[Correlation analysis between Pirani score and talo-navicular angle,calcaneo-cuboid angle and tibio-calcaneall angle of infant clubfoot under ultrasound].

Objective: To explore the evaluation effect of ultrasonography and Pirani score on tarsal deformity, treatment effect and pseudo-correction of congenital clubfoot in infants and young children, and the correlation between the two methods. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 26 children (40 feet) with congenital clubfoot who were evaluated by ultrasonography in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively collected. There were 16 males and 10 females. The age at the first ultrasound examination was (M(IQR)) 9.0 (18.0) days (range: 1 to 46 days). All patients were treated with Ponseti method by the same physician. The Pirani scores before and after treatment and at the last examination, and the talonavicular angle, calcaneocuboid angle and tibiocalcaneal angle measured by ultrasound were collected, and the treatment and follow-up were recorded. Paired sample t test, repeated measures analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test were used for data comparison, and Spearman correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to calculate the efficacy of ultrasound in evaluating different Pirani scores. Results: The number of plaster fixation in 26 children was 4.0 (1.0) times (range: 2 to 8 times). The medial talonavicular angle and posterior tibiocalcaneal angle were significantly improved after treatment and at the last follow-up compared with those before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). There was no difference in lateral calcaneocuboid angle before and after treatment and at the last follow-up (F=1.971, P>0.05). Pseudo-correction occurred in 2 cases (2 feet) during the treatment, with an incidence of 5%. Correlation analysis showed that there was a moderate positive correlation between talonavicular angle and Pirani midfoot score (r=0.480, P<0.01). There was no correlation between calcaneocuboid angle and Pirani midfoot score (r=0.114, P=0.105). There was a moderate negative correlation between tibial heel angle and Pirani hindfoot score (r=-0.566, P<0.01). The cut-off point of Pirani midfoot score of 1.5 was 38.78°, the sensitivity was 0.90, the specificity was 0.56, and the area under the curve was 0.75. The cut-off value of angle was 27.51 °, the sensitivity was 0.16, the specificity was 0.92, and the area under the curve was 0.44.The cut-off points of Pirani midfoot score of 3.0 were 45.08°and 9.96°, the sensitivity was 0.94 and 0.91, the specificity was 0.37 and 0.42, and the area under the curve was 0.59 and 0.62, respectively. The cut-off values of Pirani hindfoot score of 2.0 and 3.0 were 167.46° and 160.15°, respectively. The sensitivity was 0.75 and 0.67, the specificity was 0.81 and 0.83, and the area under the curve was 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. Conclusion: Ultrasound can complement with Pirani score, visually and dynamically observe the morphology and position changes of talonavicular joint, calcaneocuboid joint and tibiotalocalcaneal joint, monitor the recovery and pseudo-correction of tarsal bones, and better evaluate the therapeutic effect.

[Analysis of the therapeutic efficacy and factors influencing sequential combination of nucleos(t)ide analogues with pegylated interferon alpha for 48~96 weeks in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B].

