Heterogeneity in disease activity, frequency of treatments, and visual outcomes among patients with retinal vein occlusion: relationship between injection need and vision with as-needed ranibizumab.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We characterised the relationships between monitoring frequency, ranibizumab injection need and vision in patients receiving as-needed (pro re nata; PRN) ranibizumab for macular oedema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) or central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in this post-hoc analysis of SHORE and HORIZON. METHODS: Patients aged 18 years and older with macular oedema due to BRVO/CRVO were included in this analysis. Injection frequency and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were evaluated by PRN injection frequency in the PRN dosing phase (months (M) 7-15) of SHORE and through 12 months of HORIZON. Prespecified PRN re-treatment criteria for each trial were based on protocol-prespecified BCVA and optical coherence tomography outcomes. RESULTS: After the initial 7 monthly ranibizumab injections, patients in SHORE gained a mean of 18.3 letters from baseline. Patients randomised to PRN, on average, maintained these gains. However, some patients experienced additional mean gains, whereas others suffered losses (range 4.0 (95% CI 0.7 to 7.3) to -4.6 (95% CI -11.8 to 2.6) letters in patients who received 0 and 6-7 PRN injections, respectively). In BRAVO and CRUISE (lead-in trials), patients experienced mean gains from baseline to M6 (monthly dosing) of 19.3 and 15.0 letters, respectively, with gains maintained with PRN from M6 to M12. However, mean BCVA changes from baseline to M12 varied in HORIZON (range -0.4 (95% CI -2.5 to 1.6) to -3.6 (95% CI -6.2 to -1.0) letters in patients who received zero and six injections, respectively, during the preceding PRN phase of BRAVO and CRUISE). CONCLUSION: The BRVO/CRVO population is heterogenous with a varied response to ranibizumab treatment.

Combined analysis of 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolomics to find biomarkers of drug-induced liver injury.

Drug induced liver injury (DILI) is a kind of liver dysfunction which caused by drugs, and gut microbiota could affect liver injury. However, the relationship between gut microbiota and its metabolites in DILI patients is not clear. The total gut microbiota DNA was extracted from 28 DILI patient and 28 healthy control volunteers (HC) and 16S rDNA gene were amplified. Next, differentially metabolites were screened. Finally, the correlations between the diagnostic strains and differentially metabolites were studied.The richness and uniformity of the bacterial communities decreased in DILI patients, and the structure of gut microbiota changed obviously. Enterococcus and Veillonella which belong to Firmicutes increased in DILI, and Blautia and Ralstonia which belong to Firmicutes, Dialister which belongs to Proteobacteria increased in HC. In addition, these diagnostic OTUs of DILI were associated with the DILI damage mechanism. On the other hands, there were 66 differentially metabolites between DILI and HC samples, and these metabolites were mainly enriched in pyrimidine metabolism and steroid hormone biosynthesis pathways. Furthermore, the collinear network map of the key microbiota-metabolites were constructed and the results indicated that Cortodoxone, Prostaglandin I1, Bioyclo Prostaglandin E2 and Anacardic acid were positively correlated with Blautia and Ralstonia, and negatively correlated with Veillonella.This study analyzed the changes of DILI from the perspective of gut microbiota and metabolites. Key strains and differentially metabolites of DILI were screened and the correlations between them were studied. This study further illustrated the mechanism of DILI.

Machine learning for predicting diabetes risk in western China adults.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus is a global epidemic disease. Long-time exposure of patients to hyperglycemia can lead to various type of chronic tissue damage. Early diagnosis of and screening for diabetes are crucial to population health. METHODS: We collected the national physical examination data in Xinjiang, China, in 2020 (a total of more than 4 million people). Three types of physical examination indices were analyzed: questionnaire, routine physical examination and laboratory values. Integrated learning, deep learning and logistic regression methods were used to establish a risk model for type-2 diabetes mellitus. In addition, to improve the convenience and flexibility of the model, a diabetes risk score card was established based on logistic regression to assess the risk of the population. RESULTS: An XGBoost-based risk prediction model outperformed the other five risk assessment algorithms. The AUC of the model was 0.9122. Based on the feature importance ranking map, we found that hypertension, fasting blood glucose, age, coronary heart disease, ethnicity, parental diabetes mellitus, triglycerides, waist circumference, total cholesterol, and body mass index were the most important features of the risk prediction model for type-2 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: This study established a diabetes risk assessment model based on multiple ethnicities, a large sample and many indices, and classified the diabetes risk of the population, thus providing a new forecast tool for the screening of patients and providing information on diabetes prevention for healthy populations.

