[Analysis on the management of type 2 inflammatory asthma from the guideline of Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention].

Bronchial asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease, which is involved in a variety of cells and cellular components. In 2019, the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma issued by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Committee put forward the concept of type 2 inflammatory asthma for the first time. The updated evolution of GINA guidelines has promoted the development of biological agents and disease treatment, providing effective prevention and treatment for patients with severe asthma and improving disease outcome. This paper expounds the disease mechanism and management suggestions of type 2 inflammatory asthma in GINA guidelines, and analyzes the relevant clinical studies on targeted treatment of type 2 inflammatory asthma in recent years, in order to provide reference for in-depth understanding of level 3 prevention and management of patients with type 2 inflammatory asthma.

[Effect of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation on minimal residual disease in patients with multiple myeloma].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) on minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Method: From August 2018 to August 2021, 92 patients newly diagnosed with MM who had received either the bortezomib combined with cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (VCD) or the bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (VRD) induction regimens followed by sequential ASCT were assessed for overall survival (OS) and the MRD negative rate. The differences in efficacy at 100 days after transplantation were assessed according to factors, including age, risk stratification, target organ damage, and pre-transplant regimen, etc. Results: Among the 92 patients, there were 45 males and 47 females, with a median age of 57.3 (35-67) years. Fifty-seven patients received the VCD regimen, and 35 received VRD as induction regimen. Forty-three patients received busulphan combined with cyclophosphamide and etoposide (BCV), and 49 patients received high-dose melphan (HDM) regimen as pre-transplantation treatment. After transplantation, the total complete remission (CR) rate of 92 patients increased from 23.9% (22/92) to 58.7% (54/92), and the MRD negative rate increased from 4.4% (4/92) to 33.7% (31/92), and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). After transplantation, the MRD negative rates of patients with PR, VGPR and ≥CR before transplantation were 17.6% (6/34), 33.3% (12/36) and 59.1% (13/22), respectively (P=0.006). The CR rates of patients with or without plasmacytoma at initial diagnosis were 36.4% (4/11) and 65.4% (53/81), respectively (P=0.029), and the MRD negative rates were 18.2% (2/11) and 39.5% (32/81), respectively (P=0.037), and the differences were statistically significant. The MRD negative rates in high-risk patients and standard-risk group were 30.5% (12/28) and 42.9% (18/59), respectively (P=0.258). For patients who achieved efficacy above VGPR before transplantation, the MRD negative rates after transplantation in VCD-induced group and VRD group were 29% (9/31) and 59.3% (16/27), respectively (P=0.033), and in BCV group and HDM group were 24% (6/25) and 57.6% (19/33), respectively (P=0.016), the differences between the groups were both statistically significant. Conclusion: ASCT can overcome the adverse factors such as high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities, and significantly improve the CR rate and MRD negative rate of MM patients. However, the benefit for patients with plasmacytoma at initial diagnosis is not as good as that of patients without.

