[Clinical characteristics of a case of severe pneumonia caused by coinfection of COVID-19 and Chlamydia Psittaci].

A 69-year-old female patient was admitted to the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University due to a "cough and fever for eight days". On admission, a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) nucleic acid test was positive, and a chest CT scan showed progressive patchy shadows and consolidation shadows in both lungs. Arterial blood gas analysis showed type Ⅰ respiratory failure. The primary diagnosis was severe community-acquired pneumonia in an older adult without underlying disease. However, oxygen inhalation, steroid, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial empirical treatment with piperacillin/tazobactam was ineffective. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of bronchoscopy alveolar lavage fluid showed Chlamydia psittaci(C. psittaci). Severe pneumonia was confirmed, caused by coinfection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and C. psittaci. A combination of doxycycline and moxifloxacin significantly improved the targeted and symptomatic treatment of the underlying cause. After discharge, the patient recovered within four weeks of follow-up. Therefore, clinicians should be alert to the possibility of coinfection of C. psittaci in patients already diagnosed with COVID-19.

Evaluation of serum makorin ring finger protein 3 (MKRN3) levels in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty and premature thelarche.

This study aims to investigate serum makorin ring finger protein 3 (MKRN3) levels in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) and premature thelarche (PT), in order to determine whether circulating MKRN3 level is associated with ICPP and PT. A total of 90 girls were enrolled in the stud. 30 age-matched girls were allocated for each group (ICPP, PT and healthy controls [HC], respectively). The base LH (B-LH) and E2 levels were higher in ICPP girls than those in HC and PT girls. The peak LH (P-LH) levels and P-LH/P-FSH values were obviously higher in ICPP girls than those in PT girls, while higher peak FSH (P-FSH) levels were detected in PT girls when compared to those in ICPP girls. Kisspeptin levels were lower in HC girls than those in ICPP and PT girls. MKRN3 levels were the highest in HC girls among the three groups. There were relatively strong negative correlations among MKRN3, kisspeptin and P-LH/P-FSH. Circulating MKRN3 can have an important role in the onset of ICPP and PT. However, this should not be used as an independent diagnostic criterion for diagnosing ICPP or differentiating ICPP from PT, but should be used only as an adjunctive diagnostic biomarker.

LINC00707 promotes cell proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer via miR-206/FMNL2 axis.

OBJECTIVE: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been verified to participate in the regulation of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the role of LINC00707 in CRC still remains unknown. Here, we aim to study the role of LINC00707 in CRC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: LINC00707 expression in 97 pairs of CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues was determined by the quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). LINC00707 overexpression or knockdown in SW620 or HCT116 cells was achieved by lentivirus transfection. The proliferation and cell circle progression of established cells were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Cell invasion and migration abilities were studied by transwell assay. Dual-luciferase assay and Western blot was used to verify the underlying mechanism of LINC00707 in CRC. Nude mice were obtained to identify the in vivo function of LINC00707 in CRC. RESULTS: LINC00707 was significantly over-expressed in CRC tissues and cell lines. Up-regulation of LINC00707 promoted cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, invasion, and migration of SW620 cells. Conversely, down-regulation of LINC00707 reduced cell growth and metastasis of HCT116 cells. MiR-206 was verified as a direct target of LINC00707, and its function was inhibited by LINC00707. FMNL2 was a target for miR-206 in CRC cells. Meanwhile, LINC00707 promoted tumor growth of CRC in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: LINC00707 was up-regulated in CRC tissues and cells, which promoted cell proliferation and metastasis via sponging miR-206 to increase FMNL2 expression. This might provide a novel target for the biological treatment of CRC.

Role of radiation therapy in lung cancer management - a review.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Furthermore, more than 50% of lung cancer patients are found affected by distant metastases at the time of diagnosis. On the other hand, 20% of these patients are without regional spread and are good candidates for surgical operation. The remaining 30% represent an intermediate group whose tumors have metastasized up to regional lymph nodes. These remain 30% are the most appropriate candidates for radiation therapy. These patients are also called as "locally advanced lung cancer" or stage III lung cancer patients. In these patients strategy of combination therapy viz. radiation therapy in combination with chemotherapy is also tried by various groups in the recent past for this better management. However, long-term survival is still poor with a 5-year survival in 5-25% of patients. During the last decades, there has been a development in radiation strategies. The present review article focuses on different approaches to optimize radiotherapy for these patients.