[Variation and interaction mechanism between active components in Rheum officinale and rhizosphere soil microorganisms under drought stress].

To explore the changes and the reaction mechanisms between soil microecological environment and the content of secon-dary metabolites of plants under water deficit, this study carried out a pot experiment on the 3-leaf stage seedlings of Rheum officinale to analyze their response mechanism under different drought gradients(normal water supply, mild, moderate, and severe drought). The results indicated that the content of flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, and alkaloids in the root of R. officinale varied greatly under drought stresses. Under mild drought stress, the content of substances mentioned above was comparatively high, and the content of rutin, emodin, gallic acid, and(+)-catechin hydrate in the root significantly increased. The content of rutin, emodin, and gallic acid under severe drought stress was significantly lower than that under normal water supply. The number of species, Shannon diversity index, richness index, and Simpson index of bacteria in the rhizosphere soil were significantly higher than those in blank soil, and the number of microbial species and richness index decreased significantly with the aggravation of drought stresses. In the context of water deficit, Cyanophyta, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Streptomyces, and Actinomyces were the dominant bacteria in the rhizosphere of R. officinale. The relative content of rutin and emodin in the root of R. officinale was positively correlated with the relative abundance of Cyanophyta and Firmicutes, and the relative content of(+)-catechin hydrate and(-)-epicatechin gallate was positively correlated with the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. In conclusion, appropriate drought stress can increase the content of secondary metabolites of R. officinale from physiological induction and the increase in the association with beneficial microbe.

Short-Term Outcomes of Modified Boston Type-II Keratoprosthesis Implantation With Autologous Auricular Cartilage Reinforcement.

PURPOSE: To report the short-term visual outcomes and complications of a modified Boston Type-II keratoprosthesis (Kpro) procedure. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Thirty-seven eyes of 37 patients who had an implantation of autologous auricular cartilage-reinforced (AACR) Boston Type-II Kpro (BK2) were included in the current study. Preoperative and postoperative data were recorded and analyzed for each eye. Main outcome measures included best-corrected visual acuity, symptoms as assessed by questionnaires, complications associated with implantation, and retention of the implanted BK2 device. RESULTS: A total of 37 eyes, consisting of 19 with severe autoimmune dry eye (ADE) and 18 with burn injury, completed ≥12 months of follow-up. The median (interquartile range) best-corrected visual acuity at baseline, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years of follow-up was hand motion (HM) 20/60 (20/100-20/40), 20/60 (20/200-20/40), 20/60 (20/200-20/40), 20/100 (20/200-20/40), and 20/100 (20/400-20/40), respectively. All eyes retained the initial device (37/37, 100%). Common postoperative complications included retroprosthetic membrane (n = 21), de novo glaucoma (n = 7), endophthalmitis (n = 1), and conjunctival erosion (n = 4). No ear complications were discovered during follow-up assessments. The ocular surface disease index score improved from baseline to a 2-year follow-up (median 57.5 vs 21.43). CONCLUSION: The modified AACR-BK2 procedure could be considered to restore vision in patients with end-stage corneal blindness.

Design and development of a disease-specific clinical database system to increase the availability of hospital data in China.

Purpose: In order to meet restrictions and difficulties in the development of hospital medical informatization and clinical databases in China, in this study, a disease-specific clinical database system (DSCDS) was designed and built. It provides support for the full utilization of real world medical big data in clinical research and medical services for specific diseases. Methods: The development of DSCDS involved (1) requirements analysis on precision medicine, medical big data, and clinical research; (2) design schematics and basic architecture; (3) standard datasets of specific diseases consisting of common data elements (CDEs); (4) collection and aggregation of specific disease data scattered in various medical business systems of the hospital; (5) governance and quality improvement of specific disease data; (6) data storage and computing; and (7) design of data application modules. Results: A DSCDS for liver cirrhosis was created in the gastrointestinal department of a 3A grade hospital in China and had more than nine data application modules. Based on this DSCDS, a series of clinical studies are being carried out, such as retrospective or prospective cohorts, prognostic studies using multimodal data, and follow-up studies. Conclusion: The development of the DSCDS for liver cirrhosis in this paper provides experience and reference for the design and development of DSCDSs for other specific diseases in China; it can even expand to the development of DSCDSs in other countries if they have the demand for DSCDS and the same or better medical informatization foundation. DSCDS has more accurate, standard, comprehensive, multimodal and usable data of specific diseases than the general clinical database system and clinical data repository (CDR) and provides a credible data foundation for medical research, clinical decision-making and improving the medical service quality of specific diseases. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13755-023-00211-4.

