultrasonic Cine of Anterior Pelvic.

OBJECTIVES: This study was to evaluate the application of automatic measurement based on convolutional neural network (CNN) technology in intracavitary ultrasound cine of anterior pelvic. METHODS: A total of 500 patients who underwent pelvic floor ultrasound examination at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital from July 2021 to February 2022 were retrospectively retrieved by the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) system, and 300 cases were used as a training set. The training set was labeled by three experienced ultrasound physicians to train CNN models and develop an automatic measurement software. The remaining 200 cases were used as a test set. Automatic measurement software identified relevant anatomical structures frame by frame and determined the two frames with the greatest difference, calculated the bladder neck descent (BND), urethral rotation angle (URA), and retrovesical angle (RA). Meanwhile, two experienced ultrasound physicians evaluated the resting frame and the maximum Valsalva frame on the cines by manual visual evaluation, labeled the anatomical structures in the corresponding frame, such as the inferoposterior margin of pubic symphysis, the mid-axis of pubic symphysis, bladder contour, and urethra in the front, and calculated BND, URA, and RA. Considering that the residual urine volume (RUV) in the bladder may affect the results, enrolled patients were grouped according to the RUV (10-50 mL, 50-100 mL, and >100 mL). The consistency of the results by automatic measurement and manual visual evaluation was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the Bland-Altman graph. RESULTS: Of the 200 cases in the test set, 120 cases were successfully identified by the CNN automatic software with a 60% recognition rate. In the case of successful identification, the ICC of manual visual evaluation measurement and automatic measurement was 0.936 (BND), 0.911 (URA), 0.756 (RA in rest), and 0.877 (RA at maximum Valsalva), respectively. In addition, the RUV had a negligible effect on the consistency. The Bland-Altman plot shows the proportion of samples outside the limit was below 5%. CONCLUSIONS: CNN-based automatic measurement software exhibited high reliability in anterior pelvic measurement, which results in a significantly enhanced measurement efficiency.

Expansion and surface makers of age-associated B cells in IgG4-related disease.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the expression of age-associated B cells (ABCs), and characterise the surface markers of ABCs in patients with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). METHODS: Fifty-one newly diagnosed patients with IgG4-RD, 18 IgG4-RD patients with disease remission, 34 patients with other autoimmune diseases, and 61 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. Circulating ABCs, as well as surface markers were detected by flow cytometry, and tissue infiltration of ABCs were assessed by immunofluorescence (IF). The expression of ABCs in the affected organs of LatY136F knock-in (LAT) mouse models (IgG4-RD mouse model) were explored by flow cytometry and IF. RESULTS: The percentages and absolute numbers of ABCs (gated as CD21-T-bet+CD11c+) in CD19+ B cells raised remarkably in untreated IgG4-RD patients than HC, and reduced significantly after treatment. The percentage of CD27+ABCs, DN2 B cells and activated naive B cells was higher in patients with IgG4-RD than in HCs and patients with multiple autoimmune diseases, whereas the percentage was comparable with that in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Phenotypical analysis revealed upregulated levels of CD86, TACI, CD38, and downregulated level of CXCR3 in peripheral CD19+CD21-CD11c+ B cells of IgG4-RD patients compared with that of HC. In IgG4-RD patients, CD19+CD21- CD11c+ cells expressed higher levels of CD80, CXCR3, TACI, CD95, and BAFF-R, while lower levels of CD86, CD27, CD38, and CXCR5 compared with CD19+ CD21- CD11c- B cells. ABCs (CD11c+T-bet+ gated in B220+ cells) were increased significantly in lungs of LAT mice than that of wild type (WT) mice. CONCLUSIONS: ABCs were expanded both in the peripheral blood and affected tissues of patients with IgG4-RD as well as in the lungs of LAT mice, indicating the potential roles of ABCs in IgG4-RD pathogenesis.

Finite-time terminal sliding mode attitude control for tailless full-wing configuration UAVs based on extended state observers and auxiliary compensators.

Considering the sensitivity of the tailless full-wing configuration unmanned aerial vehicle to disturbance and the strong nonlinearity and coupling caused by the manipulation combining the propeller and rudder, a finite-time terminal sliding mode controller with compound compensation is proposed in this paper to ensure stable attitude control. Based on singular perturbation theory, the inner loop sliding mode controller is designed so that the supremum of the convergence time of the rotational angular velocity tracking error in the sliding phase can be directly determined by the control parameters without requiring the initial state, and the outer loop sliding mode controller is designed so that the sliding surface function of the attitude angle tracking error has a fast convergence speed when it is far from and close to the origin. The compound compensation design further addresses the manipulation nonlinearity and disturbance sensitivity of the research object. Based on the minimum Euclidean norm optimization, the designed control allocator achieves command decoupling and reduces the desired control command. Through comprehensive verification, the proposed controller shows superior control performance and low energy consumption and exhibits strong robustness in the cruising flight envelope.