PREVALENCE OF NONTOXIC NODULAR GOITER AFTER A NEARLY TWO-DECADE UNIVERSAL SALT IODIZATION IN A LITTORAL REGION OF SHANDONG PROVINCE, CHINA.

INTRODUCTION: With the introduction of iodized salt, more and more people are exposed to iodine sufficiency in some regions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of nontoxic nodular goiter (NTNG) in the littoral region with high iodine supply after a nearly two- decade universal salt iodization. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eight hundred and thirty- five participants (from 25~65 years; males 421 and females 414) were invited for the study from Huan-cui District of Weihai City, Shandong Province from January 2013 to September 2014. All participants were inspected and diagnosed by endocrinologists according to the thyroid function tests and the thyroid gland imaging. After the normal diet of three days, the urine samples of the participants were collected between 8:00AM and 9:00AM and the urinary iodine (UI) concentrations were analyzed using Urinary Iodide Test Kit. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of NTNG in the region was 40.1%, and different prevalence occurred in the different age ranges (p<0.01). The prevalence of NTNG was 32.51%, 37.44%, 49.70%, 58.57 and 74.77% in the age group of ≤ 30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60 and >60 years, respectively. Meanwhile, the prevalence of NTNG in women (42.08%) was higher than that in men (34.29%, p<0.05). The median of UI concentrations were 139.4µg/L and 101.5µg/L for the group with NTNG and without NTNG, respectively (p<0.01). However, there was no significant difference in UI concentrations among the groups with different age ranges (p>0.05), and statistical difference was not observed for UI concentrations between women and men (p>0.05). Intriguingly, higher UI concentrations were found in the group with larger thyroid size (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The iodine excess can lead to the high occurrence of nodular goiter in the littoral region, and individual UI concentration detection is recommended for the iodine nutritional status analysis among normal people when Universal Salt Iodization (USI) continues to be implemented in the region.

Effects of the surface characteristics of nano-crystalline and micro-particle calcium phosphate/chitosan composite films on the behavior of human mesenchymal stem cells in vitro.

Calcium phosphate (CaP) compounds, the main inorganic constituent of mammalian bone tissues, are believed to support bone precursor cell growth and osteogenic differentiation. Chitosan, a deacetylated derivative of chitin, is a versatile biopolymer to offer broad possibilities for cell-based tissue engineering. In the present study, different scales of CaP crystals on chitosan membranes were prepared for culture of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in vitro. A series of aqueous CaP suspensions with different concentrations were mixed with chitosan solution and chitosan/calcium phosphate (C/CaP) films were fabricated by the solvent-casting method. With different weight ratios of CaP in chitosan solution, the various surface characteristics of nano-amorphous (C/CaP 0.1), nano-crystalline (C/CaP 0.5) and micro-particle (C/CaP 2) CaP compounds were examined by scanning electron microscopy and electron dispersion spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction on micro-particles of CaP indicated the formation of crystalline hydroxyapatite. The behavior of hMSCs, including proliferation, cell spreading and osteogenic differentiation, was studied on the C/CaP films. In basal culture medium, the incorporation of CaP into chitosan films could promote the proliferation of hMSCs. The C/CaP 0.5 film with connected CaP nano-crystals had better cellular viability. The fluorescence microscope images at 14 days of culture revealed extensive networks of F-actin filaments of hMSCs on chitosan, C/CaP 0.1 and C/CaP 0.5 films. The cellular morphology on C/CaP 2 film with discrete CaP micro-particles was partly restrained. In osteogenic medium, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of hMSCs increased and showed the process of osteogenic differentiation. The ALP levels on C/CaP 2 film were higher than those on C/CaP 0.1 and C/CaP 0.5 films. These results demonstrated that the crystallinity and topography of CaP on chitosan membranes could modulate the behaviors of cultured hMSCs in vitro.