Indoor air pollution and human ocular diseases: Associated contaminants and underlying pathological mechanisms.

People spend a long time indoors, especially young children. The risk of indoor pollution on human health is one of the current hotspots in environmental and public health. The human ocular surface is highly susceptible to indoor environment quality. Epidemiological data have linked human ophthalmological disorders with exposure to indoor pollution. In this review, we summarized the adverse impacts of indoor pollution on the human ocular surface. Several studies demonstrated that indoor contaminants including particulate matter, volatile/semi-volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and fuel combustion and cigarette smoke exposure were associated with the incidence of human dry eye, conjunctivitis, glaucoma, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and keratitis. In addition, toxicological investigations revealed that indoor pollution-induced induced chronic inflammation, oxidative damage, and disruption of tight junctions are the main underlying pathological mechanisms for ocular surface diseases. Taken together, this review may expand the understanding of pollution-induced eye disorder and highlight the importance of reducing associated contaminants to decrease their detrimental effects on human eyes.

Electronic Source Data Transcription for Electronic Case Report Forms in China: Validation of the Electronic Source Record Tool in a Real-world Ophthalmology Study.

BACKGROUND: As researchers are increasingly interested in real-world studies (RWSs), improving data collection efficiency and data quality has become an important challenge. An electronic source (eSource) generally includes direct capture, collection, and storage of electronic data to simplify clinical research. It can improve data quality and patient safety and reduce clinical trial costs. Although there are already large projects on eSource technology, there is a lack of experience in using eSource technology to implement RWSs. Our team designed and developed an eSource record (ESR) system in China. In a preliminary prospective study, we selected a cosmetic medical device project to evaluate ESR software's effect on data collection and transcription. As the previous case verification was simple, we plan to choose more complicated ophthalmology projects to further evaluate the ESR. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the data transcription efficiency and quality of ESR software in retrospective studies to verify the feasibility of using eSource as an alternative to traditional manual transcription of data in RWS projects. METHODS: The approved ophthalmic femtosecond laser project was used for ESR case validation. This study compared the efficiency and quality of data transcription between the eSource method using ESR software and the traditional clinical research model of manually transcribing the data. Usability refers to the quality of a user's experience when interacting with products or systems including websites, software, devices, or applications. To evaluate the system availability of ESR, we used the System Usability Scale (SUS). The questionnaire consisted of the following 2 parts: participant information and SUS evaluation of the electronic medical record (EMR), electronic data capture (EDC), and ESR systems. By accessing log data from the EDC system previously used by the research project, all the time spent from the beginning to the end of the study could be counted. RESULTS: In terms of transcription time cost per field, the eSource method can reduce the time cost by 81.8% (11.2/13.7). Compared with traditional manual data transcription, the eSource method has higher data transcription quality (correct entry rate of 2356/2400, 98.17% vs 47,991/51,424, 93.32%). A total of 15 questionnaires were received with a response rate of 100%. In terms of usability, the average overall SUS scores of the EMR, EDC, and ESR systems were 50.3 (SD 21.9), 51.5 (SD 14.2), and 63.0 (SD 11.3; contract research organization experts: 69.5, SD 11.5; clinicians: 59.8, SD 10.2), respectively. The Cronbach α for the SUS items of the EMR, EDC, and ESR systems were 0.591 (95% CI -0.012 to 0.903), 0.588 (95% CI -0.288 to 0.951), and 0.785 (95% CI 0.576-0.916), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In real-world ophthalmology studies, the eSource approach based on the ESR system can replace the traditional clinical research model that relies on the manual transcription of data.

