[A study on the distribution characteristics of peripheral retinal defocus in children and adolescents].

Objective: To explore the distribution characteristics of peripheral retinal defocus in children and adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 500 individuals aged 3 to 18 years, who visited the People's Hospital of Lincang, the First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University and Dali Ophthalmology Hospital between January and December 2021. Data of the right eye of each participant was analyzed. There were 226 males (45.20%) and 274 females (54.80%), with an average age of (10.79±3.79) years. All participants underwent post-cycloplegic refraction, optical biometry, and intraocular pressure measurement to obtain spherical equivalent, average corneal curvature, axial length, and intraocular pressure. Multispectral refraction topography was performed to obtain topographic maps and values at various field angles and orientations of peripheral retinal defocus. Based on multispectral refraction topography, peripheral retinal defocus values were categorized as crater type, hemilateral upturn type, saddle type, and relatively flat type. The distribution of different refractive states was analyzed. Results: The spherical equivalent of the 500 participants was(-1.51±2.61) D, axial length was (24.10±1.28) mm, and average corneal curvature was (43.20±1.22) D. Among the 500 eyes, 382 exhibited hyperopic peripheral retinal defocus values, with 316 eyes (82.72%) being myopic. Myopic peripheral retinal defocus values were observed in 118 eyes, with 15 eyes (12.72%) being myopic. Among different types of peripheral retinal defocus values, 112 eyes (22.4%) exhibited a crater type, 153 eyes (30.6%) exhibited a hemilateral upturn type, 107 eyes (21.4%) exhibited a saddle type, and 128 eyes (25.6%) exhibited a flat type. The proportion of myopia was 82.14% (92 eyes), 69.28% (106 eyes), 60.75% (65 eyes), and 3.90% (5 eyes), respectively. The peripheral retinal defocus values at 15°, 30°, and 45° were (0.01±0.08) D, (0.06±0.21) D, and (0.20±0.37) D, respectively. The peripheral retinal defocus values at temporal, inferior, nasal, and superior locations were (0.58±0.69) D, (0.52±0.63) D, (0.21±0.64) D, and (-0.26±0.67) D, respectively. Notably, the superior primarily manifested as myopic, while the others were predominantly hyperopic. Conclusions: Approximately three-fourths of children and adolescents exhibit hyperopic peripheral retinal defocus values, with a higher prevalence of myopia in this subgroup. The hyperopia peripheral retinal defocus value increases with the distance from the retina to the macula. The peripheral retinal defocus values between superior and inferior, nasal and temporal locations are asymmetrical, with the temporal hyperopic peripheral retinal defocus value being most prominent and the superior myopic peripheral retinal defocus value being most evident.

[Component-resolved diagnosis of tree pollen allergen: identify key allergens to develop treatment plans].

With the increasing global prevalence of tree pollen allergies, there has been a significant impact on the quality of life for populations. In North and Central China, birch pollen, cypress pollen, and plane tree pollen are the most common allergens for springtime pollen allergy sufferers. The distribution of plants and patterns of pollen transmission in different geographical areas result in varying pollen exposure outcomes, further complicating the challenges in diagnosis and individualized treatment. This article delves into the research progress and clinical application of tree pollen allergies based on the "Molecular Allergology User's Guide 2.0 (MAUG 2.0) " published by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI). It discusses major allergen families and component proteins of tree pollen such as PR-10 proteins, profilins, polcalcins, as well as cross-reactive components that may cause pollen-food allergy syndrome. Allergen component diagnostics can distinguish true allergy sufferers from those with multiple allergen reactions, enabling more targeted selection of allergens for specific immunotherapy, thus enhancing treatment effectiveness. Bet v 1 and Cup a 1, for instance, are specific indicators for immunotherapy in birch and cypress allergy patients. Overall, this article provides cutting-edge information for professionals in the field of tree pollen allergies, offering in-depth exploration of tree pollen allergen component proteins, clinical manifestations, and treatment-related research, aiding in better understanding and addressing the challenges of tree pollen allergies.