Effect of Inhibitors on Hydrogen Bond Reduction and Kaolinite Dissolution for Enhanced CO2 Adsorption in Coal.

The application of an inhibitor to the remaining coal in the goaf not only prevents spontaneous combustion of the coal seam in the mining area but also greatly enhances the capacity of coal to adsorb CO2. To investigate the mechanism by which inhibitors improve the CO2 adsorption capacity of the coal seam in the goaf, we conducted swelling experiments, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses to examine the microstructural changes in the adsorption of CO2 before and after inhibition. The results indicate that after inhibition, the number of hydrogen bonds between coal macromolecules decreased, and the samples exhibited approximately 5% swelling. This swelling of the coal macromolecular structure and the increased distance between coal particles create additional space for CO2 sequestration, which is a critical factor contributing to the enhanced CO2 adsorption capacity of coal. The mineral composition of coal consists of 75.6% kaolinite, and inhibition leads to a reduction in kaolinite content by 0.8-7.9%. After inhibition, the swelling and disintegration of kaolinite cause uneven stress, resulting in changes to the pore structure. Closed pores filled with kaolinite transform into open pores, and the original pores crack, forming new pores and pore channels. The dissolution of kaolinite particles increases the porosity of the coal, further facilitating gas adsorption. Among the three inhibitors tested, the most effective in enhancing CO2 sequestration by bituminous coal in the mining area was the urea solution. This study holds significant importance in improving the CO2 sequestration capacity of residual coal in goaves.

[Preparation, characterization and activity evaluation of Spirulina-chitooligosaccharides capable of inhibiting biofilms].

The biofilms formed by pathogenic microorganisms seriously threaten human health and significantly enhance drug resistance, which urgently call for developing drugs specifically targeting on biofilms. Chitooligosaccharides extracted from shrimp and crab shells are natural alkaline oligosaccharides with excellent antibacterial effects. Nevertheless, their inhibition efficacy on biofilms still needs to be improved. Spirulina (SP) is a microalga with negatively charged surface, and its spiral structure facilitates colonization in the depth of the biofilm. Therefore, the complex of Spirulina and chitooligosaccharides may play a synergistic role in killing pathogens in the depth of biofilm. This research first screened chitooligosaccharides with significant bactericidal effects. Subsequently, Spirulina@Chitooligosaccharides (SP@COS complex was prepared by combining chitooligosaccharides with Spirulina through electrostatic adsorption. The binding of the complex was characterized by zeta potential, z-average size, and fluorescence labeling. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) showed the encapsulation efficiency and the drug loading efficiency reached up to 90% and 16%, respectively. The prepared SP@COS2 exhibited a profound synergistic inhibition effect on bacterial and fungal biofilms, which was mainly achieved by destroying the cell structure of the biofilm. These results demonstrate the potential of Spirulina-chitooligosaccharides complex as a biofilm inhibitor and provide a new idea for addressing the harm of pathogenic microorganisms.

Identification of ORM1, vWF, SPARC, and PPBP as immune-related proteins involved in immune thrombocytopenia by quantitative LC-MS/MS.

BACKGROUND: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a common autoimmune disease characterized by loss of immune tolerance to platelet autoantigens leading to excessive destruction and insufficient production of platelets. METHOD: Quantitative liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed to detect the differentially expressed proteins in bone marrow samples from active ITP patients and normal controls. RESULT: Our bioinformatic analysis identified two upregulated proteins (ORM1 and vWF) and two downregulated proteins (PPBP and SPARC) related to immune function. The four proteins were all found to be related to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α signalling pathway and involved in the pathogenesis of ITP in KEGG pathway analysis. CONCLUSION: Bioinformatics analysis identified differentially expressed proteins in bone marrow that are involved in the TNF-α signalling pathway and are related to the activation of immune function in ITP patients. These findings could provide new ideas for research on the loss of immune tolerance in ITP patients.

The external validation of the 2019 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for IgG4-related disease in a large cohort from China.

