Diagnostic values of different musculoskeletal ultrasound signs, serum uric acid, and their combined detection for gouty arthritis.

Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the diagnostic values of different musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) signs, serum uric acid (SUA), and their combined detection for gouty arthritis (GA). Patients and methods: In this retrospective study, 70 patients (62 males, 8 females; mean age: 46.1±14.1 years; range, 25 to 86 years) diagnosed with GA (the GA group) between August 2022 and March 2023 and 70 patients (54 females, 16 males; mean age: 49.0±14.1 years; range, 21 to 75 years) diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis during the same period (the non-GA group) were included. The positive rate of MSUS signs and SUA in both groups was recorded to compare the differences. The correlations of MSUS signs and SUA with GA were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation analysis. The diagnostic values of different MSUS signs, SUA, and their combined detection for GA were analyzed using a receiver operating characteristic, the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and the Youden index. Results: The positive rate of the double contour (DC) sign (chi-squared [χ2 ]=102.935, p<0.001), hyperechoic spots (χ2=56.395, p<0.001), bone erosions (χ2 =10.080, p<0.001), and SUA (χ2 =41.117, p <0.001) were higher in the GA group than in the non-GA group. The positive rate of the DC sign (rs=0.829, p=0.001), hyperechoic spots (rs=0.631, p<0.001), bone erosion (rs=0.268, p=0.001), and SUA (rs=0.542, p<0.001) were positively correlated with GA. Among the single-indicator measures, the DC sign exhibited the highest diagnostic value (AUC=0.907, sensitivity=81.4%, specificity=100%, p<0.001). Among the combined-indicator measures, the DC sign combined with SUA exhibited the highest diagnostic value (AUC=0.929, sensitivity=91.4%, specificity=94.3%, p<0.001), higher than DC sign detection alone. Conclusion: The DC sign combined with SUA yielded a high diagnostic value and can thus provide a reliable basis for effectively and efficiently diagnosing GA.

Epilepsy and demyelination: Towards a bidirectional relationship.

Demyelination stands out as a prominent feature in individuals with specific types of epilepsy. Concurrently, individuals with demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) are at a greater risk of developing epilepsy compared to non-MS individuals. These bidirectional connections raise the question of whether both pathological conditions share common pathogenic mechanisms. This review focuses on the reciprocal relationship between epilepsy and demyelination diseases. We commence with an overview of the neurological basis of epilepsy and demyelination diseases, followed by an exploration of how our comprehension of these two disorders has evolved in tandem. Additionally, we discuss the potential pathogenic mechanisms contributing to the interactive relationship between these two diseases. A more nuanced understanding of the interplay between epilepsy and demyelination diseases has the potential to unveiling the molecular intricacies of their pathological relationships, paving the way for innovative directions in future clinical management and treatment strategies for these diseases.

The Safety and Efficacy of Abaloparatide on Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The aging of the population increases the incidence of postmenopausal osteoporosis, which threatens the health of elderly women. Abaloparatide is a synthetic peptide analogue of the human parathyroid hormone-related protein that has recently been approved for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Its efficacy and safety have not been systematically evaluated. Therefore, studies on the efficacy and safety of abaloparatide could be of assistance in the clinical medication of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of abaloparatide in postmenopausal osteoporosis. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were electronically searched from inception to July 6, 2023, for relevant randomized controlled trials. Two review authors independently conducted the study screening, quality assessment (based on the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool recommended in the Cochrane handbook), and data extraction. Outcome measures included bone mineral density (BMD), bone turnover and metabolic markers, incidence of fractures, and adverse events. Data analyses were processed by using Stata SE15. FINDINGS: Ultimately, 8 randomized controlled trials, involving a total of 3705 postmenopausal women, were included. Meta-analysis showed that abaloparatide administration significantly increased the BMD of the lumbar vertebrae (standardized mean difference [SMD], 1.28 [95% CI, 0.81-1.76); I2 = 78.5%]), femoral neck (SMD, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.17-1.23; I2 = 75.7%]), and hip bone (SMD, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.53-1.20; I2 = 60.4%]) in postmenopausal women compared with the control group. Type I procollagen N-terminal propeptide, a bone formation marker, was also elevated after abaloparatide administration. The incidence of vertebral fracture was lower in the abaloparatide group than in the control group (risk ratio, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.06-0.26; I2 = 0%). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the abaloparatide and the placebo groups (risk ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.99-1.06; I2 = 0%). IMPLICATIONS: Abaloparatide has a protective effect on women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. It could reduce their risk for vertebral fracture; increase their BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and hip; and alleviate symptoms and complications of postmenopausal osteoporosis with considerable safety. Limitations of this study include not searching the gray literature and not performing a subgroup analysis. PROSPERO Registration No.: CRD42022370944.

