Corrigendum: Differences in resting-state brain networks and gray matter between APOE ϵ2 and APOE ϵ4 carriers in non-dementia elderly.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1197987.].

GATA binding protein 6 regulates apoptosis in silkworms through interaction with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase.

The GATA family of genes plays various roles in crucial biological processes, such as development, cell differentiation, and disease progression. However, the roles of GATA in insects have not been thoroughly explored. In this study, a genome-wide characterization of the GATA gene family in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was conducted, revealing lineage-specific expression profiles. Notably, GATA6 is ubiquitously expressed across various developmental stages and tissues, with predominant expression in the midgut, ovaries, and Malpighian tubules. Overexpression of GATA6 inhibits cell growth and promotes apoptosis, whereas, in contrast, knockdown of PARP mitigates the apoptotic effects driven by GATA6 overexpression. Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) has demonstrated that GATA6 can interact with Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), suggesting that GATA6 may induce cell apoptosis by activating the enzyme's activity. These findings reveal a dynamic and regulatory relationship between GATA6 and PARP, suggesting a potential role for GATA6 as a key regulator in apoptosis through its interaction with PARP. This research deepens the understanding of the diverse roles of the GATA family in insects, shedding light on new avenues for studies in sericulture and pest management.

Subtyping treatment response of tirofiban in acute ischemic stroke based on neuroimaging features.

In a previously published clinical trial, we demonstrated that tirofiban was effective and safe in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who did not undergo early recanalization treatments. We aimed to evaluate neuroimaging characteristics and their clinical significance to guide tirofiban treatment. In this post hoc analysis, location of infarcts (anterior circulation stroke [ACS] vs. posterior circulation stroke [PCS]), degree of cerebral artery stenosis (≤69% vs. ≥70% or occlusion), total infarct volume, and ASPECTS were used to predict the treatment effects of tirofiban, defined as the proportions of excellent and favorable functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score of 0-1, 0-2) at 90 days. ACS patients were more likely to achieve excellent (OR 2.08; 95% CI 1.25-3.45; p = 0.004) and favorable functional outcome (OR 2.28; 95% CI 1.24-4.22; p = 0.008) when treated with tirofiban. However, there was no significant difference in PCS patients between tirofiban and the control group. For patients with severe stenosis (≥70% or occlusion), tirofiban treatment improved the proportion of good outcomes (OR 2.84; 95% CI 1.44-5.60; p = 0.002 for mRS 0-1; OR 2.42; 95% CI 1.22-4.77; p = 0.011 for mRS 0-2). Meanwhile, we found that tirofiban improved outcome in patients with ASPECTS 8-10 and was independent of total infarct volume. These findings support the hypothesis that patients with ACS and severe stenosis may be recommended for tirofiban treatment, which can be predicted independent of total infarct volume.

Differences in resting-state brain networks and gray matter between APOE ε2 and APOE ε4 carriers in non-dementia elderly.

Background: Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε2 and APOE ε4 are the most distinct alleles among the three APOE alleles, both structurally and functionally. However, differences in cognition, brain function, and brain structure between the two alleles have not been comprehensively reported in the literature, especially in non-demented elderly individuals. Methods: A neuropsychological test battery was used to evaluate the differences in cognitive performance in five cognitive domains. Independent component analysis (ICA) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) were used separately to analyze resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data and the structure MRI data between the two groups. Finally, correlations between differential brain regions and neuropsychological tests were calculated. Results: APOE ε2 carriers had better cognitive performance in general cognitive, memory, attention, and executive function than APOE ε4 carriers (all p < 0.05). In ICA analyses of rs-fMRI data, the difference in the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between two groups is shown in 7 brain networks. In addition, VBM analyses of the T1-weighted image revealed that APOE ε2 carriers had a larger thalamus and right postcentral gyrus volume and a smaller bilateral putamen volume than APOE ε4 carriers. Finally, differences in brain function and structure may be might be the reason that APOE ε2 carriers are better than APOE ε4 carriers in cognitive performance. Conclusion: These findings suggest that there are significant differences in brain function and structure between APOE ε2 carriers and APOE ε4 carriers, and these significant differences are closely related to their cognitive performance.