OBJECTIVE: To externally validate the performance of the 2019 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification criteria for IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) within a cohort from China and to compare the criteria with the 2020 revised comprehensive diagnostic (RCD) criteria for IgG4-RD. METHODS: This study included 875 IgG4-RD and 302 non-IgG4-RD cases (213 mimickers and 89 patients with other diseases). Using expert clinical judgment as the gold standard for diagnosis of IgG4-RD, the performance (sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) of the 2019 ACR/EULAR criteria for IgG4-RD was evaluated. We also compared it with the 2020 RCD criteria. RESULTS: The 2019 ACR/EULAR classification criteria had a sensitivity of 76.6% (95% CI: 73.8% to 79.4%) and a specificity of 98.0% (96.0%-99.4%), an AUC of 0.873 (0.857-0.889) in the overall cohort. Those false negative cases under the 2019 ACR/EULAR classification criteria had significantly lower levels of serum IgG4, and fewer had pathological information, with a higher frequency in the involvement of those uncommon organs compared with the true positive cases. The cases judged as negative by the 2019 ACR/EULAR classification criteria yet judged as "definite" by the 2020 RCD criteria had more involvement of uncommon organs. CONCLUSIONS: The 2019 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for IgG4-RD show outstanding specificity and good sensitivity in real-world clinical practice. The 2020 RCD criteria are helpful for the diagnosis of IgG4-RD in clinical scenarios where IgG4-RD presents as involving an isolated organ, especially the unusual sites.

Memory CD4+T cell profile is associated with unfavorable prognosis in IgG4-related disease: Risk stratification by machine-learning.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic immune-mediated disease with heterogeneity. In this study, we used machine-learning approaches to characterize the immune cell profiles and to identify the heterogeneity of IgG4-RD. The XGBoost model discriminated IgG4-RD from HCs with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.963 in the testing set. There were two clusters of IgG4-RD by k-means clustering of immunological profiles. Cluster 1 featured higher proportions of memory CD4+T cell and were at higher risk of unfavorable prognosis in the follow-up, while cluster 2 featured higher proportions of naïve CD4+T cell. In the multivariate logistic regression, cluster 2 was shown to be a protective factor (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.10-0.91, P = 0.011). Therefore, peripheral immunophenotyping might potentially stratify patients with IgG4-RD and predict those patients with a higher risk of relapse at early time.

Gene mutations in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were related to immune thrombocytopenia pathogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Immune thrombocytopenic (ITP) is an autoimmune bleeding disease with genetic susceptibility. Twenty newly diagnosed active primary ITP patients who had not been treated with glucocorticosteroids, immune globulin or immunosuppressants prior to sampling were enrolled in this study. Bone marrow blood mononuclear cells were used for whole exome sequencing to further elucidation the variant genes of ITP. METHODS: High-molecular-weight genomic DNA was extracted from freshly frozen bone marrow blood mononuclear cells from 20 active ITP patients. Next, the samples were subjected to molecular genetic analysis by whole-exome sequencing, and the results were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The signaling pathways and cellular processes associated with the mutated genes were identified with gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses. RESULTS: The results showed that there were 3998 missense mutations involving 2269 genes in more than 10 individuals. Unique genetic variants including phosphatase and tensin homolog, insulin receptor, and coagulation factor C homology were the most associated with the pathogenesis of ITP. Functional analysis revealed these mutation genes mainly affect Phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/serine/threonine kinase B signaling pathways (signal transduction) and platelet activation (immune system). CONCLUSION: Our finding further demonstrates the functional connections between these variant genes and ITP. Although the substantial mechanism and the impact of genetic variation are required further investigation, the application of next generation sequencing in ITP in this paper is a valuable method to reveal the genetic susceptibility.