Objective: To explore the therapeutic efficacy and factors influencing the sequential combination of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) with pegylated interferon alpha (Peg-IFN-α) in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: 144 CHB cases with NAs treatment for more than 1 year, HBV DNA < 20 IU/ml, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) quantification < 3 000 IU/ml, treated with a sequential combination of Peg-IFN-α treatment for 48 to 96 weeks, and followed up were selected from the Fifth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital between May 2018 and May 2020. Intention-to-treat analysis was used to measure the HBsAg clearance rate at 96 weeks. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compute the cumulative HBsAg clearance rate at 96 weeks. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the factors influencing HBsAg clearance at 48 weeks of sequential combination therapy. Univariate and multifactorial COX proportional hazard models were used to analyze the factors influencing HBsAg clearance following 96 weeks of prolonged PEG-IFN-α treatment. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to assess the predictive value of factors influencing HBsAg clearance. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the measurement data between groups. The count data was compared using the χ(2) test between groups. Results: 41 (28.47%) cases achieved HBsAg clearance at 48 weeks of sequential combination therapy. The HBsAg clearance rate at 96 weeks was 40.28% (58/144) by intention-to-treat analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method computed that the cumulative HBsAg clearance rate at 96 weeks was 68.90%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HBsAg quantification at baseline (OR = 0.090, 95%CI: 0.034-0.240, P < 0.001) and a 24-week drop in HBsAg level (OR = 7.788, 95%CI: 3.408-17.798, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of HBsAg clearance in CHB patients treated sequentially in combination with NAs and Peg-IFN-α for 48 weeks. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the baseline HBsAg quantification [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), 0.911, 95% CI: 0.852-0.952)] and 24-week drop in HBsAg level (AUC = 0.881, 95%CI: 0.814-0.930) had equally good predictive value for 48-week HBsAg clearance, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two (Z = 0.638, P = 0.523). The value of the combination of baseline HBsAg quantification and 24-week drop in HBsAg level (AUC = 0.981, 95%CI: 0.941-0.997) was superior to that of single baseline HBsAg quantification (Z = 3.017, P = 0.003) and 24-week drop in HBsAg level (Z = 3.214, P = 0.001) in predicting HBsAg clearance rate at 48 weeks. Multivariate COX proportional hazards model analysis showed that HBsAg quantification at 48 weeks (HR = 0.364, 95%CI: 0.176-0.752, P = 0.006) was an independent predictor of HBsAg clearance with a prolonged course to 96 weeks of Peg-IFN-α treatment. Conclusion: The HBsAg clearance rate can be accurately predicted with baseline HBsAg quantification combined with a 24-week drop in HBsAg level in patients with CHB who are treated with a sequential combination of NAs and Peg-IFN-α therapy for 48 weeks. Prolonging the course of Peg-IFN-α treatment can enhance the HBsAg clearance rate's capability. An independent predictor of HBsAg clearance is HBsAg quantification at 48 weeks of sequential combination therapy with a prolonged course of 96 weeks of Peg-IFN-α treatment.

[The prognostic value of preoperative peripheral blood inflammatory biomarkers for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after radical resection].

Objective: To explore the value of preoperative peripheral blood inflammatory biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after radical resection. Methods: A total of 124 patients who underwent radical resection for ICC in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2010 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was conducted to determine the best cut-off values of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic immune inflammatory index (SII), and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI). Univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors were performed using Cox proportional hazards regression model. Based on the independent prognostic factors screened by multivariate Cox regression analysis, a nomogram model of overall survival prediction for ICC patients after radical resection was established. Results: Among the 124 patients, 87 patients died and 37 patients survived during the follow-up period. The median overall survival time of the whole patients was 21 months. ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve (AUC) of NLR, PLR, LMR, SII and SIRI for predicting the overall survival of ICC patients after radical resection were 57.86%, 64.21%, 60.61%, 67.57% and 66.03%, respectively. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that the inflammatory biomarkers of NLR, PLR, SII, and SIRI were associated with overall survival of ICC after radical resection (HR=1.787, 95%CI: 1.165-2.741; HR=1.181, 95% CI: 1.224-2.892; HR=2.412, 95% CI: 1.565-3.717; HR=1.648, 95% CI: 1.081-2.513). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the inflammatory biomarker of SII was an independent prognostic factor of ICC after radical resection (HR=1.863, 95% CI: 1.161-2.989). According to the best cut-off value of SII to predict the overall survival of ICC patients after radical resection (709.86×10(9)/L), the patients were divided into low SII group (SII≤709.86×10(9)/L) and high SII group (SII>709.86×10(9)/L). In the high SII group, the proportions of NLR>3.31, PLR>3.31, SIRI>1.30×10(9)/L, carbohydrate antigen 19-9>39.0 U/ml, Child-Pugh liver function (grade B), hemi-hepatic/extended hepatectomy, combined perineural invasion, N1 stage and TNM stage (ⅢB) were higher than those in the low SII group (P<0.05). Based on the independent prognostic factors screened by multivariate Cox regression analysis, a nomogram model of overall survival prediction for ICC after radical resection was established, the C-index values of the training set and testing set were 0.774 and 0.737, respectively. Conclusions: Preoperative peripheral blood inflammatory marker SII is an independent risk factor for the prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients after radical resection. The nomogram model of overall survival prediction established that included SII has a good predictive ability and can be used to evaluate the prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients after radical resection.

The effect of cytoplasmic dynein on the development and functional maintenance of retinal photoreceptor cells.