Application of different prognostic scores in liver transplantation decision-making for acute-on-chronic liver failure / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To compare the impact of different prognostic scores in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in order to provide treatment guidance for liver transplantation. Methods: The information on inpatients with ACLF admitted at Beijing You'an Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2015 to October 2022 was collected retrospectively. ACLF patients were divided into liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation groups, and the two groups prognostic conditions were followed-up. Propensity score matching was carried out between the two groups on the basis of liver disease (non-cirrhosis, compensated cirrhosis, and decompensated cirrhosis), the model for end-stage liver disease incorporating serum sodium (MELD-Na), and ACLF classification as matching factors. The prognostic condition of the two groups after matching was compared. The difference in 1-year survival rate between the two groups was analyzed under different ACLF grades and MELD-Na scores. The independent sample t-test or rank sum test was used for inter-group comparison, and the χ (2) test was used for the comparison of count data between groups. Results: In total, 865 ACLF inpatients were collected over the study period. Of these, 291 had liver transplantation and 574 did not. The overall survival rates at 28, 90, and 360 days were 78%, 66%, and 62%, respectively. There were 270 cases of matched ACLF post-liver transplantation and 270 cases without ACLF, in accordance with a ratio of 1:1. At 28, 90, and 360 days, patients with non-liver transplantation had significantly lower survival rates (68%, 53%, and 49%) than patients with liver transplantation (87%, 87%, and 78%, respectively; P < 0.001). Patients were classified into four groups according to the ACLF classification criteria. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the survival rates of liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation patients in ACLF grade 0 were 77.2% and 69.4%, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (P = 0.168). The survival rate with an ACLF 1-3 grade was significantly higher in liver transplantation patients than that of non-liver transplantation patients (P < 0.05). Patients with ACLF grades 1, 2, and 3 had higher 1-year survival rates compared to non-liver transplant patients by 50.6%, 43.6%, and 61.7%, respectively. Patients were divided into four groups according to the MELD-Na score. Among the patients with a MELD-Na score of < 25, the 1-year survival rates for liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation were 78.2% and 74.0%, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.149). However, among patients with MELD-Na scores of 25-30, 30-35, and≥35, the survival rate was significantly higher in liver transplantation than that of non-liver transplantation, and the 1-year survival rate increased by 36.4%, 54.9%, and 62.5%, respectively (P < 0.001). Further analysis of the prognosis of patients with different ACLF grades and MELD-Na scores showed that ACLF grades 0 or 1 and MELD-Na score of < 30 had no statistically significant difference in the 1-year survival rate between liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation (P > 0.05), but in patients with MELD-Na score≥30, the 1-year survival rate of liver transplantation was higher than that of non-liver transplantation patients (P < 0.05). In the ACLF grade 0 and MELD-Na score of≥30 group, the 1-year survival rates of liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation patients were 77.8% and 25.0% respectively (P < 0.05); while in the ACLF grade 1 and MELD-Na score of≥30 group, the 1-year survival rates of liver transplantation and non-liver transplantation patients were 100% and 20.0%, respectively (P < 0.01). Among patients with ACLF grade 2, the 1-year survival rate with MELD-Na score of < 25 in patients with liver transplantation was 73.9% and 61.6%, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05); while in the liver transplantation patients group with MELD-Na score of ≥25, the 1-year survival rate was 79.5%, 80.8%, and 75%, respectively, which was significantly higher than that of non-liver transplantation patients (36.6%, 27.6%, 15.0%) (P < 0.001). Among patients with ACLF grade 3, regardless of the MELD-Na score, the 1-year survival rate was significantly higher in liver transplantation patients than that of non-liver transplantation patients (P < 0.01). Additionally, among patients with non-liver transplantation with an ACLF grade 0~1 and a MELD-Na score of < 30 at admission, 99.4% survived 1 year and still had an ACLF grade 0-1 at discharge, while 70% of deaths progressed to ACLF grade 2-3. Conclusion: Both the MELD-Na score and the EASL-CLIF C ACLF classification are capable of guiding liver transplantation; however, no single model possesses a consistent and precise prediction ability. Therefore, the combined application of the two models is necessary for comprehensive and dynamic evaluation, but the clinical application is relatively complex. A simplified prognostic model and a risk assessment model will be required in the future to improve patient prognosis as well as the effectiveness and efficiency of liver transplantation.

