ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the expression and clinical significance of soluble Fas (sFas) and sFasL in patients with secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH).@*METHODS@#From September 2015 to December 2020, 86 sHLH patients who met the HLH2004 diagnostic criteria were collected. They were divided into 55 cases in the MAHLH group and 31 cases in the NonMAHLH group according to the etiology. Thirty healthy persons were chosen as the normal control group, and 20 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were chosen as the disease control group. The expression levels of sFas and sFasL in the serum of patients with each group were detected by ELISA, and the clinical data were collected for statistical analysis. The significance of sFas and sFasL in sHLH was analyzed by ROC curve.@*RESULTS@#Serum levels of sFas and sFasL in patients with newly diagnosed sHLH were significantly higher than those in disease control group and normal control group (P<0.01). The levels of sFas and sFasL in MAHLH group were significantly higher than those in nonMAHLH (infection related HLH and autoimmune disease related HLH) group (P<0.01). The serum levels of sFas and sFasL in 17 newly treated patients with sHLH (17/86) after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.01). The serum sFas level in newly diagnosed sHLH patients was positively correlated with SF(r=0.35), sCD25(r=0.79) and sFasL(r=0.73). The serum sFasL level was positively correlated with SF(r=0.39), sCD25(r=0.64) and sFas(r=0.73). Compared with the NonMAHLH group, the area under the ROC curve was 0.707 (95% CI: 0.593-0.821) (P=0.0015). The optimal critical value for diagnosing MAHLH by sFas level was 12 743 pg/ml, and the sensitivity and specificity were 70.9% and 71% respectively. Compared with the NonMAHLH group, the area under the ROC curve was 0.765(95% CI: 0.659-0.87)(P<0.01). The median OS time of sFas high expression group (≥16798.5 pg/ml) and sFasL high expression group (≥4 785 pg/ml) was significantly shorter than that of the low expression group (P<0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#Serum levels of sFas and sFasL can be used for the early diagnosis and differential diagnosis of sHLH disease, and are the factor related to the poor prognosis of sHLH.
Subject(s)
Humans , Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic , Clinical Relevance , ROC Curve , Sensitivity and Specificity , Lupus Erythematosus, SystemicABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES@#To study the protective effect of breviscapine against brain injury induced by intrauterine inflammation in preterm rats and its mechanism.@*METHODS@#A preterm rat model of brain injury caused by intrauterine inflammation was prepared by intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide in pregnant rats. The pregnant rats and preterm rats were respectively randomly divided into 5 groups: control, model, low-dose breviscapine (45 mg/kg), high-dose breviscapine (90 mg/kg), and high-dose breviscapine (90 mg/kg)+ML385 [a nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibitor, 30 mg/kg] (n=10 each). The number and body weight of the live offspring rats were measured for each group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological morphology of the uterus and placenta of pregnant rats and the pathological morphology of the brain tissue of offspring rats. Immunofluorescent staining was used to measure the co-expression of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 (IBA-1) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in the cerebral cortex of offspring rats. ELISA was used to measure the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the brain tissue of offspring rats. Western blotting was used to measure the expression of Nrf2 pathway-related proteins in the brain tissue of offspring rats.@*RESULTS@#Pathological injury was found in the uterus, and placenta tissue of the pregnant rats and the brain tissue of the offspring rats, and severe microglia pyroptosis occurred in the cerebral cortex of the offspring rats in the model group. Compared with the control group, the model group had significant reductions in the number and body weight of the live offspring rats and the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05), but significant increases in the relative fluorescence intensity of the co-expression of IBA-1 and NLRP3, the levels of the inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β, and the protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the breviscapine administration groups showed alleviated pathological injury of the uterus and placenta tissue of the pregnant rats and the brain tissue of the offspring rats, significant increases in the number and body weight of the live offspring rats and the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05), and significant reductions in the relative fluorescence intensity of the co-expression of IBA-1 and NLRP3, the levels of the inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β, and the protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05). The high-dose breviscapine group had a significantly better effect than the low-dose breviscapine (P<0.05). ML385 significantly inhibited the intervention effect of high-dose breviscapine (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Breviscapine can inhibit inflammatory response in brain tissue of preterm rats caused by intrauterine inflammation by activating the Nrf2 pathway, and it can also inhibit microglial pyroptosis and alleviate brain injury.