On the use of Monkhorst-Pack scheme to evaluate superconductivity and the issue of umklapp electron-phonon interactions.

The Monkhorst-Pack scheme is a method to save time in the days of slow computers. It excludes umklapp phonons with significant consequences. Its widespread application to evaluate superconductivity arises from the desire to reduce phonon contributions to solve a historical difficulty of the BCS theory. An alternative method turns out to be more accurate in Pb and Pd.

Comment on "High-temperature superconductivity in transition metallic hydrides MH11 (M = Mo, W, Nb, and Ta) under high pressure" by M. Du, Z. Zhang, H. Song, H. Yu, T. Cui, V. Z. Kresinc and D. Duan, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021, 23, 6717.

The Monkhorst-Pack scheme is applied in Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021, 23, 6717 to study superconductivity in transition metallic hydrides, implying that umklapp phonons have been excluded. But in a superconductor scattered electrons should be able to cover the entire Fermi surface so that umklapp phonons must be included. The authors should take care to explain if and how measures were taken to include umklapp phonons for electron-phonon scattering.

[Current status of hyperkalemia in dialysis patients in China].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of hyperkalemia in dialysis patients. Methods: Patients underwent hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) from multi-center databases were recruited from January 2017 to December 2019, and those aged ≥18 years and with dialysis duration ≥3 months were included to analyze the prevalence and related factors of hyperkalemia. Results: A total of 12 364 patients were enrolled in the study, and 6 836 cases were men. The average age of the patients was (51±15) years. Among these patients, 4 230 cases underwent HD while 8 134 received PD. Hyperkalemia was detected in 20.7% (2 554/12 364) of the patients while hypokalemia was found in 17.0%(2 102/12 364) of the patients. Multivariate logistic regression showed that HD (OR=2.25, 95%CI: 1.54-3.30), diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR=1.65, 95%CI: 1.17-2.32), high body mass index (BMI) (OR=1.06, 95%CI: 1.03-1.09), high levels of serum albumin (OR=1.04, 95%CI: 1.01-1.07) and phosphorus (OR=3.12, 95%CI: 2.44-4.00), low levels of serum bicarbonate (OR=0.89, 95%CI: 0.87-0.92), triglycerides (OR=0.76, 95%CI: 0.68-0.85) and creatinine (OR=0.95, 95%CI: 0.90-0.99), usage of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/Angiotensin Ⅱ receptor antagonist (ACEI/ARB, OR=1.38, 95%CI: 1.11-1.72) and beta-blocker (OR=1.32, 95%CI: 1.07-1.64) were associated with hyperkalemia. Conclusions: Hyperkalemia occurred in 20.7% of the dialysis patients. HD, DM, high BMI, high levels of serum albumin and phosphorus, low levels of serum bicarbonate, triglycerides and creatinine, use of ACEI/ARB were associated with hyperkalemia.

[Role of CXCL12-CXCR4/CXCR7 signal axis in liver regeneration and liver fibrosis].

Chemokine CXC ligand 12 (CXCL12)-chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) signal axis is involved in the regulation of liver injury repair and the occurrence and development of liver fibrosis. In case of acute and chronic liver injury, the expression of CXCL12 is up-regulated to collect CXCR4-positive immune cells to migrate to the liver. The CXCL12-CXCR4 pathway participates in the occurrence of liver fibrosis by promoting the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells. The emergence of small molecule inhibitors of CXCR4 makes this receptor an attractive target for anti-fibrosis therapy. At present, CXCR4 has been tried as an anti-fibrosis treatment targets for fibrosis of various organs, including pulmonary fibrosis and chronic pancreatitis. However, some studies have shown that simply blocking the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis cannot improve liver fibrosis and even aggravate liver injury. In recent years, with the discovery and understanding of CXCR7, another receptor of CXCR12, the counteracting role of CXCR4-promoting fibrosis pathway and CXCR7-promoting regeneration pathway in liver regeneration and liver fibrosis has been interpreted. Therefore, a full understanding of the regulatory mechanism of CXCL12-CXCR4/CXCR7 pathway, the development of corresponding targeted therapy research for liver disease, and the rebalancing of CXCR4 and CXCR7 are expected to become a new strategy for the liver fibrosis therapy.