Cytoplasmic dynein is a multi-subunit complex that includes cytoplasmic dynein-1 (dynein1) and cytoplasmic dynein-2 (dynein2). It participates in various basic cellular processes, including nuclear migration, mitotic spindle organization, chromosome separation during mitosis, and the location and function of numerous intracellular organelles. Retinal photoreceptor cells are terminally differentiated neurons that cannot regenerate and cannot be replaced once lost. It is thus crucial to study their development to facilitate the generation and improvement of photoreceptor disease treatments. The outer segment (OS) of photoreceptor cells is a specific sensory cilium. An increasing number of studies have shown that cytoplasmic dynein plays an essential role in the development of retinal photoreceptor cells. To date, people have done a lot of studies on the various functions of dynein in cells and have a very detailed understanding. However, the role of dynein in retinal photoreceptor cells has not been summarized in detail. This article summarizes the currently available knowledge relating to the effects and mechanisms of cytoplasmic dynein on the development and functional maintenance of retinal photoreceptor cells.

[Prognostic value of preoperative peripheral blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio index in patients with hepatitis B virus related intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after radical resection].

Objective: To explore the value of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio index (GPRI) for predicting the prognosis of patients with HBV-related intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after radical resection. Methods: The data of 79 patients who underwent radical resection for HBV-related ICC in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2010 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 48(60.8%) patients were male and 31 (39.2%) patients were female, (56.9±11.2) years old. X-Tile statistical software was used to determine the best cut-off values of NLR and GPRI. The χ2 test was conducted to analyze the relationship between preoperative NLR and GPRI and the clinicopathological characteristics, and the Cox proportional hazard regression model was conducted for multivariate analysis. A nomogram prognostic prediction model was established based on independent risk factors screened by Cox regression model. Results: The best cut-off values of NLR and GPRI were 3.13 and 1.31 determined by the X-Tile software, respectively. With the best cut-off value, 79 patients were divided into NLR≤3.13 group (45 cases) and NLR>3.13 group (34 cases). GPRI≤1.31 group (54 cases) and GPRI>1.31 group (25 cases). Compared with the preoperative NLR ≤3.13 group, the proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis and atrophy, poor pathological differentiation, tumor diameter>5 cm and late TNM stage was significantly increased in the NLR>3.13 group (all P<0.05); Compared with preoperative GPRI ≤1.31 group, the proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis and atrophy was significantly increased in the GPRI>1.31 group (P=0.025). The postoperative overall survival time of the included patients was 2 to 126 months, with the median survival time being 18 months, and the 1, 3-year overall survival rates were 63.3%, 32.8%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that NLR, GPRI, liver cirrhosis and atrophy, and lymphatic metastasis were independent risk factors affecting the overall survival of patients with HBV-related ICC after radical resection (P<0.05). A nomogram prediction model was established based on independent risk factors, with the C-index of 0.750, and the prediction effect was close to the actual survival outcome of the patients. Conclusion: Preoperative peripheral blood NLR and GPRI can be used to predict the prognosis of patients with HBV-related ICC after radical resection.

[Early reduction of serum RANTES can predict HBsAg clearance in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues combined with peginterferon alpha].

Objective: To observe the dynamic changes of serum RANTES during the treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues combined with pegylated interferon alpha (peginterferon-α), and further analyze the predictive effect of RANTES on HBsAg clearance in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Methods: 98 cases of chronic hepatitis B with quantitative HBsAg < 3 000 IU/ml and HBV DNA < 20 IU/ml after≥1 year NAs treatment were enrolled. Among them, 26 cases continued to receive NAs monotherapy, 72 cases received NAs combined with pegylated interferon alpha therapy. The changes in RANTES during treatment were observed. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the early changes of RANTES to predict the HBsAg clearance during 48 weeks. Results: During 48 weeks, 15 cases (20.83%) had achieved HBsAg clearance in combination group, while no patient had achieved HBsAg clearance in NAs group. The overall serum RANTES level had decreased from baseline in NAs and combination group. At week 48, in the combination group, the serum RANTES level was decreased more significantly in patients with HBsAg clearance than patients without. Further analysis showed that, in combination group, HBsAg clearance rate of patients with serum RANTES decreased at week 12 and 24 was higher than patients with elevated (29.17% vs. 4.17%, P = 0.014; 28.00% vs. 4.55%, P = 0.052), and quantitative HBsAg reduction was larger significantly [(1.49 ± 1.26) log(10)IU/ml vs. (0.73 ± 0.81) log(10)IU/ml, P = 0.017; (1.54 ± 1.27) log(10)IU/ml vs. (0.57 ± 0.56) log(10)IU/ml, P = 0.004]. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the baseline quantitative HBsAg and the reduction in quantitative HBsAg and serum RANTES during the early period were predictors of HBsAg clearance after 48-week combination therapy. Furthermore, the combination of baseline quantitative HBsAg and 12 - or 24-week reduction of serum RANTES were better predictors of HBsAg clearance than that of baseline quantitative HBsAg combined with HBsAg decrease at week 12 or 24. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the former was 0.925 and 0.939, while that of the latter was 0.909 and 0.929, respectively. Conclusion: Early reduction of serum RANTES at week 12 and 24 can predict HBsAg loss in CHB patients receiving addition of peginterferon-α to ongoing NAs Therapy, so serum RANTES could be one of the key immunological markers for predicting HBsAg clearance.