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Pregnancy , Rats , Body Weight , Brain Injuries/prevention & control , Caspase 1 , Inflammation/drug therapy , Interleukin-6 , Interleukin-8 , NF-E2-Related Factor 2 , NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein , Flavonoids/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Objective: To analyze the characteristics of allergen spectrum in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) in Xinjiang area in recent 13 years. Methods: The skin prick test (SPT) results of 5 019 AR patients from 2007 to 2019 were retrospectively summarized, and 14 allergens of different age, gender and race were analyzed. Results: The distribution of 14 allergens was significantly different in different years, the difference was significant (P<0.05). The top three positive rates of 14 allergens were quinoa 48.2% (2 398/4 970), plantain 33.3% (1 221/3 667), and Artemisia 33.1% (1 647/4 974). There was no significant difference in the positive rate of dog epithelium between different genders and ages (χ²=0.041, P>0.05; χ²=3.8, P>0.05), the difference of other allergen in positive rates was statistically significant (all P<0.05). The positive rates of Alternaria Alternata (χ²=7.3), Penicillium Sp. (χ²=0.3), Cat Epithelium (χ²=3.1), Dust Mite (χ²=1.4), Acaroid Mite (χ²=0.5) and Cockroach (χ²=2.9) had no significant difference among different races (all P>0.05). The positive rates of other eight allergens including Artemisia Vulgaris (χ²=64.9), Chenopodium (χ²=204.1), Artemisiifolia (χ²=72.4), Plantain (χ²=87.8), Phleum Pratense L(χ²=55.4), Robinia Pseudoacacia (χ²=67.8), Canis Familiari (χ²=70.8), Dog Epithelium (χ²=15.7) were significantly different among different races (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The distribution of allergens in Xinjiang area changes with time, the main allergens are mainly herbaceous, and the distribution of allergens in patients with AR is different in gender, age and race.
Subject(s)
Animals , Dogs , Female , Humans , Male , Allergens , Artemisia , Pyroglyphidae , Retrospective Studies , Rhinitis, Allergic , Skin TestsABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Negative symptoms are associated with poor outcomes and functioning. Latent structure of negative symptoms is important for identifying potential intervention targets for novel treatments. Self-report instruments have been developed to measure negative symptoms. Previous findings on latent structure of negative symptoms are inconsistently and mainly rely on clinician-rated instruments. METHOD: We aimed to explore the latent structure of the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms Scale (SNS) in 204 clinically-stable outpatients with schizophrenia. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to compare the competing models (i.e., one-factor, two-factor and five-factor models), and estimated goodness-of-fit indexes. Other clinician-rated scales for psychopathology and medication side-effects were also collected. RESULTS: The CFA found the five-factor model performing best, with a comparative fit index (CFI) of > 0.95, a Tucker Lewis Index (TLI) of > 0.95, and a root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) of < 0.06. The robust chi-square difference test for the weighted least squares with mean and variance adjusted estimation (WLSMV) also indicated a significant better fit for the five-factor model. DISCUSSION: Our preliminary findings support a five-factor latent structure of self-report negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients. Further research in this area should utilize multiple clinician-rated and self-report measures, and recruit large and homogeneous samples with schizophrenia.