CRISPR/Cas12a-assisted visible fluorescence for pseudo dual nucleic acid detection based on an integrated chip.

BACKGROUND: A false negative result is one of the major problems in nucleic acid detection. Failure to screen positive samples for pathogens or viruses poses a risk to public health. This situation will lead to more serious consequences for infectious pathogens or viruses. At present, the common solution is to introduce exogenous or endogenous internal control. Because it amplifies and is detected separately from the target gene, it cannot avoid false negative results caused by DNA extraction failure or reagent inactivation. There is an urgent need for a simple and reliable method to solve the false negative problem of nucleic acid detection. RESULTS: We established a chip and an on-chip detection method for the integrated detection of target genes and internal control using the CRISPR system in LAMP amplification products. The chip is processed from a low-cost PMMA board and has three chambers and some channels. After adding the sample, the chip only needs to be rotated twice, and the sample enters three chambers successively depending on its gravity for dual LAMP reaction and CRISPR detections. With a portable LED blue light exciter, visual fluorescence detection is realized. Whether the detection result is positive, negative, or invalid can be determined according to the fluorescence in the CRISPR chamber for target gene and CRISPR chamber for internal control. In this study, the detection of Salmonella enterica in Fenneropenaeus chinensis was taken as an example. The results showed good specificity and sensitivity. It could detect as low as 15 copies/µL of Salmonella enterica. SIGNIFICANCE: The on-chip detection solves the problem of aerosol contamination and false negative results. It has the advantages of high sensitivity, high specificity, high accuracy, and low cost. This research will advance the development of nucleic acid detection technology, providing a new and reliable strategy for POCT detection of pathogenic bacteria and viruses.

Clinical outcomes and risk factors of non-curative endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer: a retrospective multicenter study in Zhejiang, China.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC) does not always lead to curative resection. Risk factors of lymph node metastasis (LNM)/local cancer residue after non-curative ESD for EGC have not been fully elucidated. We therefore aimed to clarify them and evaluate whether the "eCura system" is reliable for the risk stratification of LNM after non-curative ESD. Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study at seven institutions in Zhejiang, China, on 128 patients who underwent non-curative ESD for EGC. We divided the patients into two groups according to their therapeutic regimen after non-curative ESD. We analyzed the risk factors for LNM, local cancer residue, cancer recurrence, and cancer-specific mortality. Furthermore, we compared the outcomes in each risk category after applying the "eCura system". Results: Among 68 patients undergoing additional surgery, LNM was found in three (4.41%) patients, while local cancer residue was found in eight (11.76%) patients. Multivariate analysis showed that upper third location and deep submucosal invasion were independent risk factors of LNM and local cancer residue. Among 60 patients who underwent simple follow-up, local cancer recurrence was found in four (6.67%) patients and cancer-specific mortality was found in one (1.67%) patient. There were no independent risk factors of cancer recurrence and cancer-specific mortality in our study. During the follow-up period, 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 93.8% and 88.9%, respectively. Additionally, LNM and cancer recurrence were significantly associated with the eCura scoring system (p = 0.044 and p = 0.017, respectively), while local cancer residue and cancer-specific mortality were not (p = 0.478 and p = 0.131, respectively). Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware of the risk factors for the prognosis of patients with non-curative ESD to determine subsequent treatment. Through the application of the "eCura system", additional surgery should be performed in patients with intermediate/high risk of LNM.

Microglia sense and suppress epileptic neuronal hyperexcitability.

Microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, undertaking surveillance role and reacting to brain homeostasis and neurological diseases. Recent studies indicate that microglia modulate epilepsy-induced neuronal activities, however, the mechanisms underlying microglia-neuron communication in epilepsy are still unclear. Here we report that epileptic neuronal hyperexcitability activates microglia and drives microglial ATP/ADP hydrolyzing ectoenzyme CD39 (encoded by Entpd1) expression via recruiting the cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB)-regulated transcription coactivator-1 (CRTC1) from cytoplasm to the nucleus and binding to CREB. Activated microglia in turn suppress epileptic neuronal hyperexcitability in a CD39 dependent manner. Disrupting microglial CREB/CRTC1 signaling, however, decreases CD39 expression and diminishes the inhibitory effect of microglia on epileptic neuronal hyperexcitability. Overall, our findings reveal CD39-dependent control of epileptic neuronal hyperexcitability by microglia is through an excitation-transcription coupling mechanism.

A method of motion estimation of segmental ventricular wall with tracking of ultrasonic echocardiogram.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasonic echocardiography is commonly used for monitoring myocardial dysfunction. However, it has limitations such as poor quality of echocardiography images and subjective judgment of doctors. METHODS: In this paper, a calculation model based on optical flow tracking of echocardiogram is proposed for the quantitative estimation motion of the segmental wall. To improve the accuracy of optical flow estimation, a method based on confidence-optimized multiresolution(COM) optical flow model is proposed to reduce the estimation errors caused by the large amplitude of myocardial motion and the presence of "shadows" and other image quality problems. In addition, motion vector decomposition and dynamic tracking of the ventricular region of interest are used to extract information regarding the myocardial segmental motion. The proposed method was validated using simulation images and 50 clinical cases (25 patients and 25 healthy volunteers) for myocardial motion analysis. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that the proposed method could track the motion information of myocardial segments well and reduce the estimation errors of optical flow caused due to the use of low-quality echocardiogram images. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method improves the accuracy of motion estimation for the cardiac ventricular wall.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 regulates blood-brain barrier permeability in epileptic mice.

Destruction of the blood-brain barrier is a critical component of epilepsy pathology. Several studies have demonstrated that sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 contributes to the modulation of vascular integrity. However, its effect on blood-brain barrier permeability in epileptic mice remains unclear. In this study, we prepared pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus models and pentylenetetrazol-induced epilepsy models in C57BL/6 mice. S1P1 expression was increased in the hippocampus after status epilepticus, whereas tight junction protein expression was decreased in epileptic mice compared with controls. Intraperitoneal injection of SEW2871, a specific agonist of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1, decreased the level of tight junction protein in the hippocampus of epileptic mice, increased blood-brain barrier leakage, and aggravated the severity of seizures compared with the control. W146, a specific antagonist of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1, increased the level of tight junction protein, attenuated blood-brain barrier disruption, and reduced seizure severity compared with the control. Furthermore, sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 promoted the generation of interleukin-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α and caused astrocytosis. Disruption of tight junction protein and blood-brain barrier integrity by sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 was reversed by minocycline, a neuroinflammation inhibitor. Behavioral tests revealed that sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 exacerbated epilepsy-associated depression-like behaviors. Additionally, specific knockdown of astrocytic S1P1 inhibited neuroinflammatory responses and attenuated blood-brain barrier leakage, seizure severity, and epilepsy-associated depression-like behaviors. Taken together, our results suggest that astrocytic sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 exacerbates blood-brain barrier disruption in the epileptic brain by promoting neuroinflammation.

Inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase protects against hippocampal neuronal injuries by increasing neuropeptide Y expression in temporal lobe epilepsy mice.

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) plays a pivotal role in the pathological process of neuronal injury in the development of epilepsy. Our previous study has demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) derived from nNOS in the epileptic brain is neurotoxic due to its reaction with the superoxide radical with the formation of peroxynitrite. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is widely expressed in the mammalian brain, which has been implicated in energy homeostasis and neuroprotection. Recent studies suggest that nNOS may act as a mediator of NPY signaling. Here in this study, we sought to determine whether NPY expression is regulated by nNOS, and if so, whether the regulation of NPY by nNOS is associated with the neuronal injuries in the hippocampus of epileptic brain. Our results showed that pilocarpine-induced temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) mice exhibited an increased level of nNOS expression and a decreased level of NPY expression along with hippocampal neuronal injuries and cognition deficit. Genetic deletion of nNOS gene, however, significantly upregulated hippocampal NPY expression and reduced TLE-induced hippocampal neuronal injuries and cognition decline. Knockdown of NPY abolished nNOS depletion-induced neuroprotection and cognitive improvement in the TLE mice, suggesting that inhibition of nNOS protects against hippocampal neuronal injuries by increasing neuropeptide Y expression in TLE mice. Targeting nNOS-NPY signaling pathway in the epileptic brain might provide clinical benefit by attenuating neuronal injuries and preventing cognitive deficits in epilepsy patients.