[Outcomes of 138 myelodysplastic syndrome patients with HLA-matched sibling donor allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients who received HLA-matched sibling donor allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (MSD-PBSCT) . Methods: The clinical data of 138 MDS patients received MSD-PBSCT from Sep. 2005 to Dec. 2017 were retrospectively analyzed, and the overall survival (OS) rate, disease-free survival (DFS) rate, relapse rate (RR) , non-relapse mortality (NRM) rate and the related risk factors were explored. Results: ①After a median follow-up of 1 050 (range 4 to 4 988) days, the 3-year OS and DFS rates were (66.6±4.1) % and (63.3±4.1) %, respectively. The 3-year cumulative incidence of RR and NRM rates were (13.9±0.1) % and (22.2±0.1) %, respectively. ②Univariate analysis showed that patients with grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) or hematopoietic cell transplantation comorbidity index (HCT-CI) ≥2 points or patients in very high-risk group of the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) had significantly decreased OS[ (42.9±13.2) %vs (72.9±4.2) %, χ(2)=8.620, P=0.003; (53.3±7.6) %vs (72.6±4.7) %, χ(2)=6.681, P=0.010; (53.8±6.8) %vs (76.6±6.2) %vs (73.3±7.7) %, χ(2)=6.337, P=0.042]. For MDS patients with excess blasts-2 (MDS-EB2) and acute myeloid leukemia patients derived from MDS (MDS-AML) , pre-transplant chemotherapy or hypomethylating agents (HMA) therapy could not improve the OS rate[ (60.4±7.8) %vs (59.2±9.6) %, χ(2)=0.042, P=0.838]. ③Multivariate analysis indicated that the HCT-CI was an independent risk factor for OS and DFS (P=0.012, HR=2.108, 95%CI 1.174-3.785; P=0.008, HR=2.128, 95%CI 1.219-3.712) . Conclusions: HCT-CI was better than the IPSS-R in predicting the outcomes after transplantation. The occurrence of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD is a poor prognostic factor for OS. For patients of MDS-EB2 and MDS-AML, immediate transplantation was recommended instead of receiving pre-transplant chemotherapy or HMA therapy.

Inhibitory effect of the Notch pathway-inhibitor DAPT on invasion and metastasis of tongue cancer via lncRNA-KAT14 regulation.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify a reliable biomarker for tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC), the most common oral cancer with no established biomarkers, to predict prognosis and to select the optimal treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To investigate whether DAPT exhibited antitumor functions, CAL-27 and SCC-9 cells were treated with DAPT (5 µM or 10 µM) for different times. Further, qRT-PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of lncRNA-KAT14 after treatment with DAPT or si-KAT14 and both combined. Moreover, the treated cells were cultured for different times to investigate their antitumor function. The Wound-healing and Transwell assay were carried out to evaluate the migration and invasion viability of cancer cells, respectively. Finally, the Western blots were performed to determine the expression of EMT-related proteins after transfection with si-KAT14 or treatment with DAPT to investigate the effects of DAPT on EMT-related proteins. RESULTS: Proliferation was inhibited after treatment with DAPT, and the expression of lncRNA-KAT14 was upregulated. To investigate the correlation of DAPT and lncRNA-KAT14 on the metastasis and invasion in tongue cancer, the following cellular processes were assessed: proliferation, invasion, and migration ability. The Western blots were used to determine the expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Vimentin, and Snail, showing that DAPT or lncRNA-KAT14 suppressed all these processes, inducing a decreased expression of N-cadherin, Vimentin, and Snail, and increased expression of E-cadherin, compared with the control group. Once transfection with si-KAT14 occurred, the evaluated cellular processes were enhanced, being this attenuated by the treatment with DAPT. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that DAPT suppresses invasion and metastasis of tongue cancer by regulating lncRNA-KAT14.