[Efficacy comparison and safety analysis of subcutaneous specific immunotherapy with standardized house dust mite allergen in patients with single and multiple allergic rhinitis].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of house dust mite (HDM) allergen subcutaneous specific immunotherapy (SCIT) in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) with single dust mite allergy and multiple allergen allergy. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. A total of 372 patients with allergic rhinitis induced by house dust mite were diagnosed in the allergy clinic of General Hospital of North Theater Command from January 2013 to January 2018.They were treated with house dust mite allergen preparation for standardized SCIT for 3 years or more, and had complete follow-up data. The age ranged from 5 to 55 years, the median age was 13 years, and the average age was (19.4±14.7) years; 216 males and 156 females. According to their age, they were divided into the older group (age >14 years) and younger group (age ≤ 14 years). According to the number of allergens, they were divided into single group (only HDM group allergic to house dust mites) and multi recombination (including 2 or more allergens including house dust mites). The multi recombination was further divided into HDM+1 group, HDM+2 group, HDM+3 group, HDM+4 and above group. Before treatment (T0), 1 year (T1) and 3 years (T2) after SCIT treatment, the patients in each group established files, analyzed and compared the average total nasal symptoms score (TNSS), total non nasal symptoms score (TNNSS), visual analogue scale (VAS), total medicine score (TMS) and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ), and evaluated the clinical efficacy of the treatment and the comparison of various scores in the efficacy of SCIT with different allergens and ages. Record the occurrence of local and systemic adverse reactions of all patients during treatment, and evaluate the safety of SCIT. All scores are measurement data that do not conform to normal distribution. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskai-Wallis test of independent samples are used for inter group comparison, and Bonferroni correction is used for further pairwise comparison; Chi square test and continuity correction method were used for the comparison between count data groups such as the incidence of adverse reactions and the effective rate of TNSS, and a-division method was used for further pairwise comparison. Results: After SCIT treatment, the scores of TNSS, TNNSS, TMS, VAS and RQLQ in T1 and T2 were significantly lower than those in T0, and the scores in T2 were significantly lower than those in T1 (Z=-11.168, -4.786, -6.639, -13.012, -10.652 in T0 vs T1; Z=-13.527, -8.746, -13.397, -14.477, -11.833 in T0 vs T2; Z=-4.721, -4.607, -10.020, -7.180, -5.721 in T1 vs T2; P<0.05). In T1 and T2, compared with the older group, the scores of TNSS, TNNSS, TMS, VAS and RQLQ in younger group were lower, and the differences of various indexes were statistically significant(the median scores of T1: Myounger=3.0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 2.6, Molder=5.0, 2.0, 3.0, 5.0, 3.2; the median scores of T2: Myounger=3.0, 1.0, 0, 2.0, 1.3, Molder=4.0, 1.0, 1.5, 3.0, 2.3; ZT1=-4.525, -5.830, -4.061, -3.608, -2.785; ZT2=-3.847, -4.055, -2.820, -2.998, -3.418; P<0.05). In T1 and T2, the scores of TNSS, VAS and RQLQ in a single group after SCIT treatment were lower than those in multiple recombination(the median scores of T1:Msingle=4.0, 4.0, 2.6, Mmultiple=5.0, 5.0, 3.2; the median scores of T2: Msingle=3.0, 2.0, 1.4, Mmultiple=4.0, 3.0, 2.1), and the difference was statistically significant (ZT1=-3.002, -2.092, -1.977; ZT2=-3.354, -2.469, -2.116; P<0.05). There was no significant difference in TMS (the median score during T1 period: Msingle=2.0, Mmultiple=3.0, ZT1=-1.130; the median score during T2 period: Msingle=1.0, Mmultiple=1.0, ZT2=-1.544; P>0.05). Further comparison within the group showed that there was no significant difference in the improvement rate of TNSS during T2 period among HDM group, HDM+1 group, HDM+2 group and HDM+3 group (HDM vs HDM+1 group χ2=0.277, HDM vs HDM+2 group χ2=0.78, HDM vs HDM+3 group χ2=0.075, HDM+1 vs HDM+2 group χ2=0.057, HDM+1 vs HDM+3 group χ2=0.019, HDM+2 vs HDM+3 group χ2=0.003; P>0.005), the improvement rates were 92.5%, 90.3%, 89.1% and 89.5%. Respectively in HDM group,HDM+1 group, HDM+2 group, HDM+3 group, compared with HDM+4 and above group, the difference was statistically significant (χ2=26.144, 13.254, 15.144, 8.808; P<0.005). The improvement rate of TNSS in HDM+4 and above group was 60.9%. 122 patients had local adverse reactions during the treatment of SCIT, accounting for 32.8%. The local adverse reactions were 759 injections (15 336 injections in total), accounting for 4.95%. Most of them were swelling, dizziness, induration and pruritus at the injection site, which could be relieved by oral antihistamines or within 2 hours. There were 2 cases of local urticaria, once for each case. The symptoms were relieved within 1 week after oral antihistamine. No serious systemic adverse reactions occurred. Conclusion: Standardized SCIT may be a safe and effective treatment for AR patients, and the type of allergen may be one of the important factors affecting the efficacy of SCIT. The efficacy of SCIT was significant in AR patients with three or less allergens other than house dust mite.