Chuanzhitongluo regulates microglia polarization and inflammatory response in acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chuanzhitongluo (CZTL), a traditional Chinese medicine mixture, is used in the recovery period of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), and effectively improves the prognosis of AIS patients. This study aims to evaluate whether CZTL regulates microglia polarization and inflammatory response to reduce brain damage in the acute phase of AIS. METHODS: A mouse model of AIS was prepared by the photochemical method. Cerebral infarct volume was detected by 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used to assess neuronal apoptosis. Gene expression profile change was explored by Gene chip. Inflammatory factors were analyzed by Protein microarray. The Immunofluorescence double-labeling assay was executed to elucidate the effects of CD16+ / Iba-1+ and CD206+ / Iba-1+ in the peripheral area of cerebral ischemia. RESULTS: Results revealed that CZTL treatment alleviated the neurological impairment, reduced cerebral infarct volume, and inhibited neuronal apoptosis. CZTL altered gene expression profiles, which indicate that CZTL may be involved in regulating neuroinflammation. CZTL restrained inflammatory responses by down-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines expression and enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokines level. Further experiments demonstrated that CZTL inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, which decreasing the inflammatory response. In addition, CZTL promoted the transformation of microglia from M1 to M2 phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that CZTL alleviates neuroinflammation and brain damage after AIS in mice, which may be mediated by modulating microglia polarization.

Corrigendum: The Effects of rs405509 on APOEε4 Non-carriers in Non-demented Aging.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.677823.].

Preliminary practice in the postoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing for children with congenital heart disease / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To investigate the postoperative cardiopulmonary fitness of children with congenital heart diseases (CHD). Methods: This is a retrospective study. A total of 136 children after cardiac correction undergoing cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) in Shanghai Children's Medical Center from March 1 to June 30, 2021 were selected. According to the surgical procedure, the children were divided into two groups: the biventricular correction group (BV group) (n=75) and single ventricular correction group (SV group) (n=61). The BV group was divided into two subgroups: simple congenital heart disease (S-CHD) group (n=35) and complex congenital heart disease (C-CHD) group (n=40). CPET parameters, including VO2 max, VO2/kg max, VO2/kg@AT, O2/HR max, HRR, PetCO2 max, CI, HRR at 1 min, VE/VCO2 slope, OUES/kg and EOV, were analyzed. CPET parameters of patients underwent different procedure were compared. In the subgroup analysis, CPET parameters of patients in S-CHD group and C-CHD group were compared. The parameters of the BV group were compared with the normal value. Linear correlation analysis was used to identify the correlation between the CPET parameters. Results: A total of 136 children with CHD after surgery were enrolled. The age was (9.4±3.1) (ranged 6.2-16.0) years, and there was 84 (61.8%) male. All the children completed CPET examination safely without experiencing serious circulation abnormalities. Compared with the SV group, the VO2/kg max ((32.6±6.9) ml·kg-1·min-1 vs. (23.5±5.9) ml·kg-1·min-1, P<0.001), O2/HR max ((7.24±2.93) ml/beat vs. (6.35±2.17)ml/beat, P=0.030), HRR at 1 min ((32.5±13.9) beat/min vs. (26.3±12.5) beat/min, P=0.036), OUES/kg (36.9±8.8 vs. 29.7±11.8, P=0.001) were significantly higher, VE/VCO2 slope (29.1±5.20 vs. 35.1±8.0, P<0.001) and incidence of EOV (32.0%(24/75) vs. 57.4%(31/61), P=0.027) were significantly lower in BV group. Compared with the simple CHD subgroup, VE/VCO2 slope and the incidence of EOV were higher, VO2/kg max, O2/HR max, HRR at 1 min and OUES/kg were lower in the complex CHD subgroup (all P<0.05). Cardiopulmonary function parameters of the BV group were lower than the normal value. Linear correlation analysis showed that VO2/kg@AT was strongly correlated with VO2/kg max (r=0.86, P<0.001), VO2/kg max was strongly correlated with OUES/kg (r=0.63, P<0.001), HRR was strongly correlated with CI (r=0.91, P<0.001), and VO2/kg max was strongly correlated with OUES/kg (r=0.63, P<0.001). VE/VCO2 slope was strongly correlated with PetCO2 max (r=1.00, P<0.001). Conclusions: The exercise cardiopulmonary function of children after single ventricular correction is weaker than that of biventricular correction, and the exercise tolerance of children after biventricular correction is lower than that of normal children. Among the children after biventricular correction, the exercise tolerance of children with complex CHD is lower than that of children with simple CHD. Postoperative CPET is of important realistic significance for CHD children.