MiR-92b inhibited cells EMT by targeting Gabra3 and predicted prognosis of triple negative breast cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer without the three markers, which has a poor prognosis than other types. Recently, studies have identified that microRNA-92b (miR-92b) acted as potential oncogene in tumor progression, however, the biological roles of miR-92b in TNBC remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the functions of miR-92b and verify its effect on the regulation of Gabra3 in TNBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dual-Luciferase reporter assay was recruited to confirm whether miR-92b directly binds to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of Gabra3 mRNA in TNBC. Transwell assay was employed to analyze the capacities of migration and invasion. Western blot was applied to evaluate the expression of the special proteins that including Gabra3, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and GAPDH. RESULTS: We demonstrated that miR-92b was remarkably low expressed in TNBC tissues and cell lines, and particularly in inhibiting the migration, invasion and EMT of TNBC cells. On the contrary, Gabra3 was significantly overexpressed in TNBC tissues and cell lines in comparison with the corresponding paracancerous tissues and the normal breast epithelial cell line. The expression of miR-92b had a negative correlation with the expression of Gabra3 in TNBC tissues. Downregulation of Gabra3 could inhibit the migration, invasion and EMT of TNBC cells. MiR-92b mediated the expression of Gabra3 through directly binding to the 3'-UTR of Gabra3 mRNA. In addition, low expression of miR-92b or overexpression of Gabra3 predicted poor prognosis of TNBC patients. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-92b inhibited the migration and invasion-mediated EMT through directly targeting the 3'-UTR of Gabra3 mRNA in triple negative breast cancer. The newly identified miR-92b/Gabra3 axis may make it to be a new target for clinical diagnosis and treatment of TNBC.

[Research progress on abnormal liver function in pregnancy].

Abnormal liver function in pregnancy is a common clinical problem in the department of obstetrics and liver disease, but its severity can cause danger to the life of the mother and fetus. Therefore, the different cause of abnormal liver function in pregnancy should be assessed accurately in order to take early intervention measures. Moreover, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate the situation of both mother and fetus to obtain the optimal treatment effect for abnormal liver function caused by different types of pregnancy-related liver diseases.

[The application of indocyanine green fluorescent navigation in laparotomy of cholecystectomy].

Objective: To explore the application of indocyanine green fluorescence navigation in open cholecystectomy. Methods: Forty-eight patients with extrahepatic cholangiography who underwent open cholecystectomy in our hospital from March 2016 to February 2018 were enrolled. They were divided into the control group (24 cases) and the experimental group (24 cases) by using the random number table method. The control group was treated with conventional X-ray cholangiopancreatography, and the experimental group was treated with indocyanine green near-infrared fluorescence imaging for extrahepatic cholangiography. The cholangiography success rate, cholangiography time, cholangiography economic costs, imaging accuracy and security were compared between two groups. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion amount, length of hospital stays, and hospital expenses were also compared between two groups. Results: The success rate of cholangiography (98.62% vs 97.22%) and the incidence of adverse reactions (25.00 vs 29.17) were not significantly different between the two groups (P>0.05). The cholangiography time (25.69±3.47 min vs 31.42±4.66 min), operation time (90.18±10.27 min vs 81.44±9.35 min), intraoperative blood loss (82.35±8.24 ml vs 78.14±7.82 ml), blood transfusion volume (35.19±4.77 ml vs 29.58±4.03 ml), hospitalization time (7.59±1.52 d vs 6.24±1.25 d), and hospitalization cost (12.7±3.1 thousands vs 10.4±2.5 thousands) of the experimental group were significant lower than those of the control group. The accuracy rate (92.22% vs 87.50%), sensitivity (85.71% vs 50.00%) and specificity (88.24% vs 68.75%) of cholangiography in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Conclusion: Indocyanine green fluorescent navigation is more timely and accurate than traditional X-ray cholangiography during temporary angiography in open cholecystectomy, which can effectively shorten the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion, hospitalization time and hospitalization expenses. It does not increase the incidence of adverse reactions, has high safety, and is worthy of clinical promotion.