TiO2 Nanonetwork on Rough Ti Enhanced Osteogenesis In Vitro and In Vivo.

The objective in this study was to enhance osteogenic responses (in vitro and in vivo) to roughened titanium (Ti) dental implants through the formation of superhydrophilic TiO2 nanonetwork surface structure. Sandblasting and acid etching (SLA) was used to roughen the Ti surface. An electrochemical anodization process was then used to form a superhydrophilic TiO2 nanonetwork on the SLA Ti surfaces. The pore size of the nanonetwork structure ranged from a few nanometers to more than 100 nm, which is on the same scale as many biological species. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were used as an in vitro test model. The TiO2 nanonetwork structure was shown to have a significantly positive effect on hydrophilicity, protein adsorption, cell adhesion, cell migration, cell mineralization, and the gene and protein expression of osteogenic markers. The osseointegration of an anodized SLA screw-type Ti dental implant was investigated in vivo via implantation in the femur of New Zealand white rabbits for durations of 4 or 12 wk. The presence of a superhydrophilic surface TiO2 nanonetwork was shown to significantly enhance the bone-to-implant contact of the roughened SLA screw-type Ti dental implants. Overall, the proposed superhydrophilic TiO2 nanonetwork structure on the roughened SLA Ti surface proved highly effective in enhancing osteogenic responses in vitro and in vivo.

[Interpretation of group standard for Clostridioides difficile infection diagnosis].

Clostridioides difficile is a key pathogen of antibiotic related diarrhea and hospital associated infection, causing several outbreaks in Europe and North Americans and resulting in severe disease burden. However, the standardized diagnostic principle and detection specifications in C. difficile infection (CDI) survey are limited in China, and the infection rate and disease burden of CDI in China are unclear. Therefore, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention,National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, together with another 11 institutions, draft the group standard entitled "Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (T/CPMA 008-2020)" of Chinese Preventive Medicine Association. Based on the principle of "legality, scientificity, advancement, and feasibility", this standard clarifies risk factors, diagnosis principles, diagnoses and differential diagnoses in order to improve the accuracy of CDI diagnosis in clinical practice, guide the surveillance for CDI, and understand the infection rate and disease burden of CDI in China.

Anatomical characteristics of maxillary sinus antroliths and their influence on sinus membrane thickness: a retrospective cone beam computed tomography analysis.

The purpose of this study was to assess the anatomy of antroliths and its influence on the thickness of the maxillary sinus membrane. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed on 239 patients (478 sinuses). The prevalence of antroliths per sinus was 8.4%. Regarding their distribution, antroliths were predominantly unilateral (82.5%), single (67.5%), and in a dentate area (60.0%). The antroliths were mainly located in the molar region (95.0%) and in the sinus floor (77.5%). The measured dimensions of the antroliths were as follows: length 5.6±4.4mm, width 4.1±2.9mm, height 3.5±2.1mm. The relationships between the antroliths and the sinus membrane (type 1, 34.1%; type 2, 52.3%; type 3, 13.6%) indicated that sinus membranes tended to encircle antroliths, which resulted in a gradual increase in membrane thickness. The sinus membrane was found to be significantly thicker in the presence of antrolith(s) (P<0.001). Antroliths which are sufficiently large or are located adjacent to the sinus floor or lateral wall increase the risk of sinus membrane perforation during sinus augmentation procedures. Therefore, a thorough CBCT evaluation is needed to minimize the risk of complications prior to sinus augmentation procedures.