Clinicopathological characteristics of metastatic ovarian tumor from digestive system / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features of metastatic ovarian tumors from digestive system.Methods:The clinicopathological and follow-up data of 21 patients with metastatic ovarian tumor from digestive system were collected from April 2006 to January 2020 in the Maternity Hospital of Dalian Women and Children′s Medical Group. The pathological slides were reviewed, immunostained by EnVision method, and the clinicopathological features were summarized.Results:Twenty-one cases, aging from 26 to 66 years (average 41.5 years), were treated with chief complaint of abdominal pain, menstrual disorder or pelvic mass. The incidence of bilateral ovarian tumor was 81.0% (17/21), with a diameter of 0.2 to 20.0 cm. Most of tumors were solid and cystic, nodular or lobulated. Microscopically, tumor cells diffusely infiltrated ovarian stroma, accompanied with stromal proliferation and luteinization obviously. Metastatic gastric cancers were mainly signet-ring cell carcinomas, with cytokeratin 7 (CK7) positive, tail homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2) and cytokeratin 20 (CK20) partially positive, paired-box gene 8 (PAX8) and special AT-rich sequence binding protein 2 (SATB2) negative; metastatic colorectal cancers were mainly characterized by atypical glands, forming single cells or cribriform structure; metastatic appendix tumors were mostly low-grade tumor cells similar to ovarian borderline tumors and abundant extracellular mucinous, accompanied by peritoneal pseudomyxoma. The CK7 and PAX8 were negative, while the CK20, CDX2 and SATB2 were positive in patients with metastatic ovarian tumor from colorectal cancer and appendix tumor. The average follow-up time was 36 months, 18 patients relapsed within 5 years, 15 patients died; 3 patients were lost to follow-up.Conclusions:The ovarian metastatic tumors from digestive system are mostly bilateral, mainly solid and cystic. Microscopically, they show diffuse interstitial infiltration of tumor cells. The diagnosis should be combined with medical history, clinical symptoms, gross and histological features of tumor and immunohistochemistry, which should be mainly differentiated from primary mucinous ovarian tumor. The overall prognosis is poor.

Advances in diagnosis and treatment of myocardial damage in childern DMD/BMD / 国际儿科学杂志

Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy(DMD/BMD)is a progressive, destructive neuromuscular disease.It is caused by mutations in the gene encoding dystrophy.The mutations come in various forms and the severity of the disease varies.The onset of the disease is insidious, and the initial manifestation is only abnormal serum enzymes.With the progression of the disease, the skeletal muscle and myocardial striated muscle cells are further destroyed, gait abnormalities and myocardial damage gradually appear, and eventually most children die of heart failure.At present, there is no effective radical cure.The existing treatment methods, including oral glucocorticoids and restoring functional dystrophin, are mostly limited to alleviate skeletal muscle symptoms, and are very limited to improve cardiac symptoms.This article reviews the progress in the diagnosis and treatment of myocardial damage in DMD/BMD, in order to provide reference for clinical research and gene therapy.