[Analysis of the effects of different nutritional support methods on postoperative recovery in patients with gastric cancer].

Objective: To assess the effects of different nutritional support methods on postoperative recovery in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: 98 patients who received radical gastrectomy were divided into three groups: parenteral nutrition group (PN group) (n=36), early enteral nutrition group (EEN group) (n=33) and early oral feeding group (EON group) (n=29). Tolerance of enteral nutrition, postoperative recovery and economic indicators were compared. Results: The number of laparoscopic-assisted surgeries was 18, 17 and 25 in PN group, EEN group and EON group, respectively. There was no significant difference in sex, age and body mass index(BMI) among the three groups. Gastrointestinal function recovered slowly in 3 cases, including 2 cases in EEN group and 1 case in EON group. 1 case in EON group had abdominal hemorrhage. Median postoperative hospital stay in PN, EEN and EON group was 11.0, 11.0 and 8.0 days respectively, and significant reduction can be found in EON group(P<0.001). The complication rates were 30.5% (11 cases), 12.1% (4 cases), and 13.8% (4 cases), respectively, with no statistically significant difference(P=0.102). The median nutritional support costs for PN group, EEN group, and EON group were 4 543.3, 974.2, and 265.0 yuan, respectively. The median albumin consumption was 90.0, 40.0, and 0 g, respectively. The EON groups were significantly lower (P<0.001). The results of the laparoscopic assisted subgroup and the ones of whole group were consistent. Conclusion: Compared with parenteral nutrition and early enteral nutrition, early oral feeding can reduce the amount of albumin consumption, decrease the cost of nutrition support and shorten the average hospital stay after surgey without increasing the incidence of complications.

Screening for syphilis with dual algorithms: analysis of discordant and concordant serology results in a population with a low prevalence of syphilis.

BACKGROUND: Currently, many laboratories have switched the traditional screening algorithm (TSA) to reverse screening algorithm (RSA) for the efficiencies in high-volume syphilis screening. However, confusions have been arisen regarding this paradigm shift. OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of two algorithms with head-to-head mode. METHODS: Sera screening for syphilis were tested in parallel with chemiluminescence immunoassay (CIA) and toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST). CIA-reactive sera from the RSA were reflexively tested with TRUST and confirmed with Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA), while the TRUST-reactive serology from the TSA were afterwards tested with TPPA. RESULTS: A total of 110 663 serum samples were screened. The RSA identified 2259 (2.0%) CIA-reactive results, of which 377 (16.7%) showed TPPA nonreactive results, while the TSA identified 934 (0.8%) TRUST-reactive results, of which 67 (7.2%) showed TPPA-nonreactive results. Among the 2259 CIA-reactive results, 1392 (61.6%) were TRUST-nonreactive, of which 350 (25.1%) were TPPA-nonreactive. A total of 182 sera from the 350 TPPA-nonreactive sera were further tested by a second CIA (VITROS Syphilis TPA, VITROS TPA), of which 155 (85.2%) were nonreactive and 27 (14.8%) were reactive. The 27 VITROS TPA-reactive sera were further tested with a treponemal Western blot assay (Euroimmun IgG Western Blot, EuroWB), of which 11 (41%) were indeterminate, 6 (22%) were nonreactive and 10 (37%) were reactive. Among the 10 EuroWB-reactive sera, two seroconverted to TPPA 1:80+/- after 1-year follow-up. Of 867 CIA-reactive/TRUST-reactive results, 27 (3.1%) were TPPA-nonreactive. CONCLUSIONS: The RSA identified more patients with reactive treponemal serology. However, it also yielded an increased likely false-reactive rate compared with the TSA, especially those results with low index values and TRUST-nonreactive serology, were necessary to retest with a second treponemal test. Further testing results with TPPA, VITROS TPA and EuroWB suggested the false-reactive CIA screening results and the likely false-nonreactive TPPA results when the reactive treponemal results screened with RSA were to be identified.