Combined effects of levetiracetam and sodium valproate on paediatric patients with epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the safety and efficacy of sodium valproate combined with levetiracetam in paediatric patients with epilepsy based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Chinese Journal Full-Text Database (CNKI), WANGFANG DATA and Sino Med were searched between January 1946 and May 2021. The included literature was randomized controlled clinical trials focusing on sodium valproate combined with levetiracetam in paediatric patients with epilepsy. Two evaluators separately collected the data based on the retrieval strategy, filtered the literature in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and summarized the literature that satisfied the criteria. The statistical programme used for the meta-analysis was Stata V14.0. RESULTS: Of 577 original titles screened, data were extracted from 7 studies (617 participants). Compared with sodium valproate alone or sodium valproate combined with topiramate, the application of sodium valproate combined with levetiracetam in the treatment of paediatric epilepsy significantly improved the overall therapeutic effect (RR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.16 to 1.33, p=0.927). The observation group significantly reduced the occurrence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) (RR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.79, p=0.602). Egger's regression test of the overall therapeutic effect showed no potential publication bias (p=0.122). CONCLUSION: Based on this meta-analysis, compared with sodium valproate alone or sodium valproate with topiramate, the application of sodium valproate combined with levetiracetam in the treatment of paediatric epilepsy can significantly improve the overall therapeutic effect and simultaneously reduce the occurrence of ADR. Therefore, we recommend sodium valproate combined with levetiracetam for the therapy of paediatric patients with epilepsy.

Valproic acid suppresses cuprizone-induced hippocampal demyelination and anxiety-like behavior by promoting cholesterol biosynthesis.

Myelin consists of several layers of tightly compacted membranes that form an insulating sheath around axons. These membranes are highly enriched in cholesterol, which is essential for the myelination process. Proper myelination is crucial for various neurophysiological functions while demyelination may cause CNS disease, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Recent studies demonstrated that demyelination occurs not only in the white matter but also in the grey matter, such as the hippocampus, which may cause cognitive deficits and mental disorders. Valproic acid (VPA) is an anticonvulsant agent prescribed for the treatment of epilepsy and seizure. Recently, VPA was reported to alter cholesterol metabolism in neural cells, suggesting that it may play an important role in myelin biogenesis. Here in this study, we found significant demyelination in the hippocampus of the mouse cuprizone model, which is accompanied by reduced cholesterol biosynthesis and increased anxiety-like behavior. VPA treatment, however, suppressed cuprizone-induced hippocampal demyelination and anxiety-like behavior by promoting cholesterol biosynthesis. These data identify an important role of VPA in the hippocampal demyelination process and the hippocampal demyelination-related behavior deficit via regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis, which provides new insights into the mechanisms of VPA as a protective agent against CNS demyelination.

ADAM10 suppresses demyelination and reduces seizure susceptibility in cuprizone-induced demyelination model.

The metalloproteinase ADAM10 is the most important amyloid precursor protein (APP) α-secretase, preventing the deposit of neurotoxic amyloid ß (Aß) peptide and generating a soluble APP fragment (sAPPα) with neurotrophic functions. Recent studies have suggested that ADAM10 also play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory CNS diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Demyelination is the hallmarks of MS but the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Here in this study, we examined the role that ADAM10 might play in the cuprizone-induced demyelination model. Our results demonstrated that ADAM10 expression and sAPPα production were significantly reduced in the corpus callosum in response to cuprizone treatment. Overexpression of ADAM10 increased sAPPα production and suppressed demyelination as well as neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in cuprizone-induced demyelination model. Pharmacological inhibition of ADAM10 activity, however, abrogates the protective effect of ADAM10 against demyelination, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. It has been reported that CNS demyelination may induce seizure activity. Here, we found that overexpression of ADAM10 reduced seizure susceptibility in cuprizone-induced demyelination model, suggesting that ADAM10-derived sAPPα suppresses demyelination and reduces seizure susceptibility via ameliorating neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in cuprizone-induced demyelination model.