The Effects of rs405509 on APOEε4 Non-carriers in Non-demented Aging.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that the T allele of rs405509 located in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) promotor region is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the effect of the T/T allele on brain function in non-demented aging is still unclear. METHODS: We analyzed the effects of the rs405509 T/T allele on cognitive performances using multiple neuropsychological tests and local brain function using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). RESULTS: Significant differences were found between T/T carriers and G allele carriers on general cognitive status, memory, and attention (p < 0.05). Rs-fMRI analyses demonstrated decreased amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in the right middle frontal gyrus, decreased percent amplitude of fluctuation (PerAF) in the right middle frontal gyrus, increased regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the right cerebellar tonsil and decreased ReHo in the right putamen, and decreased degree centrality (DC) in the left middle frontal gyrus (p < 0.05, corrected). Furthermore, significant correlations were found between cognitive performance and these neuroimaging changes (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that T/T allele may serve as an independent risk factor that can influence brain function in different regions in non-demented aging.

Activation of Toll-like receptor 7 provides cardioprotection in septic cardiomyopathy-induced systolic dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: As a pattern recognition receptor, Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) widely presented in the endosomal membrane of various cells. However, the precise role and mechanism of TLR7 in septic cardiomyopathy remain unknown. This study aims to determine the role of TLR7 in cardiac dysfunction during sepsis and explore the mechanism of TLR7 in septic cardiomyopathy. METHODS: We generated a mouse model of septic cardiomyopathy by challenging with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). TLR7-knockout (TLR7-/- ), wild-type (WT) mice, cardiac-specific TLR7-transgenic (cTG-TLR7) overexpression, and littermates WT (LWT) mice were subjected to septic model. Additionally, to verify the role and mechanism of TLR7 in vitro, we transfected neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) with Ad-TLR7 and TLR7 siRNA before LPS administration. The effects of TLR7 were assessed by Ca2+ imaging, western blotting, immunostaining, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). RESULTS: We found that TLR7 knockout markedly exacerbated sepsis-induced systolic dysfunction. Moreover, cardiomyocytes isolated from TLR7-/- mice displayed weaker Ca2+ handling than that in WT mice in response to LPS. Conversely, TLR7 overexpression alleviated LPS-induced systolic dysfunction, and loxoribine (TLR7-specific agonist) improved LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction. Mechanistically, these optimized effects were associated with enhanced the adenosine (cAMP)-protein kinase A (PKA) pathway, which upregulated phosphorylate-phospholamban (p-PLN) (Ser16) and promoted sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (Serca) and Ryanodine Receptor 2 (RyR2) expression in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), and ultimately restored Ca2+ handling in response to sepsis. While improved Ca2+ handling was abrogated after H89 (a specific PKA inhibitor) pretreatment in cardiomyocytes isolated from cTG-TLR7 mice. Consistently, TLR7 overexpression improved LPS-induced Ca2+ -handling decrement in NRVMs. Nevertheless, TLR7 knockdown showed a deteriorative phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrated that activation of TLR7 protected against sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction through promoting cAMP-PKA-PLN pathway, and we revealed that TLR7 might be a novel therapeutic target to block the septic cardiomyopathy and support systolic function during sepsis.

Effects of CTNND2 knockout on cerebellar development and motor function in mice / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the effects of CTNND2 knockout on cerebellar neuronal development and motor function in mice, as well as its possible mechanisms. Methods The mice were divided into two groups (n = 10 in each group), all of them were 7 weeks old : wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice were treated as control group, and homozygous of CTNND2 knockout (CTNND2 7) mice were treated as experimental group, the genotype of CTNND2 7 mice were detected with PCR. The motor function of two groups were detected by beam walking test, hanging wire test and gait analysis test. The changes of cerebellar Purkinje cells were detected by immunofluorescence staining and Golgi staining. Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of synapse-associated proteins phosphorylated synapsin 1 (p-Synl), synapsin 1 (Synl), ELKS and postsynaptic density protein 95(PSD95), as well as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-Akt), protein kinase B (Akt), phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Results Compared with the WT mice, except the increase in time to traverse the beam, there was a decrease in the proportion of pass on the beam, or latency to fall from the hanging wire, or score of hanging wire, or fore-stride length and hind-stride length of CTNND2 7 mice. There was also a decrease in numbers of Purkinje cells and its dendritic arborization in cerebellum of CTNND2 7 mice. The ratio of p-Synl/ Synl, p-Akt/Akt and p-mTOR/mTOR, as well as the expression levels of ELKS, PSD95 and PI3K were lower than those of WT mice. Conclusion CTNND2 knockout can affect the number and dendritic architecture of Purkinje cells, as well as synthesis of synapse-associated proteins in cerebellum by down-regulating PI3K/Akt/mT0R signaling pathway, resulting in cerebellar developmental disorder, thereby affecting motor function of mice.