[Exploratory screening of potential pan-cancer biomarkers based on The Cancer Genome Atlas database].

OBJECTIVE: To screen potential pan-cancer biomarkers based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and to provide help for the diagnosis and prognosis assessment of a variety of cancers. METHODS: "GDC Data Transfer Tool" and "GDCRNATools" packages were used to obtain TCGA database. After data sorting, a total of 13 cancers were selected for further analysis. False disco-very rate (FDR) < 0.05 and fold change (FC) >1.5 were used as the differential expression criteria to screen genes and miRNAs that were up- or down-regulated in all the 13 cancers. In the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve), the area under the curve (AUC), the best cut-off value and the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were used to reflect diagnostic significance. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival probability and then the log-rank test was performed. Hazard ratio (HR) was calculated to reflect prognostic evaluation significance. DAVID tool were used to perform GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment analysis for differentially expressed genes. STRING and TargetScan tools were used to analyze the regulatory network of differentially expressed genes and miRNAs. RESULTS: A total of 48 genes and 2 miRNAs were differentially expressed in all the 13 cancers. Among them, 25 genes were up-regulated, 23 genes and 2 miRNAs were down-regulated. Most differentially expressed genes and miRNAs had good ability to distinguish between the cases and controls, with AUC, sensitivity and specificity up to 0.8-0.9. Survival analysis results show that differentially expressed genes and miRNAs were significantly associated with patient survival in a variety of cancers. Most up-regulated genes were risk factors for patient survival (HR>1), while most down-regulated genes were protective factors for patient survival (0 < HR < 1). The enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG showed that the differentially expressed genes were mostly enriched in biological events related to cell proliferation. In the regulatory network analysis, a total of 13 differentially expressed genes and 2 differentially expressed miRNAs had regulatory and interaction relationships. CONCLUSION: The 48 genes and 2 miRNAs that were differentially expressed in 13 cancers may serve as potential pan-cancer biomarkers, providing help for the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of a variety of cancers, and providing clues for the development of broad-spectrum tumor therapeutic targets.

Circulating exosomes in ophthalmic disease: novel carriers of biological information circulating exosomes in ophthalmic disease.

Exosomes, small membrane vesicles with a diameter of 30-100 nm, transport lipids, proteins, DNA, and RNA. Exosomes originate from endocytic vessels and are processed and released through exocytosis. They can be taken up by target cells and mediate intercellular communication. Initially, exosomes were thought to be waste products excreted by cells. However, with more research, they have been found to play important roles in physiological and pathological processes. Therefore, they are promising biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of disease conditions, including fundus diseases, ocular surface diseases, retinal diseases, tumors, ocular trauma, and light damage. In this review, we discuss the history, biogenesis, release, isolation, characterization, and biological functions of exosomes, as well as their future application prospects in ophthalmic diseases.

[The role of lysosomes in manganese-induced toxicity in SK-N-SH cells].