[Clinical analysis of 31 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus infection in children from six provinces (autonomous region) of northern China].

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological history, clinical manifestations, treatment and the short-term prognosis of 31 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection in children from six provinces (autonomous region) in northern China. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the epidemiological history, clinical symptoms, signs, laboratory examinations, chest imaging, treatment and the short-term prognosis of 31 cases of 2019-nCoV was conducted. The patients were diagnosed between January 25th, 2020 and February 21st, 2020 in 21 hospitals in 17 cities of six provinces (autonomous region) of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Hebei, Henan and Shandong. Results: The age of the 31 children with 2019-nCoV infection was 7 years and 1 month (6 months-17 years). Nine cases (29%) were imported cases. Other 21 cases (68%) had contact with confirmed infected adults. One case (3%) had contact with asymptomatic returnees from Wuhan. Among the 31 children, 28 patients (90%) were family cluster cases. The clinical types were asymptomatic type in 4 cases (13%), mild type in 13 cases (42%), and common type in 14 cases (45%). No severe or critical type existed. The most common symptom was fever (n=20, 65%), including 1 case of high fever, 9 cases of moderate fever, 10 cases of low fever. Fever lasted from 1 day to 9 days. The fever of fifteen cases lasted for ≤3 d, while in other 5 cases lasted >3 d. Other symptoms included cough (n=14, 45%), fatigue (n=3, 10%) and diarrhea (n=3, 10%). Pharyngalgia, runny nose, dizziness, headache and vomiting were rare. In the early stage, the total leukocytes count in peripheral blood decreased in 2 cases (6%), the lymphocytes count decreased in 2 cases (6%), and the platelet count increased in 2 cases (6%).Elevation of C-reactive protein (10%, 3/30), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (19%, 4/21), procalcitonin (4%,1/28), liver enzyme (22%, 6/27) and muscle enzyme (15%, 4/27) occurred in different proportions. Renal function and blood glucose were normal. There were abnormal chest CT changes in 14 cases, including 9 cases with patchy ground glass opacities and nodules, mostly located in the lower lobe of both lungs near the pleural area. After receiving supportive treatment, the viral nucleic acid turned negative in 25 cases within 7-23 days. Among them, 24 children (77%) recovered and were discharged from hospital. No death occurred. Conclusions: In this case series, 2019-nCoV infection in children from six provinces (autonomous region) in northern China are mainly caused by close family contact. Clinical types are asymptomatic, mild and common types. Clinical manifestations and laboratory examination results are nonspecific. Close contact history of epidemiology, nucleic acid detection and chest imaging are important bases for diagnosis of 2019-nCoV infection. After general treatment, the short-term prognosis is good.

[The association between mode of action and adverse outcome pathway and its application in risk assessment].

Risk assessment is a necessary technical means to protect human health and environmental safety. Traditional risk assessment based on toxicity data obtained from animal experiments was difficult to meet the need for risk assessment for a large number of chemicals due to the low throughput, long cycle, high cost and uncertainty of extrapolation to human exposure dose. The proposed risk assessment frameworks, the model of action (MOA) and the adverse outcome pathway (AOP), pointed the way for us to develop new and efficient evaluation methods. In this review, the basic concepts and contents of MOA and AOP, as well as the relationship between them, were introduced. Taking acrylamide (AA) as an example, this review briefly described the application of MOA/AOP framework in chemical risk assessment, so as to provide theoretical guidance for better application of MOA/AOP framework in chemical risk assessment.

False-positive Aspergillus galactomannan immunoassays associated with intravenous human immunoglobulin administration.