Colloidal Synthesis and Photocatalytic Properties of Cu3NbS4 and Cu3NbSe4 Sulvanite Nanocrystals.

Niobium sulvanites Cu3NbX4 (X = S, Se) have been theoretically predicted as promising candidates for solar photovoltaics and photocatalytic water splitting. This report outlines the first synthesis of Cu3NbS4 and Cu3NbSe4 in a nanocrystalline form. The crystal structures were investigated by X-ray diffraction, identity was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, and the optoelectronic properties and morphology of Cu3NbS4 and Cu3NbSe4 nanocrystals were examined by UV-vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. To gain insight into the Cu3NbX4 formation, a mechanistic study was conducted for Cu3NbSe4 monitoring the nanoparticles' formation as a function of reaction time. Methylene blue photodegradation tests were conducted to evaluate the photoactivity of Cu3NbS4 and Cu3NbSe4. The degradation rates, 2.81 × 10-2 min-1 and 1.22 × 10-2 min-1 proved the photocatalysts' potential of nanoscale Cu3NbX4.

Effects of Nickel at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations on Human Corneal Epithelial Cells: Oxidative Damage and Cellular Apoptosis.

Nickel (Ni) is ubiquitous in the environment and evidence has suggested that Ni can cause ocular surface inflammation, especially in fine particulate matter and personal products. Continuous daily exposure to Ni-containing dust may adversely impact the human cornea, whereas the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon remains not fully understood. Here, human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) were employed to analyze the toxicity of Ni via detections of cell morphology, cell viability, reactive oxygen species production, cell apoptosis rate, and apoptotic gene expression levels after exposure for 24 h to uncover the damage of Ni to the cornea. A concentration-dependent inhibition of HCECs' viability and growth was observed. In particular, Ni at 100 µM significantly decreased cell viability to 76%, and many cells displayed an abnormal shape and even induced oxidative damage of HCEC by increasing ROS to 1.2 times, and further led to higher apoptosis (24%), evidenced by up-regulation of apoptotic genes Caspase-8, Caspase-9, NF-κB, IL-1ß, and Caspase-3, posing a risk of dry eye. Our study suggested that Ni induces apoptosis of HCEC through oxidative damage. Therefore, Ni pollution should be comprehensively considered in health risks or toxic effects on the ocular surface.

Stand-Alone CuFeSe2 (Eskebornite) Nanosheets for Photothermal Cancer Therapy.

Two-dimensional CuFeSe2 nanosheets have been successfully obtained via solution-phase synthesis using a sacrificial template method. The high purity was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and the two-dimensional morphology was validated by transmission electron microscopy. The intense absorption in the 400-1400 nm region has been the basis for the CuFeSe2 nanosheets' photothermal capabilities testing. The colloidal CuFeSe2 (CFS) nanosheets capped with S2- short ligands (CFS-S) exhibit excellent biocompatibility in cell culture studies and strong photothermal effects upon 808 nm laser irradiation. The nanosheets were further loaded with the cancer drug doxorubicin and exposed to laser irradiation, which accelerated the release of doxorubicin, achieving synergy in the therapeutic effect.

Sulvanites: The Promise at the Nanoscale.

The class of ternary copper chalcogenides Cu3MX4 (M = V, Nb, Ta; X = S, Se, Te), also known as the sulvanite family, has attracted attention in the past decade as featuring promising materials for optoelectronic devices, including solar photovoltaics. Experimental and theoretical studies of these semiconductors have provided much insight into their properties, both in bulk and at the nanoscale. The recent realization of sulvanites at the nanoscale opens new avenues for the compounds toward printable electronics. This review is aimed at the consideration of synthesis methods, relevant properties and the recent developments of the most important sulvanites.

Cascade synthesis and optoelectronic applications of intermediate bandgap Cu3VSe4 nanosheets.