Objective: To investigate the role of lysosomes in manganese-induced toxicity in human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells. Methods: SK-N-SH cells were treated with MnCl(2) at doses of 0.062 5, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mmol/L for 24 h, and the cell viability was detected by MTT assay. Cells were treated with MnCl(2) at doses of 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0mmol/L for 24 h, and lysosomes labeled with lysotracker red were observed by laser confocal microscopy, the expression levels of LAMP1 and CTSD were detected by western blot, and CTSD activity was detected by Cathepsin D Activity Fluorometric Assay Kit. Results: Compared with the control group, the survival rates of SK-N-SH cells were decreased significantly in the 0.5-4.0 mmol/L MnCl(2) treatment groups (P<0.01) , the relative fluorescence intensities of 0.5 and 1.0 mmol/L MnCl(2) treatment groups were increased (P<0.01) . Compared with the control group, the 0.125-0.5 mmol/L MnCl(2) treatment groups had significant increase in the the expression of LAMP1 (P<0.01) . Compared with the control group, the expression of m-CTSD was significantly increased at the does of 0.125-0.25 mmol/L MnCl(2), while it was decreased at the does of 1.0 mmol/L (P<0.01) . Otherwise, it wasn't observed significant difference of the activity of CTSD between different MnCl(2) treatment groups. Conclusion: MnCl(2) could cause cytotoxicity in SK-N-SH cells. Lysosomes may play a normal function at low doses of manganese, but they may be damaged at high doses of manganese. As an organelle that can degradate substrates in autophagy, lysosomes participate in the neurotoxic mechanism of manganese.

[Efficacy and peripheral immunity analysis of allogeneic natural killer cells therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells in the treatment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to elucidate the mechanism of NK cells therapy. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with primary HCC treated with allogeneic NK cells at the Fifth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital were followed up for 1 year. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from patient-related donors and cultured in vitro for 15 days and infused to the patients in two consecutive days. Clinical data and laboratory data were collected and analyzed, including survival, clinical features, imaging changes, hematology, immunology, and biochemical indicators to evaluate the safety and efficacy of allogeneic NK cell therapy. The changes of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets after treatment were also analyzed to explore the possible anti-tumor mechanisms. RESULTS: (1) Of the 21 patients with primary HCC, 11 patients were treated once, 5 patients were treated twice, and 5 patients were treated 3 times. After allogeneic NK cells infusion, 10 patients had fever, 1 patient had slight hepatalgia and 1 patient had slight headache, no other adverse events occurred including acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). They resolved spontaneously within 8 hours without other treatment. (2) The total disease control rate was 76.2% during one-year follow-up. Among them, the patients with Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage A had a disease control rate of 100%, stable disease (SD) in 10 cases; BCLC stage B patients had a disease control rate of 60%, partial response (PR) in 1 case, and SD 2 in cases; BCLC stage C patients had a disease control rate of 50%, complete response (CR) in 1 case, and 2 cases of PR. (3) The frequencies of NK cells and CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood were significantly lower than that before at 24 hours after treatment, and the frequencies of CD4+ T cells and CD4/CD8 were significantly higher than the baseline. CONCLUSION: Allogeneic NK cells have good safety and efficacy in the treatment of primary HCC. The anti-tumor effect of the allogeneic NK cells may play an important role in the activation of the patient's natural immune system and delay disease progression, suggesting that allogeneic NK cells combined with sorafenib may be a very effective treatment for advanced HCC, and further large-sample multicenter randomized controlled clinical trials are needed to validate this result.

[Mutations in A((8)) and A((9)) loci of exon 8 of retinoblastoma protein-interacting zinc finger gene of keloid patients].