Potential impact of autoimmune diseases family history in IgG4-related disease: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Autoimmune comorbidities may be associated with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), here we aimed to determine the correlation of autoimmune diseases (AID) family history and IgG4-RD in a Chinese cohort. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study identified 628 cases of IgG4-RD in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Patients were classified into two groups, with AID family history group (AID-positive) and without AID family history group (AID-negative). We viewed the potential value of AID family history on IgG4-RD by comparing the differences between the two groups. In addition, Cox regression analysis estimated CIs and HR for IgG4-RD risk. RESULTS: 93 (14.8%) IgG4-RD patients had AID family history. Compared with AID-negative group, baseline data analysis revealed that AID-positive group patients had an earlier age of IgG4-RD onset (50.4±14.8 vs 54.2±12.6, p=0.014*), a higher percentage of antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity (38.9% vs 22.7%, p=0.0277*) and Riedel thyroiditis (10.9% vs 2.4%, p=0.001*), were prone to comorbid with other AID (16.1% vs 6.2%, p=0.0238*). Cox analysis found that younger age (HR 0.97 (95% CI 0.94 to 0.99), p=0.0384*) and higher proportions of baseline peripheral eosinophils (HR 1.1 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.2), p=0.0199*) increased the risk of unfavourable prognosis for AID-positive IgG4-RD patients. CONCLUSIONS: 14.8% of IgG4-RD patients had AID family history, with younger age of disease onset age and higher frequency of ANA positivity in AID-positive group, indicating that IgG4-RD may share genetic background with other AID.

LncRNA HOXA10-AS promotes the progression of esophageal carcinoma by regulating the expression of HOXA10.

Esophageal cancer (EC) remains a primary cause of cancer-associated fatality worldwide and is characterized by poor prognosis. HOXA10-AS is reported to be relevant with the development of different human cancers. However, its role and regulatory mechanism in EC are still obscure. Our study targeted at investigating the functional and mechanical roles of HOXA10-AS in EC. We confirmed by RT-qPCR that HOXA10-AS presented a remarkably high expression in EC cells. Functional experiments demonstrated that knocking down HOXA10-AS weakened proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro and impeded tumorigenesis in vivo. Further, we found that HOXA10-AS positively regulated its neighbor gene HOXA10 and influenced EC cell biological activities depending on HOXA10. Mechanistically, we showed that HOXA10-AS combined with FMR1 to target and stabilize HOXA10 mRNA. Moreover, HOXA10 served as a transcriptional factor to stimulate the transcription of its target gene CHDH. Finally, rescue assays confirmed that HOXA10 influenced EC cell growth through modulating CHDH. In conclusion, our study first determines the function of HOXA10-AS in EC and demonstrates its mechanism relating to HOXA10/CHDH, suggesting HOXA10-AS as a potential novel target for EC treatment. [Figure: see text].

Recent Research and Application Prospect of Functional Oligosaccharides on Intestinal Disease Treatment.

The intestinal tract is an essential digestive organ of the human body, and damage to the intestinal barrier will lead to various diseases. Functional oligosaccharides are carbohydrates with a low degree of polymerization and exhibit beneficial effects on human intestinal health. Laboratory experiments and clinical studies indicate that functional oligosaccharides repair the damaged intestinal tract and maintain intestinal homeostasis by regulating intestinal barrier function, immune response, and intestinal microbial composition. Functional oligosaccharides treat intestinal disease such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) and have excellent prospects for therapeutic application. Here, we present an overview of the recent research into the effects of functional oligosaccharides on intestinal health.

Automated measurement of endometrial peristalsis in cine transvaginal ultrasound images.

Objectives: Endometrial peristalsis (EP) in non-pregnant uterine can be assessed by visual assessment of transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS). However, visual assessment is subjective, and the outcome depends on the sonographers and video analysts. This study aimed to create a newly developed automatic analysis algorithm for measuring the EP compared to visual assessment. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using the datasets from in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET), who underwent the evaluation of EP by TVUS within 5 days prior to transplantation. 158 cine TVUS images were used to develop the automated analysis algorithm, and 37 cine TVUS images were evaluated by both visual and automated analysis algorithms. The algorithm was developed by applying the optical flow technology and enabled objective analysis of the number, direction, and intensity of EP. Results: The number of peristaltic waves counted by visual assessment was 4.2 ± 2.3 (mean ± standard deviation) and 4.1 ± 2.1 for doctors one and two, respectively. The number of waves counted with the algorithm was 3.6 ± 2.1 at first evaluation and 3.7 ± 2.0 at repeated evaluation. A significant difference was found between the algorithm count and visual assessment (p = 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.008). The ICC values for algorithm versus manuals ranged from 0.84 to 0.96 and 0.87 to 0.96. The numbers of the cervix-to-fundus (CF), fundus-to-cervix (FC), and both cervix-to-fundal and fundus-to-cervix (CF + FC) directions of EP counted by the algorithm were 50, 52, and 32, respectively. The numbers counted by visual assessment were 43, 45, and 46, respectively. The number of EP was the same in 87% of the two algorithm counts. The number was lower between the algorithm and visual analysis (79% with complete agreement). The EP intensity assessed by the algorithm was 2.6 ± 1.1, and the peristalsis velocity was 0.147 (0.07) mm/s. Conclusion: The fully automated analysis algorithm can be used to quantify uterine peristalsis comparable to visual assessment.