OBJECTIVES: Evidence of false-positive galactomannan enzyme immunoassay (GM-EIA) results associated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administration is scarce. Here, we aimed to determine the false-positive rate of GM-EIA after IVIG administration and to identify the related factors. METHODS: Standard GM-EIA was performed using diluted and pure human IVIG samples with and without heat treatment. We also included adult patients who had at least one GM-EIA result within 1 week of IVIG administration for analysis. Those who had prior invasive aspergillosis within 1 year before IVIG therapy were excluded. The clinical characteristics and galactomannan index (GMI) kinetics between patients with false-positive and true-positive GMI were compared. RESULTS: All diluted and pure IVIG samples tested positive for GM. Heat treatment resulted in the considerable elevation of GMI. Of 48 patients with positive GM-EIA results within 1 week of IVIG administration, 22 (45.8%) were considered to have false-positive antigenaemia (false-positive group, FPG). After the completion of IVIG administration, a decline in GMI was observed in all FPG patients but in only 18 out of 26 patients (69.2%) with true-positive results (true-positive group, TPG). By 7, 14, and 18 days of IVIG administration, GMI reverted to negative values in 7/15 (46.7%), 18/20 (90%) and 22/22 (100%) FPG patients, respectively, and 6/24 (25%), 14/24 (58.3%), and 16/26 (61.5%) of TPG patients, respectively. The TPG was more likely to have two or more consecutively positive GMIs after IVIG administration than the FPG (adjusted odds ratio, 9.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.99-40.9). CONCLUSIONS: IVIG treatment may produce false-positive GM-EIA results. A positive GMI among patients receiving human IVIG should be interpreted with caution.

[Preliminary study of the relationship between novel coronavirus pneumonia and liver function damage: a multicenter study].

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia and a preliminary study to explore the relationship between different clinical classification and liver damage. Methods: Consecutively confirmed novel coronavirus infection cases admitted to seven designated hospitals during January 23, 2020 to February 8, 2020 were included. Clinical classification (mild, moderate, severe, and critical) was carried out according to the diagnosis and treatment program of novel coronavirus pneumonia (Trial Fifth Edition) issued by the National Health Commission. The research data were analyzed using SPSS19.0 statistical software. Quantitative data were expressed as median (interquartile range), and qualitative data were expressed as frequency and rate. Results: 32 confirmed cases that met the inclusion criteria were included. 28 cases were of mild or moderate type (87.50%), and four cases (12.50%) of severe or critical type. Four cases (12.5%) were combined with one underlying disease (bronchial asthma, coronary heart disease, malignant tumor, chronic kidney disease), and one case (3.13%) was simultaneously combined with high blood pressure and malignant tumor. The results of laboratory examination showed that the alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin (ALB), and total bilirubin (TBil) for entire cohort were 26.98 (16.88 ~ 46.09) U/L and 24.75 (18.71 ~ 31.79) U/L, 39.00 (36.20 ~ 44.20) g/L and 16.40 (11.34 ~ 21.15) µmol/L, respectively. ALT, AST, ALB and TBil of the mild or moderate subgroups were 22.75 (16.31 ~ 37.25) U/L, 23.63 (18.71 ~ 26.50) U/L, 39.70 (36.50 ~ 46.10) g/L, and 15.95 (11.34 ~ 20.83) µmol/L, respectively. ALT, AST, ALB and TBil of the severe or critical subgroups were 60.25 (40.88 ~ 68.90) U/L, 37.00 (20.88 ~ 64.45) U/L, 35.75 (28.68 ~ 42.00) g/L, and 20.50 (11.28 ~ 25.00) µmol/L, respectively. Conclusion: The results of this multicenter retrospective study suggests that novel coronavirus pneumonia combined with liver damage is more likely to be caused by adverse drug reactions and systemic inflammation in severe patients receiving medical treatment. Therefore, liver function monitoring and evaluation should be strengthened during the treatment of such patients.