Subject(s)
Schizophrenia , Factor Analysis, Statistical , Humans , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of Results , Schizophrenia/diagnosis , Schizophrenia/drug therapy , Self ReportABSTRACT
To study the effect of anemoside B4 on rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Seventy-two SD male rats were randomly divided into blank group and model group.The method of exposure to cigarette smoke and combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to replicate the rat model of COPD.After the model was maintained for 5 weeks,the rats were randomly divided into model group,dexamethasone group (0.81 mg·kg~(-1)) and anemoside B4 low,medium and high (2,4,8 mg·kg~(-1)) dose groups,a group of 12 animals were administered,and then the administration was started.The administration was maintained until the28th day,and the pulmonary function parameters of rats were measured by an animal pulmonary function instrument.After testing the rat lung function parameters,immediately draw rat alveolar lavage fluid (BALF),and use high-throughput protein chip technology to determined the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines in rat BALF.HE staining was used to observe the general pathological changes of rat lung and tracheal tissue.Masson staining was used to observe the collagen deposition in rat lung tissue.Real-time q PCR method was used to determine the mRNA expression level of related genes in rat lung tissue.Western blot method was used to determine the expression levels of related proteins in rat lung tissues.According to the findings,compared with the model group,the dexamethasone group and the anemoside B4 drug groups had different degrees of increase in the lung function parameters of rats (P<0.01,P<0.05),improved the expression level of inflammatory cytokines in the BALF of rats to varying degrees (P<0.01,P<0.05),and improved the pathological structure of rat lung tissue to varying degrees.Relative mRNA expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2),matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP-12),matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor 1 (TIMP-1),interleukin-6 (IL-6),and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) were significantly reduced (P<0.01);whereas relative mRNA expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP-9) and matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor 2 (TIMP-2) were increased significantly (P<0.01).The mRNA and protein expression levels of T-box transcription factor (T-bet),interleukin-12 (IL-12) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 4(STAT4) reduced to varying degrees (P<0.01,P<0.05).The mRNA of transcription factor GATA3 (binding protein-3),interleukin-4 (IL-4) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) in rat lung tissues and the protein expression levels of IL-4 and STAT6 were increased to varying degrees (P<0.01,P<0.05).In conclusion,anemoside B4 has a certain protective effect on COPD rats caused by cigarette smoke exposure and combined with LPS.The mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of IL-12/STAT4 and IL-4/STAT6 signaling pathways.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Interleukin-12 , Interleukin-4 , Lung/metabolism , Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/genetics , STAT4 Transcription Factor/metabolism , STAT6 Transcription Factor/metabolism , SaponinsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the expression and clinical significance of receptor interacting protein serine-threonine kinases 1 (RIPK1) in the nucleus pulposus of patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH).@*METHODS@#Nucleus pulposus tissue specimens of 40 patients with LDH patients underwent surgical treatment from January 2016 to January 2018 as the case group, and nucleus pulposus tissue specimens of 30 patients with lumbar spine fracture underwent surgical treatment at the same time as the control group. The expression of RIPK1 mRNA and protein of receptor interaction were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot, respectively. The expression of RIPK1 protein in the nucleus pulposus were detected by immunohistochemical staining. The concentrations of RIPK1 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in nucleus pulposus were detected by ELISA method. The relationship between the concentrations of RIPK1, TNF-α in nucleus pulposus and the Pearce grade of LDH patients was analyzed by one-way ANOVA. The correlation between RIPK1 and TNF-α was analyzed by Pearson.@*RESULTS@#RIPK1 was weakly positively expressed in nucleus pulposus of control group, and RIPK1 protein was positively or strongly positively expressed in case group. The expression of RIPK1 mRNA in nucleus pulposus of case group was higher than that of control group (@*CONCLUSION@#The expression levels of RIPK1 mRNA and protein in the intervertebral disc tissues of LDH patients are higher than those of normal intervertebral disc tissues, and increased with the increase of Pearce grade, which may be an important factor involved in LDH inflammatory disease.
Subject(s)
Humans , Intervertebral Disc/metabolism , Intervertebral Disc Degeneration , Intervertebral Disc Displacement/genetics , Nucleus Pulposus , Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolismABSTRACT
Objective:The effects of anemoside B4 on endometritis rats were studied through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Method:Animal experiments used 25% phenol glue to prepare endometritis models. 60 female SD rats were randomly divided into blank group, model group, Kushen gel group(0.005 g·kg-1),anemoside B4 gel low,medium and high dose groups(0.005,0.01,0.02 g·kg-1),10 rats in each group,except for the blank group,rats in each group were injected with 25% phenol glue into their vagina every 2 days,and the modeling continued for 30 days. Administration started on the day after modeling. Anemoside B4 gel low, medium and high dose groups were administered rectal daily,Kushen gel group was given daily vaginal administration. The blank group and model group were given the same amount of normal saline in the same way for 30 consecutive days. After the last administration,the uterus and its attachments of each group of rats were taken to analyze the uterine morphology and index. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes of rat uterus. Real-time PCR was used to detect tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),interleukin-1β (IL-1β),and interleukin-6 (IL-6),signal transduction protein 130 (gp130),signal transduction and transcription activator 3 (STAT3)mRNA expression. Detection of IL-6 and STAT3 protein expression in rat uterus by Western blot. In cell experiments,lipopolysaccharide (LPS)was used to induce rat endometrial epithelial cells to prepare an in vitro inflammation model, and Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of IL-6,gp130 and STAT3 mRNA in each group of rat endometrial epithelial cells. Result:The results of animal experiments showed that compared with the blank group, the model group had inadequate uterine cavity adhesions, endometrial edema and hyperemia. Compared with model group, there was no adhesion in the uterine cavity of the rats in the high dose anemoside B4 gel group and the Kushen gel group. The uterine tissue was relatively complete, and the uterine pathological structure was significantly improved. Compared with the blank group, the uterine index of the model group was significantly increased(P<0.05), the expression of IL-1β mRNA in the uterine tissue was significantly increased (P<0.05), the expression of mRNA and protein of IL-6 and STAT3 in the uterine tissue significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with model group, the uterine index in anemoside B4 gel high dose group was significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-6 and STAT3 in the uterine tissue were significantly reduced (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA expression compared with the model group. Cell experiment results showed that compared with the blank group, the mRNA expression of IL-6 and gp130 in model group endometrial epithelial cells was significantly increased (P<0.01), STAT3 mRNA expression was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with model group, the mRNA expression levels of IL-6, gp130 and STAT3 in anemoside B4 high dose group decreased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion:Anemoside B4 can improve the inflammatory response of chronic endometritis in rats and reduce the release of inflammatory factor IL-6. The mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of IL-6/STAT3 pathway.
ABSTRACT
ObjectiveAs a new mode and format of health care service, Internet hospital has created a convenient and efficient medical treatment channel for patients and promoted more access to high-quality medical resources. In order to better identify patients′ service demands of Internet hospitals and thus meet people′s diversified health needs, refined classification management of service demands of Internet hospitals is implemented by KANO model, so as to promote the improvement of service quality of Internet hospitals and enhance patient satisfaction as well.MethodsBased on the analysis ideas of KANO model, 300 patients were randomly selected from the social pharmacy of an Internet hospital for questionnaire survey and service demand survey.ResultsIn the KANO requirement attribute classification of Internet hospital service items, there were 6 items belonging to charm attribute, 10 items belonging to expectation attribute and 5 items belonging to necessity attribute. Service items corresponding to expected attributes and necessary attributes account for more than 70% of Internet hospital services.ConclusionThe application of KANO model to the service demand survey of Internet hospitals can effectively improve the service management level of Internet hospitals, and the continuous improvement of service quality of Internet hospitals requires regular monitoring of service demand changes.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the expression and clinical significance of soluble B7-H3 (sB7-H3) in patients with secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH).@*METHODS@#The plasma samples of 85 newly diagnosed sHLH patients from December 2012 to April 2018 were collected. The patients were divided into lymphoma-related HLH(LHLH)group and infection-related HLH(IHLH)group. The expression of sB7-H3 in plasma was detected by ELISA, and the clinical data were collected for analysis. Fifteen healthy people were chosen as control group.@*RESULTS@#The expression level of sB7-H3 in lymphoma-related HLH and infection-related HLH group significant increased as compared with the control group, (P<0.05), and the expression level of sB7-H3 in lymphoma-related HLH group was significant higher than that in infection-related HLH group [(35.75± 9.90) vs (28.70±8.95) ng/ml)] (P<0.001). There were no significant statistical difference in the expression of some clinical factors (including age, fever, splenomegaly, ANC, Plt, FIB, calcium ion, serum albumin, LDH, serum ferritin, sCD25) in lymphoma-related HLH and infection-related HLH group (P>0.05). The evaluation of expression and significance of sB7-H3 in sHLH by using ROC curve, showed that the area under ROC curve comparison of patients in lymphoma-related HLH group and infection-related HLH group was 0.718 (95% CI 0.610-0.810) (P=0.0002), and predicting the sensitivity and specificity of the lymphoma-related HLH patients were 77.36% and 59.38%, respectively. The best cut-off value of patients in sB7-H3 was 29.81 ng/ml, the overall survival time of sB7-H3 high-expression group (≥29.81 ng/ml) was significant shorter than that in low-expression group (<29.81 ng/ml) (24 vs 440 d) (P<0.001). The clinical factors affecting the survival status of sHLH patients were neutrophils, albumin, serum ferritin, serum calcium ions and sB7-H3 levels.@*CONCLUSION@#sB7-H3 associates with poor prognosis of sHLH patients, and may be involved in disease progression.