Objective: To study the situation of the mutations in the A((8)) and A((9)) loci of exon 8 of retinoblastoma protein-interacting zinc finger gene (RIZ) of keloid patients. Methods: From January 2003 to December 2007, 19 outpatient and hospitalized keloid patients of our hospital were conforming to the inclusion criteria. Both 3-5 g keloid tissue and 3 mL peripheral venous blood were collected from each patient to extract their genomic DNA, and the concentration was determined. The A((8)) and A((9)) loci fragments of exon 8 of RIZ were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The length of product was detected by agarose gel electrophoresis, and DNA sequencing was performed after column chromatography. The mutations of A((8)) and A((9)) loci fragments were searched, and the types of mutations were determined. The consistency of genetic mutations of the keloid tissue and peripheral venous blood were compared. Data were processed with McNemar test. Results: The DNA concentrations of the extracted keloid tissue and peripheral venous blood were 0.54 and 0.37 µg/µL, respectively, which were above 0.10 µg/µL. The lengths of PCR products of A((8)) locus fragment DNA of exon 8 of RIZ from keloid tissue and peripheral venous blood were 235 and 238 bp, respectively, and those of A((9)) locus were 242 and 244 bp, respectively, which were basically the same as the designed DNA fragments. PCR products purity of A((8)) locus fragment DNA of exon 8 of RIZ from keloid tissue and peripheral venous blood were 1.81 and 1.75, respectively, and those of A((9)) locus were 1.82 and 1.78, respectively, which were above 1.50. Mutations in the A((8)) locus of exon 8 of RIZ were observed in keloid tissue of 18 patients, totally 6 gene mutations, including 4 point mutations and 2 frameshift mutations. Mutations in the A((9)) locus of exon 8 of RIZ were observed in keloid tissue of 9 patients, totally 9 gene mutations, including 7 point mutations and 2 frameshift mutations. No patient had a mutation in the A((8)) or A((9)) locus of exon 8 of RIZ in peripheral venous blood. Compared with those of peripheral venous blood, the mutations in the A((8)) and A((9)) loci of exon 8 of RIZ in keloid tissue of patients were statistically significant (χ(2)=16.06, 7.11, P<0.05). Conclusions: Point mutations and frameshift mutations occur in the A((8)) and A((9)) loci of exon 8 of RIZ in keloids of patients, which may be associated with the occurrence of keloids.

Variability of vestibular aqueduct measurements among axial, single-oblique and double-oblique computed tomography images.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the morphology and dimensions of the vestibular aqueduct on axial, single-oblique and double-oblique computed tomography images. METHODS: The computed tomography temporal bone scans of 112 patients were retrospectively evaluated. Midpoint and opercular measurements were performed using axial, single-oblique and double-oblique images. Morphometric analyses were also conducted. The vestibular aqueduct sizes on axial, single-oblique and double-oblique images were compared. RESULTS: At the midpoint, the mean (± standard deviation) vestibular aqueduct measured 0.61 ± 0.23 mm, 0.74 ± 0.27 mm and 0.82 ± 0.38 mm on axial, single-oblique and double-oblique images, respectively; at the operculum, the vestibular aqueduct measured 0.91 ± 0.30 mm, 1.11 ± 0.45 mm and 1.66 ± 1.07 mm on the respective images. The co-efficients of variation of the vestibular aqueduct measured at the midpoint were 37.4 per cent, 36.5 per cent and 47.5 per cent on axial, single-oblique and double-oblique images, respectively; at the operculum, the measurements were 33.0 per cent, 40.5 per cent and 64.5 per cent. Regarding morphology, the vestibular aqueduct was fissured (33.5 per cent), tubular (64.3 per cent) or invisible (2.2 per cent). CONCLUSION: The morphology and dimensions of the vestibular aqueduct were highly variable among axial, single-oblique and double-oblique images.

MiR-138-5p is downregulated in patients with atrial fibrillation and reverses cardiac fibrotic remodeling via repressing CYP11B2.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the connection between atrial fibrillation (AF) and miR-138-5p and to further explore the possible mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: MiR-138-5p expression of right atrial appendage (RAA) tissues in 28 patients with AF and 22 patients with sinus rhythm (SR) was detected by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Moreover, cell proliferation assay was conducted in AC16 cells which were transfected by miR-138-5p inhibitors or mimics. Furthermore, Western blot assay, luciferase assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation assay were performed to uncover the mechanism. RESULTS: In the present research, miR-138-5p expression in RAA samples decreased significantly in AF patients than that in SR ones. Moreover, in AC16 cells, higher miR-138-5p expression level suppressed cell growth, while cell growth was promoted after miR-138-5p was knockdown. In addition, further experiments showed that CYP11B2 acted as the main target of miR-138-5p and its expression in AF tissues negatively correlated to miR-138-5p expression. CONCLUSIONS: All the results above elucidated that cell proliferation of AF could be inhibited by miR-138-5p via suppressing CYP11B2, which may offer a new vision for interpreting the mechanism of AF development.

[The comparison of neurobehavioral changes and impaired locations between the mouse model of manganism and Parkinson's disease].