Recent progress of TMD nanomaterials: phase transitions and applications.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) show wide ranges of electronic properties ranging from semiconducting, semi-metallic to metallic due to their remarkable structural differences. To obtain 2D TMDs with specific properties, it is extremely important to develop particular strategies to obtain specific phase structures. Phase engineering is a traditional method to achieve transformation from one phase to another controllably. Control of such transformations enables the control of properties and access to a range of properties, otherwise inaccessible. Then extraordinary structural, electronic and optical properties lead to a broad range of potential applications. In this review, we introduce the various electronic properties of 2D TMDs and their polymorphs, and strategies and mechanisms for phase transitions, and phase transition kinetics. Moreover, the potential applications of 2D TMDs in energy storage and conversion, including electro/photocatalysts, batteries/supercapacitors and electronic devices, are also discussed. Finally, opportunities and challenges are highlighted. This review may further promote the development of TMD phase engineering and shed light on other two-dimensional materials of fundamental interest and with potential ranges of applications.

Enhanced Cell Response to Zirconia Surface Immobilized with Type I Collagen.

Zirconia (ZrO2) dental implants provide good biocompatibility, have good corrosion resistance, and have a color that is similar to that of natural teeth. Unfortunately, ZrO2 is a bioinert material and therefore achieves osseointegration difficultly. In this study, we sought to enhance osseointegration by producing rough ZrO2 surfaces that contain hydroxyl groups (designated ZSA) through the use of sandblasting in conjunction with alkaline treatment. We immobilized type I collagen on ZSA surfaces using the natural cross-linker, procyanidin. Our results further showed that surfaces produced in ZSA-P/C featured more and steadier type I collagen than surfaces produced in ZSA-C. The ZSA-P/C also presented superior cell responses in terms of adhesion, proliferation, and mineralization of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. The enhanced cell responses in the ZSA-P/C were induced through the prolonged activation of focal adhesion kinase, AKT (the phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway), and p38 (the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway). The simple and novel approach to immobilize type I collagen on roughened ZrO2 surfaces presented in this article can likely benefit dental implant applications.

First principles study on 2H-1T' transition in MoS2 with copper.

The electronic properties of MoS2 are strongly controlled by the structure, providing a route to their modulation. We report, based on first principles calculations, that the adsorption of metal atom Cu on the surface can induce the phase transition of MoS2 from the semiconducting 2H to the metallic 1T' phase. Cu adsorption results in effective n-type doping of MoS2 by charge transfer from Cu in the case of the 1T' phase. This is distinct from the behavior in the 2H phase, where Cu does not donate any charge, and it is also distinct from alkali metal adsorption, where charge is donated to both 2H and 1T' MoS2. Charge donation to the 1T' phase by Cu stabilizes it with respect to the 2H structure and importantly, it also reduces the energy barrier between the 2H and 1T' structures. This difference reflects the higher electronegativity of Cu, which also indicates that Cu-modified MoS2 can be expected to be less chemically reactive than MoS2 with alkali metal adatoms. The main atomic mechanism of the structural transition is the gliding of S atoms on the upper surface. Finally, we report the energetics of the 2H to 1T' transition with several other adatoms, Ag, Au, Ni, Pt and Pd, but none of them are as effective as Cu in inducing the transition.