CD31 induces inflammatory response by promoting hepatic inflammatory response and cell apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether CD31 could regulate paracetamol-induced liver injury, thereby providing a new direction for the prevention and treatment of drug-induced hepatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wild-type (WT) mice were treated with acetaminophen (APAP) (250 mg/kg) or isodose of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). 1, 3, 6 and 12 h after the treatment, the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression level of CD31 in the liver of mice were determined by Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting, respectively. Once CD31 was confirmed to be involved in APAP-induced liver injury, the acute liver injury model in WT mice and CD31 gene deficient (CD31-/-) mice induced by APAP was established. Serum samples were collected at 8 and 24 h after APAP injection (250 mg/kg), and the activity of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was measured. The liver tissues of mice were isolated and analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Meanwhile, mononuclear cells (MNCs) were isolated from the liver tissues of mice. The number of infiltrating macrophages and neutrophils was detected by flow cytometry, and the activation level of these cells was analyzed. The expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines in liver tissues, such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC), MCP-1 and IL-6, were determined by RT-PCR. The expression levels of cytokines in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Moreover, the protein expression levels of JNK, Caspase-3, and cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) in liver tissues were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: After APAP treatment, we found that WT mice were more sensitive to APAP-induced liver injury. The level of ALT in WT mice was significantly higher than that of CD31-/- mice, meanwhile, more necrotic or apoptotic cells were found in WT mice. Results also indicated that the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, including KC, IL-1ß, MCP-1 and IL-6, were significantly higher in WT mice. Meanwhile, the number of infiltrating macrophages and neutrophils in the liver tissues of WT mice were much more than that of CD31-/- mice. CONCLUSIONS: APAP-treated CD31-/- mice exhibited less liver injury when compared with WT mice. We also confirmed that CD31 was greatly involved in APAP-induced inflammatory response by promoting hepatic inflammatory and cell apoptosis, which might provide a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of drug-induced hepatitis.

Reducing 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpyruvic acid to d-3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid via a coenzyme nonspecific d-lactate dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus reuteri.

AIMS: The purpose of this work was to find an efficient enzyme to synthesize d-3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid (d-DSS). METHODS AND RESULTS: Nineteen lactic acid bacteria strains were screened for production of d-DSS using 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpyruvic acid (DPA) as a substrate. Lactobacillus reuteri JN516 exhibited the highest d-DSS yield. A nonspecific coenzyme, d-lactate dehydrogenase (d-LDH82319), from L. reuteri JN516 with high DPA reducing activity was identified. This enzyme reduced DPA to form d-DSS with excellent optical purity (enantioselectivity >99%). Its molecular weight was 35 kDa based on SDS-PAGE migration. The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km ), turnover number (kcat ), and catalytic efficiency (kcat /Km ) of d-LDH82319 for DPA were 0·09 mmol l-1 , 2·17 s-1 and 24·07 (mmol l-1 )-1  s-1 , respectively, with NADH as the coenzyme. The (Km ), (kcat ) and (kcat /Km ) of d-LDH82319 for DPA were 0·10 mmol l-1 , 0·13 s-1 and 1·30 (mmol l-1 )-1  s-1 , respectively, with NADPH as the coenzyme. The optimum temperature and pH of d-LDH82319 were 25°C and pH 8 respectively. Additionally, d-LDH82319 had a broad substrate range for alpha-keto acids, among which the activity of reducing pyruvate was the strongest; therefore, it belongs to the group of d-lactate dehydrogenases. d-LDH82319 and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) were coexpressed to produce d-DSS from DPA. CONCLUSIONS: d-LDH82319 from L. reuteri JN516 with high DPA reducing activity has the characteristics of a nonspecific coenzyme. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: d-LDH82319 is the first reported coenzyme nonspecific d-lactate dehydrogenase with DPA-reducing activity. The coexpression system provided an effective method to produce d-DSS.