Low sensitivity of T-cell based detection of tuberculosis among HIV co-infected Tanzanian in-patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of QuantiFERON-TB GOLD (QFTG) in a resource-poor setting among patients with and without HIV infection. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Two hospitals in Northern Tanzania. SUBJECTS: Eighty three adult male and female inpatients. INTERVENTION: All patients were screened for HIV infection and underwent tuberculin skin test (TST) and QFTG. RESULTS: Eighty-three subjects were enrolled, and 29 (35%) of 83 were HIV-infected. QFTG yielded indeterminate results in 12 (22%; 95% CI 12%-34%) of 54 HIV-uninfected and 13 (45%; 95% CI 26%-64%) of 29 HIV-infected subjects (p = 0.0323). Among those with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis, TST was positive in 40 (100%; 95% CI 91%-100%) of 40 HIV-uninfected subjects compared with seven (54%; 95% CI 25%-81%) of 13 HIV-infected subjects (p < 0.0001), and QFTG was positive in 28 (70%; 95% CI 53%-83%) of 40 HIV-uninfected subjects compared with three (23%; 95% CI 5%-54%) of 13 HIV-infected subjects (p = 0.0029). Among medical inpatients at risk for latent tuberculosis infection, TST was positive in seven (50%) of 14 HIV-uninfected patients and three (19%) of 16 HIV-infected patients (p = 0.0701) and QFTG was positive among two (14%) of 14 HIV-uninfected patients and three (19%) of 16 HIV-infected patients (p = 0.7437). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of HIV co-infection was associated with a significant reduction in sensitivity of both the TST (p < 0.0001) and QFTG (p = 0.0029) for the diagnosis of active M. tuberculosis infection. The high proportion of indeterminate QFTG and lack of sensitivity, particularly among HIV-infected patients, may limit its applicability in settings like Tanzania. Larger studies in resource-poor settings are required.

DNA fragment encoding human IL-1beta 163-171 peptide enhances the immune responses elicited in mice by DNA vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease.

DNA vaccine has been tested for protection against foot-and-mouth disease. However, the relatively low efficacy of DNA vaccine in inducing immune responses in large animals has restricted its practical use. Interleukin-1 plays an essential role in amplifying both the cellular and humoral immune responses to foreign antigens, and may therefore represent a good candidate as an adjuvant of DNA vaccines. Since the inflammatory activity of IL-I may restrict its application in DNA vaccine treatment, we explored the possibilities of augmenting immune responses without unwanted inflammatory effects using the IL-1beta fragment (amino acids (aa) 163-171), which is essential for IL-1 receptor-1 binding. The DNA fragment encoding the human IL-1beta fragment (aa 163-171) was fused to foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) DNA vaccine, and injected into mice to analyse its immune response. Compared with control mice receiving FMDV DNA vaccine alone, significant increases in the FMDV-specific antibody response and also in T cell proliferation were observed in mice receiving IL-1beta (163-171)-FMDV. These results suggested that DNA fragment encoding IL-1beta 163-171 peptide might represent a good candidate for an adjuvant of FMDV DNA vaccine.

Coimmunization of Agaricus blazei Murill extract with hepatitis B virus core protein through DNA vaccine enhances cellular and humoral immune responses.

DNA vaccines induce protective humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in several animal models. Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM) is particularly rich in polysaccharides, and has shown particularly strong results in treating and preventing cancers. The goal of this study was to investigate whether co-immunization of the fungus ABM with hepatitis B virus (HBV) core DNA vaccine could increase the immune responses. Compared with the control mice which received hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg) alone, significant increase in not only the HBcAg-specific antibody response but also T cell proliferation was observed in mice which received HBcAg DNA vaccine plus ABM extract. These results suggest that ABM extract might represent an adjuvant to improve the efficacy of DNA vaccines in vivo.

Enhancement of immune responses to the hepatitis B virus core protein through DNA vaccines with a DNA fragment encoding human IL-1beta 163-171 peptide.

DNA vaccines have been widely used as effective means of eradicating a variety of viruses, parasites, bacteria as well as means of alleviating allergic and autoimmune diseases and tumors. As interleukin 1 (IL-1) plays an essential role in augmenting both cellular and humoral immune responses to foreign antigens, it may represent a good candidate for an adjuvant to DNA vaccines. Since the inflammatory activity of IL-1 may have a restricted application to DNA vaccines, we explored the possibility of augmenting immune response without unwanted inflammatory effect using IL-1beta 163-171 peptide, which is essential for IL-1 receptor 1 binding. A DNA fragment encoding the human IL-1beta 163-171 peptide of concern was fused to the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) core DNA vaccine, and injected into mice to analyze its immune responses. Compared with the control mice which received hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg) alone, significant increase in not only the HBcAg-specific antibody response but also in T cell proliferation was observed in mice which received IL-1beta 163-171-HBcAg. These results suggest that the DNA fragment encoding the IL-1beta polypeptide of aa 163-171 might represent a good candidate for an adjuvant of DNA vaccines.