Two-dimensional (2D) ternary materials recently generated interest in optoelectronics and energy-related applications, alongside their binary counterparts. To date, only a few naturally occurring layered 2D ternary materials have been explored. The plethora of benefits owed to reduced dimensionality prompted exploration of expanding non-layered ternary chalcogenides into the 2D realm. This work presents a templating method that uses 2D transition metal dichalcogenides as initiators to be converted into the corresponding ternary chalcogenide upon addition of copper, via a solution-phase synthesis, conducted in high boiling point solvents. The process starts with preparation of VSe2 nanosheets, which are next converted into Cu3VSe4 sulvanite nanosheets (NSs) which retain the 2D geometry while presenting an X-ray diffraction pattern identical with the one for the bulk Cu3VSe4. Both the scanning electron microscopy and transmission microscopy electron microscopy show the presence of quasi-2D morphology. Recent studies of the sulfur-containing sulvanite Cu3VS4 highlight the presence of an intermediate bandgap, associated with enhanced photovoltaic (PV) performance. The Cu3VSe4 nanosheets reported herein exhibit multiple UV-Vis absorption peaks, related to the intermediate bandgaps similar to Cu3VS4 and Cu3VSe4 nanocrystals. To test the potential of Cu3VSe4 NSs as an absorber for solar photovoltaic devices, Cu3VSe4 NSs thin-films deposited on FTO were subjected to photoelectrochemical testing, showing p-type behavior and stable photocurrents of up to ~ 0.036 mA/cm2. The photocurrent shows a ninefold increase in comparison to reported performance of Cu3VSe4 nanocrystals. This proves that quasi-2D sulvanite nanosheets are amenable to thin-film deposition and could show superior PV performance in comparison to nanocrystal thin-films. The obtained electrical impedance spectroscopy signal of the Cu3VSe4 NSs-FTO based electrochemical cell fits an equivalent circuit with the circuit elements of solution resistance (Rs), charge-transfer resistance (Rct), double-layer capacitance (Cdl), and Warburg impedance (W). The estimated charge transfer resistance value of 300 Ω cm2 obtained from the Nyquist plot provides an insight into the rate of charge transfer on the electrode/electrolyte interface.

Predictors of Early Diabetic Retinopathy Regression with Ranibizumab in the RIDE and RISE Clinical Trials.

PURPOSE: To investigate the predictors of early diabetic retinopathy (DR) improvement in the RIDE/RISE (NCT00473382/NCT00473330) clinical trials. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In RIDE/RISE, adult patients with vision loss due to diabetic macular edema (DME) were randomized to monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.3 or 0.5 mg (n=502 total) or sham (n=257). DR severity was graded (using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale). In this post hoc analysis of RIDE/RISE, eyes with baseline DR score ≥35 were evaluated for ≥2-step improvements, and eyes with baseline DR score ≥43 were evaluated for ≥3-step improvements. The characteristics associated with ≥2- or ≥3-step DR improvement at months 3 or 6 were assessed using univariate and/or multivariable analyses. RESULTS: The percentage of eyes with a ≥2- or ≥3-step DR improvement was 20.1% and 3.7% at month 3 and 31.2% and 5.8% at month 6. Odds of ≥2-step DR improvement at months 3 or 6 were significantly greater in eyes with moderately severe to severe nonproliferative DR (NPDR) at baseline versus less severe or more severe DR (both P<0.0001). At month 6, odds of ≥2-step DR improvement were significantly greater in eyes with no DME at month 3 (P=0.008). Most patients with ≥3-step DR improvement at months 3 or 6 had proliferative DR (PDR) at baseline (83.3% and 66.7%). CONCLUSION: The strongest predictors of DR response to ranibizumab at month 6 were baseline DR severity and DME quiescence at month 3. Eyes with the most robust early improvements had moderately severe or severe NPDR or PDR at baseline.

Synthesis and optoelectronic properties of Cu3VSe4 nanocrystals.

The ternary chalcogenide Cu3VSe4 (CVSe) with sulvanite structure has been theoretically predicted to be a promising candidate for photovoltaic applications due to its suitable bandgap for solar absorption and the relatively earth-abundant elements in its composition. To realize the absorber layer via an inexpensive route, printed thin-films could be fabricated from dispersions of nano-sized Cu3VSe4 precursors. Herein, cubic Cu3VSe4 nanocrystals were successfully synthesized via a hot-injection method. Similar with reported Cu3VS4 nanocrystals, Cu3VSe4 nanocrystals with cubic structure exhibit three absorption bands in the UV-Visible range indicative of a potential intermediate bandgap existence. A thin film fabricated by depositing the nanoparticles Cu3VSe4 on FTO coated glass substrate, exhibited a p-type behavior and a photocurrent of ~ 4 µA/cm2 when measured in an electrochemical cell setting. This first demonstration of photocurrent exhibited by a CVSe nanocrystals thin film signifies a promising potential in photovoltaic applications.