Long-term efficacy and adverse reactions of intensity-modulated radiotherapy for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in non-endemic northwest China / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective@#To retrospectively analyze the characteristics of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, long-term efficacy, adverse reactions of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in non-endemic northwest China and summarize the experience of IMRT in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the past decade.@*Methods@#Clinical data of 658 patients newly diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma without distant metastasis admitted to First affiliated hospital from January 2006 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were treated with IMRT. The survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method. The multivariate analysis was conducted with Cox’s regression model.@*Results@#In non-endemic northwest China, a large proportion of patients were newly diagnosed with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and a majority of them were pathologically characterized as differentiated subtypes. The 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), regional recurrence-free survival (RRFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates were 75.7%, 70.1%, 91.2%, 97.0% and 81.0%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that age, pathological type, nasopharyngeal tumor volume>23 cm3 and neck lymph node metastasis complicated with necrosis were the factors of poor prognosis of DFS (all P<0.05). Age, pathological type, neck lymph node metastasis complicated with necrosis were the factors of poor prognosis of OS (all P<0.05). N stage and neck lymph node metastasis complicated with necrosis were the factors of poor prognosis of DMFS (both P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#Similar clinical efficacy has been achieved in terms of IMRT for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in non-endemic northwest China compared with that in endemic area. Induction chemotherapy combined with concurrent radiochemotherapy can provide clinical benefits for patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma in non-endemic area.

Clinicopathological characteristics of primary ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective@#To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of primary ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma.@*Methods@#The clinical data of 28 patients with primary ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma from April 2006 to December 2018 in Dalian Maternity Hospital Affiliated to Dalian Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. The pathological sections were reviewed, and the clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining.@*Results@#Among 28 patients, the average age of patients was 46.5 (22 to 64) years. Ten cases were found by health examination, 15 cases showed lower abdominal discomfort, and 3 cases had irregular vaginal bleeding. Pelvic ultrasound examination showed heterogeneous internal echoes in adnexal region, and serum tumor marker levels did not significantly increase. The diameters of tumors were 8 to 32 cm, with an average of 16.5 cm. The unilateral ovarian tumor was in 26 cases, and bilateral ovarian tumor was in 2 cases. Most of tumors were solid-cystic with viscous liquid or jelly-like substance inside the cystic, accompanied with solid papillae or nodules. Microscopically, tumors were composed with gastrointestinal epithelium. Eighteen cases had borderline mucinous tumors with focal fusion infiltrating carcinoma; 10 cases had fusion infiltrating carcinoma dominant, while there were 2 cases whose tumor exhibited focal invasive infiltration. Immunohistochemical result showed that the positive rates of cytokeratin (CK) 7, CK20 and tail-type homeobox gene (CDX) 2 were 100.0% (28/28), 71.4% (20/28) and 53.6% (15/28); the positive rates of paired box gene (PAX) 8 and special AT-rich sequence-binding protein (SATB) 2 were 14.3%(4/28) and 10.7% (3/28). According to the ovarian carcinoma stage standard of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2014, Ⅰ stage was in 21 cases, Ⅱstage in 4 cases, Ⅲ stage in 2 cases, and Ⅳ stage in 1 case. The patients were followed up for 3 to 120 months, with an average of 55 months. No recurrence or metastasis was in 17 cases (FIGO Ⅰ stage 16 cases, FIGO Ⅱ stage 1 case); recurrent within 2 years was in 5 cases (FIGO Ⅱ stage 2 cases, Ⅲ stage 2 cases, Ⅳ stage 1 case), of which 4 cases died within 5 years (FIGO Ⅱ stage 1 case, Ⅲ stage 2 cases, Ⅳ stage 1 case); lost to follow-up was in 6 cases (FIGO Ⅰ stage 5 cases, FIGO Ⅱ stage 1 case).@*Conclusions@#Primary ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma is rare, and it has no specific clinical symptoms. It is mainly characterized by fusion infiltration. Immunohistochemical result shows that CK7 is always positive, the expressions of CK20 and CDX2 are different degree, and SATB2 and PAX-8 are mostly negative. Prognosis is closely related with FIGO stage, and the patients with FIGO Ⅰ stage have good prognoses, Ⅲ and Ⅳ stage have poor prognoses. It should be distinguished from ovarian metastatic mucinous tumor.