Objective: To investigate the effect of manganese chloride (MnCl(2)) or 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on the neurobehavioral and histopathology in C57BL/6 mice and provide evidence for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of manganism. Methods: Adult male C57BL/6 mice were treated with MnCl(2) and MPTP respectively by intraperitoneal injection at the doses of 5, 10, 20mg Mn/kg and 30mg MPTP/kg. Controls were injected equivalent normal saline. All animals were administrated 5 times a week for 4 consecutive weeks and sacrificed after behavior tests on the fifth week. Balance ability, anxiety and depression level and cognitive function were tested respectively by vertical pole test, open field locomotion test and Morris swim task. The neuron pathological changes of striatum and substantia nigra were examined through HE-staining pathological section by using optical microscope. Results: Compared with the control group, the high dose of MnCl(2) reduced body weight obviously (P<0.01) . The results of vertical pole test showed that MnCl(2) and MPTP lengthened the pole-climbing time and turnaround time. Open field locomotion test showed that movement distance, stand-up time and central field time were decreased after the exposure of MnCl(2) or MPTP. In the Morris swim task, the escape latency time increased and the target quadrant activity time decreased significantly after the injection of MPTP as well as high-dose MnCl(2), comparing with controls (P<0.05) . Moreover, the escape latency time of high dose MnCl(2) prolonged prominently comparing with MPTP grou (P<0.05) . The results of histopathology showed that acidophilic changes elevated in MnCl(2) and MPTP group, comparing with controls. Furthermore, in striatum the oxyphil cells number increased in MnCl(2) high-dose group comparing with MPTP group (P<0.01) . On the contrary, there were more oxyphil cells in MPTP group comparing with MnCl(2) groups in substantia nigra (P<0.01) . Conclusion: Both manganese and MPTP can induce the impairment of dopaminergic neural system, but the symptons and injured location of manganism are inconsistent with PD models induced by MPTP.

A systematic review on delayed absorption of subretinal fluid after scleral buckling for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is a vision-threatening disease and is treated by either scleral buckling or pars planar vitrectomy. Rapid absorption of the subretinal fluid (SRF) helps in the early recovery of the vision. The absorption of SRF after the scleral buckling procedure is rapid, provided that the retinal break or breaks are closed at or after surgery. However, in some patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, complete absorption of the SRF occur several weeks or months after the surgery. In this review, we discuss the factors influencing the rate of SRF absorption and the role of delayed absorption on visual recovery. We also discuss the therapeutic options for delayed SRF absorption and the available additional therapeutic options. Knowledge of the factors that influence the rate of SRF absorption, would enable the surgeon to predict the outcomes more accurately.

[Oxidative stress and autophagy in SK-N-SH cells induced by manganese chloride or 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium: a comparative analysis].

Objective: To investigate the effect of manganese chloride (MnCl(2)) or 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP (+)) on oxidative stress and autophagy in human neuroblastomaSK-N-SH cells and the mechanism of the neurotoxicity of manganese. Methods: SK-N-SH cells were treated with MnCl(2) or MPP(+) at doses of 0.062 5, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mmol/L for 24 hours, and MTT assay was used to measure cell viability. The cells weretreated with MnCl(2) or MPP(+) at doses of 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mmol/L for 24 hours, and flow cytometry was used to measure the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells, a laser scanning confocal microscope was used to observe autophagosome in cells, and Western blot was used to measure the expression of autophagy-related proteins P62 and LC3-II/LC3-I. Results: Compared with the control group, the 0.0625-2.0 mmol/L MnCl(2) and 0.125-2.0 mmol/L MPP (+) treatment groups had significant reductions in the viability of SK-N-SH cells, and the 0.25-2.0 mmol/L MnCl(2) treatment groups had significantly lower viability than the groups treated with the same doses of MPP(+) (all P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the 0.125-0.25 mmol/L MnCl(2) and 0.125-0.5 mmol/L MPP(+) treatment groups had significant increases in the content of ROS, and the 0.25-0.5 mmol/L MPP(+) treatment groups had significantly higher content of ROS than the groups treated with the same doses of MnCl(2) (all P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the 0.25-0.5 mmol/L MnCl(2) andMPP(+) treatment groups had significant increases in autophagy-related proteins LC3-II/LC3-I and significant reductions in P62 expression; the 0.125-0.5 mmol/L MPP(+) treatment groups had significantly higher LC3-II/LC3-I than the groups treated with the same doses of MnCl(2), and the 0.125 and 0.25 mmol/L MPP (+) treatment groups had significantly lower P62 expression than the groups treated with the same doses of MnCl(2) (all P<0.05) . Conclusion: Both MnCl(2) and MPP(+) can induce oxidative stress and autophagy in SK-N-SH cells, and MPP(+) has a significantly greater inductive effect on autophagy of SK-N-SH cells than MnCl(2).