Automatic Lumen Border Detection in IVUS Images Using Deep Learning Model and Handcrafted Features.

In the clinical analysis of Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images, the lumen size is an important indicator of coronary atherosclerosis, and is also the premise of coronary artery disease diagnosis and interventional treatment. In this study, a fully automatic method based on deep learning model and handcrafted features is presented for the detection of the lumen borders in IVUS images. First, 193 handcrafted features are extracted from the IVUS images. Then hybrid feature vectors are constructed by combining handcrafted features with 64 high-level features extracted from U-Net. In order to obtain the feature subsets with larger contribution, we employ the extended binary cuckoo search for feature selection. Finally, the selected 36-dimensional hybrid feature subset is used to classify the test images using dictionary learning based on kernel sparse coding. The proposed algorithm is tested on the publicly available dataset and evaluated using three indicators. Through ablation experiments, mean value of the experimental results (Jaccard: 0.88, Hausdorff distance: 0.36, Percentage of the area difference: 0.06) prove to be effective improving lumen border detection. Furthermore, compared with the recent methods used on the same dataset, the proposed method shows good performance and high accuracy.

COX-2-PGE2 signaling pathway contributes to hippocampal neuronal injury and cognitive impairment in PTZ-kindled epilepsy mice.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases. It adversely affects cognitive function. Neuroinflammation has been widely recognized as an important factor involved in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. Cyclooxygenase (COX) is a type of oxidoreductase enzyme that acts in the metabolic pathway converting arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, which mediate inflammatory reactions. The activation of inducible cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is considered to be a precipitating factor of neuroinflammation in the brain. Neuroinflammatory processes in the brain are known to contribute to the cascade of events leading to neuronal injury, which may consequently cause cognitive decline. Here in this study, we showed that pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-kindled mice exhibited an increased level of COX-2 and its main product prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) along with neuroinflammation and neuronal injury in the hippocampus. Pharmacological inhibition of COX-2 by celecoxib, however, significantly reduced hippocampal neuroinflammation and neuronal injury. Furthermore, inhibition of COX-2 by celecoxib attenuated cognitive impairment in the PTZ-kindled mice, suggesting that COX-2-PGE2 signaling pathway mediated neuroinflammation and neuronal injury contributes to cognitive dysfunction in the PTZ-kindled epilepsy mice. Targeting COX-2-PGE2 signaling pathway in the epileptic brain appears to be a viable strategy for attenuating neuronal injury and preventing cognitive deficits in epilepsy patients.

Seizure-induced neuroinflammation contributes to ectopic neurogenesis and aggressive behavior in pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus mice.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder often associated with recurrent seizures. A growing body of evidence suggests that seizures cause structural and functional alterations of the brain. It is reported that behavioral abnormalities frequently occur in patients with epilepsy and experimental epilepsy models. However, the precise pathological mechanisms associated with these epilepsy comorbidities remain largely unknown. Neurogenesis persists throughout life in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) to maintain proper brain function. However, aberrant neurogenesis usually generates abnormal neural circuits and consequently causes neuronal dysfunction. Neuroinflammatory responses are well known to affect neurogenesis and lead to aberrant reorganization of neural networks in the hippocampal DG. Here, in this study, we observed a significant increase in neuroinflammation and in the proliferation and survival of newborn granular cells in the hippocampus of pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) mice. More importantly, these proliferating and surviving newborn granular cells are largely ectopically located in the hippocampal DG hilus region. Our behavior test demonstrated that SE mice displayed severe aggressive behavior. Pharmacological inhibition of neuroinflammation, however, suppressed the ectopic neurogenesis and countered the enhanced aggressive behavior in SE mice, indicating that seizure-induced neuroinflammation may contribute to ectopic neurogenesis and aggressive behavior in SE mice. These findings establish a key role for neuroinflammation in seizure-induced aberrant neurogenesis and aggressive behavior. Suppressing neuroinflammation in the epileptic brain may reduce ectopic neurogenesis and effectively block the pathophysiological process that leads to aggressive behavior in TLE mice.

High Accuracy of Convolutional Neural Network for Evaluation of Helicobacter pylori Infection Based on Endoscopic Images: Preliminary Experience.