Reinforcement of Rhodobacter sphaeroides cofactor NADPH to increase the production of farnesol / 生物工程学报

Farnesol (FOH) is produced by dephosphorylation of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) derived from two universal building blocks, dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) and isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP). In Rhodobacter sphaeroides these building blocks are generated by MEP pathway, however, many of the biosynthetic reactions and biotransformations in the MEP pathway are limited by low availability of NADPH. Improvement of the amount of intracellular NADPH may enhance the synthesis of FOH. In this study, we utilized the strategies of increasing the production of NADPH and decreasing the consumption of NADPH. The expression of glucose 6-phosphate isomerase (pgi) and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdhA) were inhibited by RNA interference, respectively, and overexpression of 6-glucose phosphate dehydrogenase (zwf) and 6-glucose phosphate dehydrogenase (gnd) in the pentose phosphate pathway were carried out. The results showed that the content of NADPH in the recombinant strains increased significantly, the highest FOH production of RSpgii in the RNA interfered strain was 3.91 mg/g, and the FOH production increased to 3.43 mg/g after zwf gene and gnd gene has been overexpressed. In order to obtain strains with higher FOH production, we used RSpgii as the starting strain, and zwf, gnd and co-overexpressed zwf + gnd gene were overexpressed in RSpgii, respectively. The highest FOH production of the strain RSzgpi reached to 4.48 mg/g which was 2.24 times that of the starting strain RS-GY2.

Long-term efficacy and adverse reactions of intensity-modulated radiotherapy for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in non-endemic northwest China / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To retrospectively analyze the characteristics of nasopharyngeal carcinoma,long-term efficacy,adverse reactions of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in non-endemic northwest China and summarize the experience of IMRT in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the past decade.Methods Clinical data of 658 patients newly diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma without distant metastasis admitted to First affiliated hospital from January 2006 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients were treated with IMRT.The survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method.The multivariate analysis was conducted with Cox's regression model.Results In non-endemic northwest China,a large proportion of patients were newly diagnosed with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma,and a majority of them were pathologically characterized as differentiated subtypes.The 5-year overall survival (OS),disease-free survival (DFS),local recurrence-free survival (LRFS),regional recurrence-free survival (RRFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates were 75.7％,70.1％,91.2％,97.0％ and 81.0％,respectively.Multivariate analysis showed that age,pathological type,nasopharyngeal tumor volume＞23 cm3 and neck lymph node metastasis complicated with necrosis were the factors of poor prognosis of DFS (all P＜0.05).Age,pathological type,neck lymph node metastasis complicated with necrosis were the factors of poor prognosis of OS (all P＜0.05).N stage and neck lymph node metastasis complicated with necrosis were the factors of poor prognosis of DMFS (both P＜0.05).Conclusions Similar clinical efficacy has been achieved in terms of IMRT for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in non-endemic northwest China compared with that in endemic area.Induction chemotherapy combined with concurrent radiochemotherapy can provide clinical benefits for patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma in non-endemic area.