A Network Pharmacology-Based Study of the Molecular Mechanisms of Shaoyao-Gancao Decoction in Treating Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is another major neurodegenerative disorder following Alzheimer's disease, which not only seriously reduces the survival in patients, affecting patient's quality of life, but also imposes a tremendous burden on families and even the whole society. It is urgent to find out effective drugs without side effects. The present study applied a creative approach called network pharmacology to explore the active compounds and therapeutic targets of Shaoyao-Gancao Decoction (SYGCD) for treating PD. We identified a total of 48 active compounds mediating 30 PD-related targets to exert synergism, and the same target can be enriched in multiple signal pathways and biological processes, expounding that the decoction can exert synergistic effect on PD by multi-targets and multi-pathways. Furthermore, the molecular docking analysis showed that active compounds and targets can be well combined. These results highlighted the molecular mechanisms underlying the efficiency of SYGCD for PD treatment at a systematic level, investigating thoroughly the innovative therapeutic tactics for PD in traditional Chinese medicine.

Baseline characteristics associated with early visual acuity gains after ranibizumab treatment for retinal vein occlusion.

BACKGROUND: To identify baseline patient characteristics associated with early clinically significant visual acuity (VA) improvements within 3 months of treatment initiation in ranibizumab-treated patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in the SHORE study. METHODS: Post hoc analysis of baseline patient characteristics in the randomized, open-label, vision examiner-masked SHORE phase 4 study that compared monthly versus pro re nata dosing of ranibizumab in patients with branch and central RVO. Patients who enrolled in SHORE fulfilled eligibility criteria per protocol (N = 202). SHORE data were retrospectively analyzed to identify baseline patient characteristics associated with early clinically significant improvements in VA, defined as improvement to a Snellen equivalent of 20/40 or better vision (≥ 69 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study [ETDRS] letters) or an increase in best-corrected VA (BCVA) of 15 or more ETDRS letters from baseline within 3 months of treatment initiation. Main outcome measures were BCVA gain of 15 or more ETDRS letters from baseline, Snellen equivalent of 20/40 or better vision, and baseline factors associated with early clinically significant improvement in BCVA. RESULTS: The median time for patients to achieve a BCVA of 20/40 or better was 59 days and the median time for patients to gain 15 or more ETDRS letters was 63 days. Better baseline BCVA (> 50 ETDRS letters/Snellen equivalent ≥ 20/100), greater baseline total macular volume (> 9.99 mm3), and presence of subretinal fluid at baseline were all associated with early improvement to 20/40 or better vision (ETDRS equivalent ≥ 69 letters; P < .0001, P = .02, and P = .03, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective analysis found that better BCVA, greater total macular volume, and presence of subretinal fluid at baseline were associated with more rapid vision gains. Clinicians may find these helpful when considering the likelihood of achieving early clinically significant VA improvements with ranibizumab in patients with RVO. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01277302 .

Application of data mining methods to improve screening for the risk of early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although gastric cancer is a malignancy with high morbidity and mortality in China, the survival rate of patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) is high after surgical resection. To strengthen diagnosing and screening is the key to improve the survival and life quality of patients with EGC. This study applied data mining methods to improve screening for the risk of EGC on the basis of noninvasive factors, and displayed important influence factors for the risk of EGC. METHODS: The dataset was derived from a project of the First Hospital Affiliated Guangdong Pharmaceutical University. A series of questionnaire surveys, serological examinations and endoscopy plus pathology biopsy were conducted in 618 patients with gastric diseases. Their risk of EGC was categorized into low and high risk of EGC by the results of endoscopy plus pathology biopsy. The synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) was used to solve imbalance categories of the risk of EGC. Four classification models of the risk of EGC was established, including logistic regression (LR) and three data mining algorithms. RESULTS: The three data mining models had higher accuracy than the LR model. Gain curves of the three data mining models were convexes more closer to ideal curves by contrast with that of the LR model. AUC of the three data mining models were larger than that of the LR model as well. The three data mining models predicted the risk of EGC more effectively in comparison with the LR model. Moreover, this study found 16 important influence factors for the risk of EGC, such as occupations, helicobacter pylori infection, drinking hot water and so on. CONCLUSIONS: The three data mining models have optimal predictive behaviors over the LR model, therefore can effectively evaluate the risk of EGC and assist clinicians in improving the diagnosis and screening of EGC. Sixteen important influence factors for the risk of EGC were illustrated, which may helpfully assess gastric carcinogenesis, and remind to early prevention and early detection of gastric cancer. This study may also be conducive to clinical researchers in selecting and conducting the optimal predictive models.