Subject(s)
Humans , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic , Lymphoma , ROC CurveABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of L-carnitine treatment on serum levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP) and cardiac function in children with heart dysfunction and severe hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 120 children with severe HFMD were enrolled and randomly and equally divided into routine treatment group and L-carnitine treatment group. Thirty healthy children served as the control group. HFMD patients were given anti-fever and antiviral treatment as the basic treatment, while the patients in the L-carnitine treatment group were given L-carnitine as an adjuvant treatment to the basic treatment. Treatment outcomes were observed in the two groups. For all the subjects, serum levels of BNP and NT-proBNP and cardiac function parameters including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), fractional shortening (FS), and cardiac index (CI) were measured at different time points before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Before treatment, HFMD patients had significantly higher serum levels of BNP and NT-proBNP and heart rate but significantly lower LVEF, FS, and CI compared with the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the L-carnitine treatment group had a significantly higher response rate than the routine treatment group (P<0.05). After 3 days of treatment, the serum levels of BNP and NT-proBNP, LVEF, FS, and CI were significantly reduced in the L-carnitine group (P<0.05); the L-carnitine group had significantly lower serum levels of BNP and NT-proBNP, LVEF, FS, and CI than the routine treatment group (P<0.05); there were no significant differences in the serum levels of BNP and NT-proBNP, LVEF, FS, or CI between the L-carnitine treatment and control groups (P>0.05). After 5 days of treatment, there were no significant differences in the serum levels of BNP and NT-proBNP, LVEF, FS, or CI between the L-carnitine treatment and routine treatment groups (P>0.05). Heart rate recovery was significantly slower in the routine treatment group than in the L-carnitine treatment group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>As an adjuvant therapy for severe HFMD, L-carnitine treatment has satisfactory short-term efficacy in reducing the serum levels of BNP and NT-proBNP and improving cardiac function, thus improving clinical outcomes.</p>
ABSTRACT
Teaching management is an important link in hospital training of high-quality medical talents and an indispensable part of the overall construction of hospitals.Aiming at the confusion of the teaching work and combined the teaching management practice of the hospital,we put forward "54321" teaching management model,introduced the operation and effectiveness of this model.In conclusion,we provide a way to further strengthen the teaching management for general hospitals.
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the effects of negative pressure suction liquid collector in patients undergoing percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy.Methods Fifty patients undergoing percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy from October 2015 to August 2016 were chosen as the control group,while 50 patients receiving the same surgery from September 2016 to February 2017 were chosen as the experimental group.The experimental group was treated with negative pressure suction liquid collector,and the control group was treated with conventional drainage procedure.Water pollution of surgical drape,operator gown and operating room floor,and workload of operating room personnel were evaluated,and rate of intraoperative hypothermia was compared between two groups.Results There were only 3 cases of operator's splashed sleeves in the experimental group,and the water pollution rate of surgical drape,operator gown and operating room floor in the control group was 100%,and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01).The workload of circulating nurses for cleaning wet floor and operation assistants for sucking liquid in the experimental group was reduced by 100% compared to the control group (P<0.01).The rate of intraoperative hypothermia was 4% in the experimental group and 22% in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusion Application of negative pressure suction liquid collector for percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy can significantly reduce the workload of operating room personnel and pollution of operating room,and the rate of intraoperative hypothermia.
ABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate the improving effect of astaxanthin (AST) on the sperm quality of rats with ornidazole (ORN)-induced oligoasthenozoospermiaand its action mechanism.@*METHODS@#Forty adult male SD rats were equally randomized into groups A (solvent control), B (low-dose ORN [400 mg/(kg·d)]), C (high-dose ORN [800 mg/(kg·d)]), D (low-dose ORN [400 mg/(kg·d)] + AST [20 mg/(kg·d)]), and E (high-dose ORN [800 mg/(kg·d)] + AST [20 mg/(kg·d)]), all treated intragastrically for3 weeks.After treatment, the epididymal tails ononeside was taken for determination of sperm concentration and activity, and the epididymideson the other side harvested for measurement of the activities of GSH-Px, GR, CAT and SOD and the MDA contentin the homogenate.@*RESULTS@#Compared with group A, sperm motilityin the epididymal tail andGSH-Px and SOD activities in theepididymiswere markedly decreased while the MDAcontent significantlyincreased in group B (P<0.05), spermmotility and concentrationin the epididymal tail, testisindex, and the activities of GSH-Px, GR, CAT and SOD in the epididymis were remarkably reduced while theMDA contentsignificantly increased in group C(P<0.05). In comparison with group B, group D showed markedly increased sperm motility ([45.3±8.7]% vs [66.3±8.9]%, P<0.05) in the epididymal tail and SOD activity in the epididymis ([116.7±25.3] U/mg prot vs [146.1±23.8] U/mg prot, P<0.05), decreased MDA content([1.68±0.45] nmol/mg prot vs [1.19±0.42] nmol/mg prot, P<0.05).Compared with group C, group Eexhibited significant increases in the weight gained ([89.0±9.5] vs [99.9±4.1] %, P<0.05) and sperm motility ([17.9±3.5]% vs [27.3±5.3] %, P<0.05) but a decrease in the content of MDA ([2.03±0.30] nmol/mg prot vs [1.52±0.41] nmol/mg prot, P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#AST can improve spermquality in rats with ORN-inducedoligoasthenozoospermia, which may be associated with its enhancing effect on the antioxidant capacity of the epididymis.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Antioxidants , Pharmacology , Asthenozoospermia , Epididymis , Metabolism , Oligospermia , Ornidazole , Oxidative Stress , Protective Agents , Pharmacology , Radiation-Sensitizing Agents , Random Allocation , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Sperm Count , Sperm Motility , Spermatozoa , Metabolism , Xanthophylls , PharmacologyABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate the value of real-time RNA simultaneous amplification and testing (SAT) in the detection of Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) in the semen of infertile males and its clinical significance.@*METHODS@#We collected semen samples from 542 infertility patients and 120 normal fertile men as controls in the Andrology Clinic of Nanjing General Hospital from March to September 2015. We detected UU infection in the samples using the culture method and SAT technology, respectively.@*RESULTS@#All the UU positive cases (except 4 false positive cases) detected by the culture method were also shown to be positive in SAT. The UU detection rate of SAT was significantly higher than that of the culture method both in the infertility patients (54.1 vs 19.7%, P<0.05) and in the normal controls (42.5 vs 12.5%, P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#SAT is a rapid and accurate method for detecting UU infection in semen samples, with a higher sensitivity and accuracy than the culture method, and it can also be used to evaluate the therapeutic effects. However, the culture method has its own advantages, such as low requirement of technical equipment, easy operation, and possibility of drug sensitivity test at the same time. Therefore, SAT and the culture method can be used alternatively according to the clinical need.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Andrology , Infertility, Male , Microbiology , Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques , RNA, Bacterial , Semen , Chemistry , Microbiology , Semen Analysis , Ureaplasma Infections , Diagnosis , Ureaplasma urealyticum , GeneticsABSTRACT
<p><b>Objective</b>To investigate the association of sperm DNA integrity with semen routine parameters and seminal plasma oxidative stress and its influence on in vitro fertilization (IVF) in males with infertility.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD), we detected sperm DNA damage in 433 infertile men undergoing IVF. Based on the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), we divided the patients into a low DFI (lt;30%) and a high DFI ( ≥30%) group and then compared sperm concentration, the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS), the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the seminal plasma, and the rates of fertilization, cleavage and high-quality embryos between the two groups of patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the low DFI group, the high DFI group showed significantly decreased rates of PMS ([48.6±16.7] vs [29.2±16.8]%, P<0.01) and fast PMS [19.0±9.1] vs [9.4±6.6]%, P<0.01), but no statistically significant difference in sperm concentration ([51.4±30.9] vs [52.3±32.4] ×106/ml, P>0.05). The content of MDA in the seminal plasma was markedly higher in the high DFI than in the low DFI group ([2.28±0.26] vs [0.95±0.18] nmol/L, P<0.01) but that of TAC remarkably lower in the former than in the latter ([10.2±3.5] vs [33.2±7.9] U/L, P<0.01). The rate of fertilization was significantly lower in the high DFI than in the low DFI group ([58.9±30.0] vs [77.2±25.0]%, P<0.01), but there were no significant differences between the two groups in the rates of cleavage ([70.7±35.6] vs [80.4±15.6]%P>0.05) and high-quality embryos ([40.4±31.3] vs [41.7±29.4]%,P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Sperm DNA damage is associated with seminal oxidative stress and may affect the outcomes of IVF by reducing the rate of fertilization.</p>