[Effects of benzo(a)pyrene on expressions of insulin-degrading enzyme and neprilysin in neuroglia cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate effects of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) on expressions of insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) and neprilysin (NEP) which have the ability to degrade ß-amyloid (Aß) in neuroglia cells. METHODS: Primary mix-neuroglia cells were cultured from newborn SD rats. After exposure to BaP, Aß1-42 oligomer or Aß1-42 fiber individually or jointly for 24 h, the cell survival rate was measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Afterwards, the primary mix-neuroglia cells were divided randomly into six groups: Control group, BaP group (2.00 µmol/L), Aß1-42 oligomer group (20.00 mg/L), BaP plus Aß1-42 oligomer group, Aß1-42 fiber group (20.00 mg/L) and BaP plus Aß1-42 fiber group, of which BaP was pretreated for 12 h followed by cotreatment with different aggregated Aß1-42. The expressions of IDE and NEP were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for mRNA level and Western blotting for protein level. RESULTS: The cell survival rate showed no significant differences after treatment with BaP (≤20.00 µmol/L), Aß1-42 oligomer (20.00, 40.00 mg/L), Aß1-42 fiber (20.00, 40.00 mg/L) or cotreatment with BaP and Aß1-42 oligomer or BaP and Aß1-42 fiber. Compared with the control group, expressions of IDE and NEP in BaP-treated alone group had no obvious change; however, exposure to Aß1-42 oligomer alone significantly increased the mRNA and protein level of IDE (P<0.05), and the BaP pretreatment could significantly inhibit the up-regulated expressions of IDE by Aß1-42 oligomer (P<0.05); on the other hand, exposure either to Aß1-42 fiber alone or under the BaP pretreatment did not change the mRNA and protein level of IDE and NEP obviously. CONCLUSION: On the premise of no significant change of cell survival rate, BaP pretreatment inhibited the up-regulated expressions of IDE in primary mixed neuroglia cells under cotreatment with Aß oligomer, indicating that BaP may disturb degradation of Aß oligomer and cause deposition of ß-amyloid and further induce cognitive decline and acceleration of Alzheimer.

Tetramethylpyrazine (TMPZ) triggers S-phase arrest and mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in lung cancer cells.

Tetramethylpyrazine (TMPZ) is one of the active compounds extracted from the traditional Chinese herb Chuanxiong. Several studies have shown its anti-cancer properties. However, its functions in lung cancer and the underlying cellular mechanisms are relatively unknown. Our present study aimed to investigate the effects of TMPZ on A549 and 95D cells. The MTT assay showed that TMPZ decreased cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The results of the colony formation assay indicated that TMPZ strongly suppressed colony formation ability in A549 and 95D cells. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that TMPZ induced S phase arrest in lung cancer cells. In addition, TMPZ induced apoptosis, as shown by the results of propidium iodide/Annexin V double-staining. Furthermore, TMPZ decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (∆Ψm) in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, western blot analysis of TMPZ-treated cells revealed the activation of Caspase-3 and the increase of the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. These results demonstrated that TMPZ could suppress carcinogenesis of lung cancer cells through blocking cell cycle and inducing mitochondria-dependent apoptosis by regulating Caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2, suggesting that TMPZ may be a promising drug to treat lung cancer.

The Cambridge Prognostic Groups for improved prediction of disease mortality at diagnosis in primary non-metastatic prostate cancer: a validation study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to validate a new five-tiered prognostic classification system to better discriminate cancer-specific mortality in men diagnosed with primary non-metastatic prostate cancer. METHODS: We applied a recently described five-strata model, the Cambridge Prognostic Groups (CPGs 1-5), in two international cohorts and tested prognostic performance against the current standard three-strata classification of low-, intermediate- or high-risk disease. Diagnostic clinico-pathological data for men obtained from the Prostate Cancer data Base Sweden (PCBaSe) and the Singapore Health Study were used. The main outcome measure was prostate cancer mortality (PCM) stratified by age group and treatment modality. RESULTS: The PCBaSe cohort included 72,337 men, of whom 7162 died of prostate cancer. The CPG model successfully classified men with different risks of PCM with competing risk regression confirming significant intergroup distinction (p < 0.0001). The CPGs were significantly better at stratified prediction of PCM compared to the current three-tiered system (concordance index (C-index) 0.81 vs. 0.77, p < 0.0001). This superiority was maintained for every age group division (p < 0.0001). Also in the ethnically different Singapore cohort of 2550 men with 142 prostate cancer deaths, the CPG model outperformed the three strata categories (C-index 0.79 vs. 0.76, p < 0.0001). The model also retained superior prognostic discrimination in the treatment sub-groups: radical prostatectomy (n = 20,586), C-index 0.77 vs. 074; radiotherapy (n = 11,872), C-index 0.73 vs. 0.69; and conservative management (n = 14,950), C-index 0.74 vs. 0.73. The CPG groups that sub-divided the old intermediate-risk (CPG2 vs. CPG3) and high-risk categories (CPG4 vs. CPG5) significantly discriminated PCM outcomes after radical therapy or conservative management (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This validation study of nearly 75,000 men confirms that the CPG five-tiered prognostic model has superior discrimination compared to the three-tiered model in predicting prostate cancer death across different age and treatment groups. Crucially, it identifies distinct sub-groups of men within the old intermediate-risk and high-risk criteria who have very different prognostic outcomes. We therefore propose adoption of the CPG model as a simple-to-use but more accurate prognostic stratification tool to help guide management for men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer.

