[Emerging pathogenic role of group 3 innate lymphoid cells in inflammatory diseases].

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) as a family member of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), have been defined as novel innate immune cells in the past decade. ILC3 include a variety of heterogenous subsets with different phenotypes and functions, which are mainly distributed in barrier organs such as the intestine, lung and skin. They play an important role in immune regulation, tissue repair and lymphoid tissue formation. However, in various inflammatory diseases, ILC3 become dysregulated and participate in the pathogenesis through secreting a series of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-17, IL-22, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to modulate other immune cells and induce the formation of ectopic lymphoid structures. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the phenotype and function of ILC3 in order to advance the understanding of inflammatory diseases and find new therapeutic targets. In this article, the phenotypic characteristics, biological functions and research progress of ILC3 in inflammatory diseases were reviewed.

Ultraviolet-Cured Semi-Interpenetrating Network Polymer Electrolytes for High-Performance Quasi-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

Solid polymer electrolytes with relatively low ionic conductivity at room temperature and poor mechanical strength greatly restrict their practical applications. Herein, we design semi-interpenetrating network polymer (SNP) electrolyte composed of an ultraviolet-crosslinked polymer network (ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate), linear polymer chains (polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and lithium salt solution to satisfy the demand of high ionic conductivity, good mechanical flexibility, and electrochemical stability for lithium metal batteries. The semi-interpenetrating network has a pivotal effect in improving chain relaxation, facilitating the local segmental motion of polymer chains and reducing the polymer crystallinity. Thanks to these advantages, the SNP electrolyte shows a high ionic conductivity (1.12 mS cm-1 at 30 °C), wide electrochemical stability window (4.6 V vs. Li+ /Li), good bendability and shape versatility. The promoted ion transport combined with suppressed impedance growth during cycling contribute to good cell performance. The assembled quasi-solid-state lithium metal batteries (LiFePO4 /SNP/Li) exhibit good cycling stability and rate capability at room temperature.

Association between periodontitis and systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the association between periodontitis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: To identify eligible studies, the PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to 19 September 2019. Associations of periodontitis, and other periodontal parameters, with SLE were assessed. RESULTS: Ten studies involving 80,633 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. Pooled data showed a significant association between periodontitis and SLE (odds ratio=5.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.69-16.78, p = 0.004). In addition, SLE patients had a higher prevalence of bleeding on probing (mean difference = 0.03, 95% CI 0.00-0.06, p = 0.02) and higher mean clinical attachment loss (mean difference = 0.69, 95% CI 0.39-1.00, p < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences between SLE and reference subjects in mean plaque index, gingival index, pocket depth or decayed, missing or filled teeth. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a significant association between periodontitis and SLE, which indicates that avoidance of periodontitis by maintaining oral health may be a simple and economical way to prevent SLE.

[Effects of essential periodontal treatment on serum level of sCD40L and periodontal clinical parameters in patients with moderate to severe periodontitis at high risk of stroke].

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of periodontal treatment on patients with moderate to severe periodontitis at high risk of stroke, by detecting the level of serum soluble cell differentiation antigen 40 ligand (sCD40L) before and after periodontal non-surgical treatment. METHODS: Seventy-six patients with moderate to severe periodontitis at high risk of stroke were collected and randomly divided into 2 groups, 40 patients in group A received essential periodontal treatment + routine maintenance therapy, 36 cases in group B only received routine maintenance therapy. Another 36 patients with moderate and severe periodontitis were selected as group C, and received essential periodontal treatment. Bleeding on probing (BOP), periodontal probing depth (PD) and attachment loss (AL) in 6 loci were examined by the same dentists, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the level of serum sCD40L before treatment and 3 months after treatment. The data were analyzed by SPSS 17.0 software package. RESULTS: Compared with pre-treatment, serum level of sCD40L and periodontal clinical indexes of the three groups decreased. Compared with group B, serum SCD40L in group A significantly decreased(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Periodontal treatment can reduce the serum level of sCD40L in patients with moderate to severe periodontitis at high risk of stroke, and improve the patient's inflammatory state. To a certain extent, periodontal treatment may reduce the risk of high-risk stroke population to develop stroke.