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although the occurrence of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after chemotherapy for multiple myeloma (MM) is common in clinical settings, the simultaneous occurrence of these malignancies in patients without previous exposure to chemotherapy is a rare event. Etiology, disease management, and clinical treatment remain unclear for this particular occurrence. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report a case of simultaneous presentation of AML and MM after exposure to ultraviolet irradiation. CASE PRESENTATION: We reported the case of a 73-year-old man (Han Chinese ethnicity) without previous medical history of AML and MM. The morphology and immunology of bone marrow cells confirmed the co-existence of AML and MM. Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis of immunomagnetically separated abnormal plasma cells showed abnormal expression of the amplified RB-1, TP53, and CDKN2C (1p32). Cytogenetic analysis demonstrated Y chromosome deletion. After the patient was administered with bortezomib combined with cytarabine + aclarubicin + granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (CAG regimen), and evident curative effects were observed. The patient achieved and maintained complete remission for more than 6 months. Prior to the disease occurrence, the patient had received ultraviolet irradiation for 1 year and was detected with aberrant gene expression of RB-1, TP53, and CDKN2C (1p32). Nevertheless, the correlation of this phenomenon with the etiology of concurrent AML with MM remains unclear. CONCLUSION: This study discussed the case of a patient diagnosed with AML concurrent with MM, who has no previous exposure to chemotherapy. This patient was successfully treated by bortezomib combined with CAG regimen. This study provides a basis for clinical treatment guidance for this specific group of patients and for confirmation of the disease etiology.
Subject(s)
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology , Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy , Multiple Myeloma/pathology , Aclarubicin/administration & dosage , Aged , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/administration & dosage , Cytarabine/administration & dosage , Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor/administration & dosage , Humans , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/complications , Male , Multiple Myeloma/complications , Remission InductionABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect and safety of L-carnitine in the treatment of idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia based on current clinical evidence.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CNKI, VIP, CBM and Wanfang Database from the establishment to April 2014 for the published literature on the treatment of idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia with L-carnitine. We conducted literature screening, data extraction, and assessment of the methodological quality of the included trials according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by statistical analysis with the RevMan 5. 2 software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Seven randomized controlled trials involving 751 patients with idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia met the inclusion criteria, and 678 of them were included in the meta-analysis. L-carnitine treatment achieved a significantly increased rate of spontaneous pregnancy as compared with the control group (RR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.74 to 5.87, P = 0.0002). After 12-16 and 24-26 weeks of medication, total sperm motility (WMD = 5.21, 95% CI 2.78 to 7.64, P < 0.0001 and WMD = 9.29, 95% CI 1.28 to 17.29, P = 0.02) and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (WMD = 12.44, 95% CI 4.58 to 20.31, P = 0.002 and WMD = 9.76, 95% CI 3.56 to 15.97, P = 0.002) were remarkably higher than those in the control group, but no statistically significant differences were observed in sperm concentration between the two groups (WMD = 4.91, 95% CI -2.63 to 12.45, P = 0.2 and WMD = 0.93, 95% CI -3.48 to 5.34, P = 0.68). After 12-16 weeks of treatment, the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm was markedly decreased in the L-carnitine group as compared with the control (WMD = -2.48, 95% CI -4.35 to -0.61, P = 0.009), but showed no significant difference from the latter group after 24-26 weeks (WMD = -4.38, 95% CI -9.66 to 0.89, P = 0.1). No statistically significant difference was found in the semen volume between the two groups after 12-16 or 24-26 weeks of medication (WMD = -0.13, 95% CI -0.43 to 0.18, P = 0.42 and WMD = 0.28, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.58, P = 0.07). No serious L-carnitine-related adverse events were reported in 4 of the randomniized controlled trials.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The current evidence indicates that L-carnitine can improve spontaneous pregnancy and semen parameters in the treatment of idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia, with no serious adverse reactions.</p>