OBJECTIVES: Application of artificial intelligence in gastrointestinal endoscopy is increasing. The aim of the study was to examine the accuracy of convolutional neural network (CNN) using endoscopic images for evaluating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. METHODS: Patients who received upper endoscopy and gastric biopsies at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital (January 2015-June 2015) were retrospectively searched. A novel Computer-Aided Decision Support System that incorporates CNN model (ResNet-50) based on endoscopic gastric images was developed to evaluate for H. pylori infection. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated in an independent validation cohort. H. pylori infection was defined by the presence of H. pylori on immunohistochemistry testing on gastric biopsies and/or a positive 13C-urea breath test. RESULTS: Of 1,959 patients, 1,507 (77%) including 847 (56%) with H. pylori infection (11,729 gastric images) were assigned to the derivation cohort, and 452 (23%) including 310 (69%) with H. pylori infection (3,755 images) were assigned to the validation cohort. The area under the curve for a single gastric image was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-0.94) with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 81.4% (95% CI 79.8%-82.9%), 90.1% (95% CI 88.4%-91.7%), and 84.5% (95% CI 83.3%-85.7%), respectively, using an optimal cutoff value of 0.3. Area under the curve for multiple gastric images (8.3 ± 3.3) per patient was 0.97 (95% CI 0.96-0.99) with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 91.6% (95% CI 88.0%-94.4%), 98.6% (95% CI 95.0%-99.8%), and 93.8% (95% CI 91.2%-95.8%), respectively, using an optimal cutoff value of 0.4. DISCUSSION: In this pilot study, CNN using multiple archived gastric images achieved high diagnostic accuracy for the evaluation of H. pylori infection.

Decreased Expression of Urinary Mammalian Target of Rapamycin mRNA Is Related to Chronic Renal Fibrosis in IgAN.

BACKGROUND: Renal fibrosis is a common outcome of all pathological types of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the noninvasive detection of renal fibrosis remains a challenge. METHODS: We collected urine samples from 154 biopsy-proven IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients and 61 healthy controls. The expression of mTOR was measured and the correlation with renal function parameter and pathological indicators. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the diagnosis of IgAN and renal fibrosis was calculated. RESULTS: The urinary mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) expression was decreased in IgAN patients. The expression of mTOR was correlated with serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, estimated glomerular filtration rate, 24 h proteinuria, and cystatin C. Further, the urinary mTOR expression was significantly decreased in severe renal fibrosis patients compared with mild or moderate renal fibrosis patients. Urinary mTOR expression was correlated with score of tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) and score of glomerular sclerosis. The ROC curve showed that mTOR can diagnose IgAN at a cut-off value of 0.930 with the sensitivity of 90.2% and specificity of 73.8% and renal fibrosis at a cut-off value of 0.301 with the sensitivity of 71.7% and specificity of 64.8%. CONCLUSION: Urinary mTOR mRNA expression was a potential biomarker for diagnosis of IgAN and renal fibrosis in IgAN patients.

MicroRNA-23a contributes to hippocampal neuronal injuries and spatial memory impairment in an experimental model of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of epilepsy characterized by spontaneous recurrent seizures. It has been widely accepted that individuals with TLE tend to have neuronal injuries and memory impairment. However, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate the expression of target genes at the posttranscriptional level. An increasing body of evidence suggests that miRNAs play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Here, we sought to determine the role of miR-23a, one of the most common miRNAs involved in various cancer types, in hippocampal neuronal injuries and spatial memory impairment in an experimental model of TLE. We found that miR-23a is upregulated in the hippocampus after status epilepticus (SE) in kanic acid (KA)-induced TLE mice. Furthermore, the upregulation of miR-23a is accompanied by hippocampal oxidative damage, neuronal injuries and spatial memory impairment in TLE mice. Inhibition of miR-23a expression by miR-23a antagomirs reduced hippocampal oxidative stress, neuronal injuries and improved spatial memory, while an increase in miR-23a expression by miR-23a agomir exacerbated hippocampal oxidative stress, neuronal injuries and spatial memory impairment in TLE mice. Our findings suggest that miR-23a contributes to hippocampal oxidative damage and neuronal injuries, which may consequently contribute to spatial memory impairment in TLE mice. Thus, targeting miR-23a in the epileptic brain may provide a novel strategy for protecting against hippocampal neuronal injuries and improving spatial memory in TLE patients.