TSLP promoting B cell proliferation and polarizing follicular helper T cell as a therapeutic target in IgG4-related disease.

OBJECTIVE: To figure out the functions of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). METHODS: Plasma TSLP levels were tested by Elisa, and its receptors were detected by flow cytometry. Expressions of TSLP and TSLPR in involved tissues were stained by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Proliferation, apoptosis, and B subsets of TSLP stimulated-B cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. TSLP-stimulated B cells were co-cultured with CD4+ Naïve T cells. Signaling pathway was identified by RNA-sequencing and western blot. Anti-TSLP therapy was adapted in LatY136F knock-in mice (Lat, IgG4-RD mouse model). RESULTS: Plasma TSLP level was increased in IgG4-RD patients and was positively correlated with serum IgG4 level and responder index (RI). TSLPR was co-localized with CD19+ B cells in the submandibular glands (SMGs) of IgG4-RD. TSLP promoted B cell proliferation, and TSLP-activated B cells polarized CD4+ naive T cells into follicular helper T (Tfh) cells through OX40L. RNA-sequencing identified JAK-STAT signaling pathway in TSLP-activated B cells and it was verified by western blot. Anti-TSLP therapy alleviated the inflammation of lung in Lat mice. CONCLUSION: Elevated TSLP in IgG4-RD promoted B cells proliferation and polarized Tfh cells and might be served as a potential therapeutic target.

High-throughput DNA methylation analysis in ITP confirms NOTCH1 hypermethylation through the Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation pathways.

BACKGROUND: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a prevalent autoimmune disease with a complex aetiology where DNA methylation changes are becoming triggers. METHOD: To investigate novel abnormally methylated genes in the pathogenesis of ITP, we performed a high-throughput methylation analysis on 21 ITP patients and 9 normal control samples. We analysed the extent of key methylated genes and their downstream cytokines through Luminex assay or qRT-PCR. Then, bone marrow mononuclear cells were extracted from ITP patients, and decitabine (demethylation drug) was added to the culture medium of cultured cells. qRT-PCR and ELISA were used to detect whether decitabine could effectively affect target genes and related cytokines. RESULTS: Through the STRING and Metascape databases, hypermethylated NOTCH1 can be identified and can influence ITP by regulating many downstream cytokines through Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation pathways. Compared with those in the normal control group, the expression levels of NOTCH1 and its downstream Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, and GATA3) were significantly decreased and those of Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-12, and TNF-α) were significantly increased in the ITP group. Decitabine exerts its demethylation effect, so the expression of NOTCH1 and its related cytokines in the ITP group treated with 100 nM decitabine were significantly reversed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the pathogenesis of ITP may exert its influence on epigenetics through alteration of DNA methylation at regulatory regions of the target NOTCH1 gene in the Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation pathways. At the same time, decitabine may achieve a therapeutic effect on ITP by demethylation.

Therapeutic effect on pyriform sinus carcinoma resection via paraglottic space approach.

Objective: To analyse the surgical indications, surgical efficacy and key influencing factors of prognosis of using a novel surgical approach for pyriform sinus carcinoma resection utilising the paraglottic space. Methods: From 2014 to 2017, 93 patients with squamous cell carcinoma originating in the pyriform sinus were resected through the paraglottic space approach. The postoperative laryngeal function preservation, complications, survival rate and prognostic factors were analysed. Results: All patients were followed up for more than 5 years. The 2, 3 and 5 year overall survival rates of the patients were 77.2%, 61.6% and 47.4%, respectively. The univariate analysis of survival rate showed that primary tumour T stage and N stage had a statistically significant effect on the survival rate of patients (P = 0.047 and P < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis with the Cox regression model revealed that N stage is an independent risk factor for postoperative survival (P = 0.042). The preservation rate of laryngeal function was 65.6% (61/93). Pharyngeal fistula incidence was 4.3% (4/93). Systemic distant metastasis and second primary cancer were found to be the main causes of death. Conclusions: As a novel surgical approach for the resection of pyriform sinus carcinoma, the paraglottic space approach can better expose the tumour, effectively improve the retention rate of laryngeal function, reduce the incidence of pharyngeal fistula and result in the better recovery of postoperative swallowing function with satisfactory long-term survival. N stage is an independent risk factor for postoperative survival.