Observation of the efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation on patients with different forms of atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) in patients with different forms of atrial fibrillation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: By retrospective analysis, we summarize 720 cases, where patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in our hospital were treated with RFCA from February 2010 to October 2014. Among the cases, 425 were diagnosed with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and 295 with non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (including persistent atrial fibrillation and permanent atrial fibrillation). All patients were followed up until June 2015 to compare and analyze the differences in operation success rates, complications and recurrence rates. RESULTS: 395 cases (92.9%) of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and 253 cases (85.8%) with non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were subject to surgery and followed up. The age of onset, disease course, underlying diseases, left atrial diameter and combined anti-arrhythmics of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were lower than those of patients with non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The success rate of the first ablation was higher than that of non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Procedure time, procedure method, complications and recurrence rate of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were lower than those of non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation group, and the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). When we compared apoplexy and heart failure caused by atrial fibrillation in the two groups, the difference was not statistically significant (Apoplexy: p = 0.186; Heart failure: p = 0.170). CONCLUSIONS: The individual ablation success rate was higher for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and long-term follow-up showed that the occurrence of apoplexy and heart failure was not different from the non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation group.

Clinical and immunological analysis of measles patients admitted to a Beijing hospital in 2014 during an outbreak in China.

At the end of 2013, China reported a countrywide outbreak of measles. From January to May 2014, we investigated the clinical and immunological features of the cases of the outbreak admitted to our hospital. In this study, all 112 inpatients with clinically diagnosed measles were recruited from the 302 Military Hospital of China. The virus was isolated from throat swabs from these patients, and cytokine profiles were examined. By detecting the measles virus of 30 of the 112 patients, we found that this measles outbreak was of the H1 genotype, which is the major strain in China. The rates of complications, specifically pneumonia and liver injury, differed significantly in patients aged 18 years: pneumonia was more common in children, while liver injury was more common in adults. Pneumonia was a significant independent risk factor affecting measles duration. Compared to healthy subjects, measles patients had fewer CD4+IL-17+, CD4+IFN-γ +, and CD8+IFN-γ + cells in both the acute and recovery phases. In contrast, measles patients in the acute phase had more CD8+IL-22+ cells than those in recovery or healthy subjects. We recommend that future studies focus on the age-related distribution of pneumonia and liver injury as measles-related complications as well as the association between immunological markers and measles prognosis.

Early increased ficolin-2 concentrations are associated with severity of liver inflammation and efficacy of anti-viral therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Ficolin-2 is a kind of human serum complement lectin with a structure similar to mannan-binding lectin (MBL), and it has been implicated in innate immunity. Recent studies have shown that complement pathway activation may contribute to hepatitis. However, the relationship between ficolin-2 and viral hepatitis remains largely elusive. The aim of this study was to determine the dynamics of ficolin-2 in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Forty nine patients who had not yet received therapy [24 patients with abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (>40 U/L) and 25 patients with normal ALT levels (≤ 40 U/L)], 28 patients with hepatitis C who received therapy for 2 weeks and 16 patients received therapy for a full month or longer were included in the study. A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the ficolin-2 concentrations in all serum samples of patients and 42 healthy donors. We found the concentrations of ficolin-2 were significantly higher in chronic hepatitis C patients with abnormal ALT values than in chronic hepatitis C patients with normal ALT values and healthy controls. Ficolin-2 concentrations in chronic hepatitis C patients with abnormal ALT values were positively correlated with ALT levels (P < 0.05). After therapy, the concentrations of ficolin-2 decreased and accompany with ALT and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels. Then, we found ficolin-2 concentrations in rapid viral response (RVR) group decreased significantly (P < 0.05), while in non-RVR group, ficolin-2 decreased slightly (P > 0.05). Our findings suggest that early increased ficolin-2 is highly correlated with hepatic inflammation and rapid viral response.