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Pregnancy , Asthenozoospermia , Drug Therapy , Carnitine , Pharmacology , Pregnancy Rate , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Semen Analysis , Sperm Count , Sperm MotilityABSTRACT
Objectives. To test the efficiency and safety of sequential application of retinoic acid (ATRA), Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF) and chemotherapy (CT) were used as the maintenance treatment in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Methods. This was a retrospective study of 98 patients with newly diagnosed APL who accepted two different maintenance treatments. After remission induction and consolidation chemotherapy according to their Sanz scores, patients received two different kinds of maintenance scheme. The first regimen was using ATRA, RIF, and standard dose of CT sequentially (ATRA/RIF/CT regimen), while the second one was using ATRA and low dose of chemotherapy with methotrexate (MTX) plus 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) alternately (ATRA/CTlow regimen). The OS, DFS, relapse rate, minimal residual disease, and adverse reactions in two groups were monitored and evaluated. Results. ATRA/RIF/CT regimen could effectively reduce the chance of relapse in different risk stratification of patients, but there was no significant difference in 5-year DFS rate and OS rate between the two groups. Besides, the patients in the experimental group suffered less severe adverse reactions than those in the control group. Conclusions. The repeated sequential therapeutic regimen to APL with ATRA, RIF, and chemotherapy is worth popularizing for its high effectiveness and low toxicity.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the correlation between four serum fibrosis markers and liver function in patients with infantile hepatitis syndrome (IHS), and to explore the clinical significance of these markers in the diagnosis of IHS and the assessment of disease severity.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective study was performed on 60 patients with IHS who were divided into hepatic fibrosis and normal groups based on ultrasound diagnosis. Levels of four liver fibrosis markers, i.e., hyaluronic acid (HA), type III procollagen (PC-III), type IV collagen (IV.C), and laminin (LN), were compared between the two groups, and the correlation between these markers and liver function was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Levels of liver function markers (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), total bilirubin (TBil), direct bilirubin (DBil), indirect bilirubin (IBil), and total bile acid (TBA)) in the hepatic fibrosis group were significantly higher than those in the normal group (P<0.05). Levels of HA and IV.C in the hepatic fibrosis group were significantly higher compared with those in the normal group (P<0.05). Furthermore, HA, IV.C, and PC-III levels were positively correlated with those of ALT, TBil, GGT, DBil, IBil, and TBA (r=0.25-0.49), and the strongest correlation existed between HA/IV.C and ALT/jaundice markers.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Assay measuring serum fibrosis markers (HA, IV.C, and PC-III) in combination with liver function tests and ultrasound examination has an important clinical value in the early diagnosis of IHS and evaluation of disease severity.</p>
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Biomarkers , Blood , Collagen Type III , Blood , Collagen Type IV , Blood , Hepatitis , Blood , Diagnosis , Hyaluronic Acid , Blood , Laminin , Blood , Liver , Liver Cirrhosis , Blood , Diagnosis , Retrospective Studies , SyndromeABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whether pinching spine (PS, i.e. , a traditional Chinese manipulative therapy) is beneficial to ameliorating the depressive state (including behavioral deficit, retardative weight gain and decreased sucrose consumption) in a rat model of depression induced by chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) and to explore the candidate mechanism of action.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>PS was performed on rats' spine once daily for 1 week after exposure to CUS. The open-field test, body weight measuring, and sucrose intake test were applied on different dates: before stress (d0), at the end of stress (d21) and after PS treatment (d28), respectively. Then the rats' hippocampuses were performed genome-wide microarray analysis, and the expression levels of several genes were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Exposure to CUS resulted in decreases of behavioral activity and sucrose consumption, which were reversed significantly after PS treatment. The expression of several genes relevant to energy metabolism, anti-oxidation, and olfactory receptor, etc., were down-regulated, while the expression of those relevant to hemostasis, immunity-inflammation, and restriction of activities and ingestion, etc., were up-regulated in hippocampuses of rats exposed to CUS. PS treatment significantly inverted these changes. Furthermore, increase or decrease in gene expression evaluated by realtime PCR was concordant with up-regulated or down-regulated expression evaluated by microarray analysis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PS showed a potential antidepressant-like effect, of which the action mechanism might be due to gene expression regulation in hippocampus.</p>