[The relationship between NLRP3 inflammsomes expression and liver damage after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in mice model].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the function of nucleotide-binding domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammsomes in liver damage after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). METHODS: The study presented a murine (BALB/c-based) model of allo-HSCT. Chimera rate was measured by flow cytometry. The hematoxylin-eosin, Masson's trichrome, immunohistochemistry staining were used to observe the pathology changes in liver, then measured the degree of liver damage. Inflammation cells and NLRP3 were measured by Western blot, cytokines IL-1ß, IL-18 and NLRP3 related genes were tested with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR). RESULTS: Hematopoietic stem cells had been successfully transplanted, the chimera rate was geater than 97% on the 10th day. Liver damage occurred after allo-HSCT and suffered infiltration of inflammation cells, which reached the peak on day 15, then moved to moderate; the cytokines IL-1ß, IL-18 had the similar trend with liver injury, and reached the highest level on day 15, their mRNA expressions increased by (1.19 ± 0.40) fold and (1.64 ± 0.76) fold, respectively; Meanwhile, caspase-1 had the similar trend, its mRNA expression increased by (3.51 ± 0.46) fold on day 15; the inflammasomes NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4 and NLRP5 expressed in liver on day 15 of post-allo-HSCT, and NLRP3 inflammasome expressed highest among them. The mRNA and protein level of NLRP3 inflammasomes were kept with the serious degree of the liver damage, its mRNA expression increased by (2.91 ± 0.41) fold on day 15. CONCLUSION: NLRP3 inflammsome expressed in liver injury during allo-HSCT in mice, and may be one of the important factors contributed to liver injury.

[Effect of endothelial progenitor cell on hematopoietic reconstitution in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation mouse model].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) on hematopoietic reconstitution in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) mouse model. METHODS: Allo-HSCT mouse model was established with condition of BU/CY, in which C57BL/6 (H-2b) and BALB/c (H-2d) mice were used as donors and recipients respectively. Recipients were randomly divided into 4 groups: untreated group, BU/CY condition group, bone marrow transplantation (BMT) group and transplantation of BM cells combined with EPCs (combined transplantation) group. The pathological changes of BM cells following transplantation were dynamically observed. Changes of BM sinusoidal endothelium and angiogenesis were observed by MECA-32 antibody immunohistochemical staining. The proportion of intramedullary stem and progenitor cells and serum cytokines were analyzed by flow cytometry. The numbers of peripheral blood cells were also counted. RESULTS: (1) Injuries of BM hematopoietic tissue, sinusoidal endothelium and vascular were less severe in combined transplantation group than of BMT group. (2) EPC infusion significantly increased BM hematopoietic stem cells 21 days after transplantation. The percentage of BM hematopoietic stem cells in combined transplantation group peaked on day +14, which was higher than of BMT group (0.1743 vs 0.0787) (P<0.05). The continuously increased percentage of BM hematopoietic progenitor cells in combined transplantation group was significantly higher than in BMT group on day +21 (0.4550 vs 0.3905) (P<0.05). (3) The number of peripheral white blood cells in combined transplantation group was always higher than of BMT group, which reached the peak on day +14 (0.74×109/L to 0.47×109/L) (P<0.05). The peak number of peripheral blood platelets on day +14 in combined transplantation group was significantly higher than of group BMT (1228.9×109/L to 977.12×109/L) (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Allo-HSCT combined with EPC infusion accelerated hematopoietic reconstitution compared with BMT alone in allo-HSCT mouse model.