ZNF185 inhibits growth and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells through inhibition of the akt/gsk3ß pathway.

Zinc finger (ZNF) proteins, a diverse family of proteins, have multiple biological functions in cancer. Increased expression of ZNF185 has been involved in the regulation of tumor growth and metastasis. However, the function and underlying mechanisms of ZNF185 in the tumorigenesis of lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) remain unclear. The protein expression of ZNF185 was examined in human LAC tissues by immunohistochemical assay. After lentiviral vector-mediated ZNF185 overexpression was infected into the LAC cell lines (A549 and LETPα-2), cell growth and invasive potential were respectively evaluated by MTT and Transwell assays. We found that the protein expression of ZNF185 was significantly downregulated in LAC tissues compared with the adjacent non-cancerous tissues (ANCT) (37.10% vs 58.06%, P=0.015), and was negatively correlated with the lymph node metastasis of the LAC patients (P=0.005). Furthermore, overexpression of ZNF185 reduced cell proliferation and invasion in LAC cells, followed by the downregulation of p-AKT, p-GSK3ß, VEGF and MMP-9 expression. Taken together, our findings indicate that the decreased expression of ZNF185 is linked to the tumor metastasis in human LAC patients, and ZNF185 overexpression inhibits the growth and invasion of LAC cells through inhibition of the AKT/GSK3ß signaling, suggesting that ZNF185 may represent a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of LAC.

Protein-protein interaction network construction for cancer using a new L1/2-penalized Net-SVM model.

Identifying biomarker genes and characterizing interaction pathways with high-dimensional and low-sample size microarray data is a major challenge in computational biology. In this field, the construction of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks using disease-related selected genes has garnered much attention. Support vector machines (SVMs) are commonly used to classify patients, and a number of useful tools such as lasso, elastic net, SCAD, or other regularization methods can be combined with SVM models to select genes that are related to a disease. In the current study, we propose a new Net-SVM model that is different from other SVM models as it is combined with L1/2-norm regularization, which has good performance with high-dimensional and low-sample size microarray data for cancer classification, gene selection, and PPI network construction. Both simulation studies and real data experiments demonstrated that our proposed method outperformed other regularization methods such as lasso, SCAD, and elastic net. In conclusion, our model may help to select fewer but more relevant genes, and can be used to construct simple and informative PPI networks that are highly relevant to cancer.

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.

Controlling phase transition for single-layer MTe2 (M = Mo and W): modulation of the potential barrier under strain.

Using first-principles DFT calculations, the pathway and the energy barrier of phase transition between 2H and 1T' have been investigated for MoTe2 and WTe2 monolayers. The Phase transition is controlled by the simultaneous movement of metal atoms and Te atoms in their plane without the intermediate phase 1T. The energy barrier (less than 0.9 eV per formula cell) is not so high that the phase transition is dynamically possible. The relative stability of both 2H and 1T' phases and the energy barrier for phase transition can be modulated by the biaxial and uniaxial strain. The dynamic energy barrier is decreased by applying the strain. The phase transition between 2H and 1T' controlled by the strain can be used to modulate the electronic properties of MoTe2 and WTe2.