[Effects of preexisting donor-specific HLA antibodies for graft failure in un-manipulated haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

Objective: To investigate the effects of donor-specific HLA antibodies(DSA) for graft failure in un-manipulated haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(haplo-HSCT) and the feasible treatment for DSA. Methods: HLA antibodies were examined using the Luminex-based single Ag assay for 92 patients who were going on haplo-SCT and the correlations of graft failure and DSA among the patients who had finished SCT were analyzed. Results: Of the total 92 patients who were going on haplo-HSCT, sixteen (17.4%) patients were HLA Ab-positive, including six (6.5%) patients with antibodies corresponding to donor HLA Ags (DSA-positive). Among the patients who had finished the haplo-HSCT with conventional myeloablative conditioning regimen, the engraftment rate was significantly higher in DSA (-) patients than that in DSA (+) patients [92.3% (24/26) vs 25.0%(1/4), χ2=8.433, P=0.004] and DSA was the only factor relevant with graft failure in multiple-factor analysis [OR=12.0(95% CI 1.39-103.5), P=0.024]. Strategies to decrease antibody levels were taken for 4 patients, two were their first transplantations, and the other two patients were their second haplo-HSCT. Three of the four patients were HLA-I-DSA positive and had gained donor engraftment by means of donor platelet transfusions to decreased the level of DSA, the fourth patient with both HLA-I and HLA-II DSA also gained engraftment with the treatments of TBI, rituximab and donor platelet transfusion. Conclusion: DSA is one of the key factors of graft failure in haplo-HSCT. Donors should be selected on the basis of an evaluation of HLA antibodies before transplantation. If haplo-HSCT from donors with DSA must be performed, then recipients should be treated for DSA to improve the chances of successful engraftment.

[Diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral computerized tomographic fistulography in congenital fistula of neck].

Objective: To investigate the usefulness and effectiveness of multi-slice spiral computerized tomographic fistulography (MSCTF) in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital fistula of neck. Methods: Thirty-four patients with thyroglossal fistulasor branchial cleft fistulas who were initial treated from July 2008 to August 2015 in Fujian Provincial Hospital were retrospectively analyses. Thirteen males and 21 females patients aging from 3 to 46 years old with a median age of 37 were included. There were thyroglossal fistula in 6 cases, the first branchialcleft fistula in 9 cases, the second branchialcleft fistula in 3 cases, the third branchialcleft fistula in 9 cases, and the fourth branchialcleft fistula in 7 cases. All the patients underwent preopeative MSCTF and the diagnoses were finally confirmed with surgery and histopathology. Multiplanar reconstruction(MPR), maximumintensity projection(MIP)and volume rendering(VR) were completed with AW Volume Share 4.2 image processing software after initial CT scanning.The internal openings, distribution, and neighboring relationship of the fistulas showed by MSCTF were analyzed and the surgical strategies were subsequently made. Results: Except 2 cases, 32 patients had obtained successfully MSCTF image. The presence and location of the fistulas could be showed clearly on MSCTF. Based on the results of MSCTF examination, the surgical planes to treat the fistulas were made. The fistulas in all cases were successfully found and excised. Three cases underwent selective neck dissection. Postoperative infection occurred in 1 case. Unilateral vocal fold paralysis due to surgery recovered 3 months after surgery with follow-up. One case lost follow-up, the remaining 33 cases were followed up for 13-97 months with no the fistula recurrence. Conclusions: MSCTF could provide valuable information and benefit surgical planning by demonstrating the coursesof congenital fistulas of neck in detail.