Evaluation of small airway function and its application in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Review).

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic airway inflammatory disease characterized by incomplete reversible airflow limitation. The diagnosis of COPD is mainly based on pulmonary function examination. In recent years, it has been indicated that small airway dysfunction occurs in patients with all stages of COPD, even in high-risk smoking groups who have not yet met the diagnostic criteria for COPD. Early recognition of small airway dysfunction and early initiation of small airway targeted therapy have become foci of research. In the present review, the methods of evaluating small airway function were summarized and their merits and shortcomings were discussed. Furthermore, the potential of targeted treatment of small airways in patients with COPD was outlined.

Distribution and composition of suspended matters in the wintertime in the East China Sea.

Total suspended matters (TSMs), as the sediment precursor, directly affect the mass exchange and sedimentation in the East China Sea (ECS). Ultrafine suspended matters (USMs) are an important component of the TSMs, and may play a significant role in regulating pollutant transfer and shaping biological communities. However, the conventional filtration may cause the loss of USMs because the filter membranes with the pore size of 0.45 µm were adopted to collect TSMs; and consequently, no data on USMs are currently available in continental shelves. In this study, the TSMs and USMs in the wintertime in the ECS were collected by using the filter membranes with the pore size of 0.22 µm for investigating their compositions, distributions and exchanges for the first time. The results show that the TSMs consisted of mineral particles (35-80%), biological fragments (10-50%), and flocs (10-40%); and mainly accumulated along the coastal belt and in southwest of the Cheju Island. Comparatively, the USMs were composed of fine biological fragments (10-70%), mineral particles (15-70%), and unrecognizable particles with various shapes (15-35%). They exhibited a clear heterogeneous distribution, namely, accumulated along the coastal belt and outer shelf, but dispersed in the mid-shelf, implying that USMs might be jointly controlled by biological activities, terrestrial inputs and hydrodynamic system in the ECS and the Yellow Sea. The distinct distribution difference between TSMs and USMs denotes their different exchange styles, i.e., for TSMs active in north of the ECS, and weak along the coastal front zone and 100 m isobath; while for USMs almost inactive along the coastal front zone, and active in the outer shelf. Our results may provide a novel clue for evaluating the contribution of TSMs to sedimentation, pollutant transfer and maintenance of marine biological communities with emphasis on the new method for collecting TSMs and USMs in the ECS.

Label-free LC-MS/MS shotgun proteomics to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of rCC16.

Clara cell protein (CC16) is an anti-inflammatory protein, which is expressed in the airway epithelium. It is involved in the development of airway inflammatory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. However, the exact molecular mechanism underlying its anti­inflammatory action remains to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to define the protein profiles of the anti­inflammatory effect of CC16 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)­treated rat tracheal epithelial (RTE) cells using shotgun proteomics. Protein extracts were obtained from control RTE cells, RTE cells treated with LPS and RTE cells treated with LPS and recombinant CC16 (rCC16). Subsequent label­free quantification and bioinformatics analyses identified 12 proteins that were differentially expressed in the three treatment groups as a cluster of five distinct groups according to their molecular functions. Five of the twelve proteins were revealed to be associated with the cytoskeleton: Matrix metalloproteinase­9, myosin heavy chain 10, actin­related protein­3 homolog, elongation factor 1­α­1 (EF­1­α­1), and acidic ribosomal phosphoprotein P0. Five of the twelve proteins were associated with cellular proliferation: DNA­dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, EF­1­α­1, tyrosine 3­monooxygenase, caspase recruitment domain (CARD) protein 12 and adenosylhomocysteinase (SAHH) 3. Three proteins were associated with gene regulation: EF­1­α­1, SAHH 3 and acidic ribosomal phosphoprotein P0. Three proteins were associated with inflammation: Tyrosine 3­monooxygenase, CARD protein 12 and statin­related protein. ATPase (H+­transporting, V1 subunit A, isoform 1) was revealed to be associated with energy metabolism, and uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase 1 family polypeptide A8 with drug metabolism and detoxification. The identified proteins were further validated using reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction. These protein profiles, and their interacting protein network, may facilitate the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti­inflammatory effects of CC16.

[Comparison of ultrasound-guided transrectal and transperineal prostate biopsies in clinical application].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the positive rates and complications of ultrasound-guided transrectal and transperineal prostate biopsies. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 156 cases of ultrasound-guided transrectal (n = 97) and transperineal (n = 59) prostate biopsy, and compared the positive rate and post-biopsy complications between the two approaches. RESULTS: The positive rates in the transrectal and transperineal groups were 48.4% and 44.1%, respectively, with no significant difference between the two approaches according to different PSA levels (P >0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between the transrectal and transperineal groups in the post-biopsy incidence rates of such complications as hematuria (54.6% vs 42.4%, P >0.05), lower urinary tract symptoms (17.5% vs 22.0%, P >0.05), dysuria (9.3% vs 6.8%, P >0.05), and acute urinary retention (7.2% vs 6.8%, P >0.05). However, the incidence rates of post-biopsy infection and rectal bleeding were remarkably higher (15.5% vs 3.4%, P<0.05 and 50.5% vs 3.4%, P >0.01) while that of perineal swelling markedly lower in the former than in the latter (3.1% vs 13.6%, P <0.05). CONCLUSION: Transrectal and transperineal biopsies are both effective for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Since their complications vary, the choice between the two methods depends on the specific condition of the patient.