A study on MRI dynamic functional connectivity based on independent component analysis in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To investigate the abnormal dynamic characteristics of brain functional connectivity in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) and its correlation with clinical indicators by using dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) analysis based on independent component analysis (ICA).Methods:The clinical and imaging data of female NPSLE patients diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2018 to September 2019 were prospectively collected. The levels of complement C3, C4, CH50, glucocorticoid prednisone dosage, systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) score and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) damage index (SDI) score were recorded. Age and sex matched healthy controls (HC) were enrolled at the same time. All subjects underwent resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). The spatial group independent component analysis was performed on MRI data using GIFT software, and 29 independent components (IC) were selected as internal connectivity network; five functional connectivity states and three dFC indexes (fraction time, mean dwell time, number of transitions) were obtained by using sliding time window technology. Two independent sample t test was used to calculate the difference of functional connectivity in different states. Mann-Whitney U test was used to calculate the difference of dFC indexes between groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation between dFC index and clinical data in NPSLE group. Results:A total of 45 NPSLE patients and 35 HC patients were enrolled. There was no significant difference in age and education level between the two groups ( t=-0.327, -0.460, P>0.05). Compared with HC group, NPSLE group had higher fraction time and longer mean dwell time ( Z=-2.496, -2.462, P<0.05); in state3 strong connection, compared with HC group, functional connectivity (FC) between posterior cerebellar lobe (IC39) and basal ganglia (IC10) was enhanced ( t=-5.201, P<0.05); FC was found decreased between posterior cerebellar lobe (IC39) and temporal lobe (IC5), temporal lobe (IC7), superior parietal lobe (IC65) ( t=4.212, 5.572, 4.415, P<0.05), as well as between paracentral lobular region (IC12) and posterior cingulate gyrus (IC15) ( t=3.893, P<0.05) in NPSLE group. The SDI score of NPSLE patients was negatively correlated with the fraction time and mean dwell time of state1 and state3 strong connection state ( P<0.05), and the SLEDAI score was negatively correlated with the fraction time and mean dwell time of state1 and state2 ( P<0.05). The SDI and SLEDAI scores were positively correlated with the fraction time and mean dwell time of state4 weak connection state, respectively ( P<0.05). The levels of serum complement C3, C4 and CH50 in NPSLE patients were positively correlated with the number of transitions ( r=0.428, 0.354, 0.385, P<0.05), and the dosage of prednisone was negatively correlated with the number of transitions ( r=-0.466, P<0.05). The validation analysis results showed the experimental results could be effectively repeated. Conclusion:The dFC analysis method based on ICA can effectively identify the alterations of brain functional connectivity on a shorter time scale, which may provide a new perspective for further exploration of the neuroimaging mechanism of cognitive impairment in NPSLE.

Clinicopathological characteristics of primary ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of primary ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma.Methods The clinical data of 28 patients with primary ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma from April 2006 to December 2018 in Dalian Maternity Hospital Affiliated to Dalian Medical University were retrospectively analyzed.The pathological sections were reviewed,and the clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining.Results Among 28 patients,the average age of patients was 46.5 (22 to 64) years.Ten cases were found by health examination,15 cases showed lower abdominal discomfort,and 3 cases had irregular vaginal bleeding.Pelvic ultrasound examination showed heterogeneous internal echoes in adnexal region,and serum tumor marker levels did not significantly increase.The diameters of tumors were 8 to 32 cm,with an average of 16.5 cm.The unilateral ovarian tumor was in 26 cases,and bilateral ovarian tumor was in 2 cases.Most of tumors were solid-cystic with viscous liquid or jelly-like substance inside the cystic,accompanied with solid papillae or nodules.Microscopically,tumors were composed with gastrointestinal epithelium.Eighteen cases had borderline mucinous tumors with focal fusion infiltrating carcinoma;10 cases had fusion infiltrating carcinoma dominant,while there were 2 cases whose tumor exhibited focal invasive infiltration.Immunohistochemical result showed that the positive rates of cytokeratin (CK) 7,CK20 and tail-type homeobox gene (CDX) 2 were 100.0％ (28/28),71.4％ (20/28) and 53.6％ (15/28);the positive rates of paired box gene (PAX) 8 and special AT-rich sequence-binding protein (SATB) 2 were 14.3％ (4/28) and 10.7％ (3/28).According to the ovarian carcinoma stage standard of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2014,Ⅰ stage was in 21 cases,Ⅱ stage in 4 cases,Ⅲ stage in 2 cases,and Ⅳ stage in 1 case.The patients were followed up for 3 to 120 months,with an average of 55 months.No recurrence or metastasis was in 17 cases (FIGO Ⅰ stage 16 cases,FIGO Ⅱ stage 1 case);recurrent within 2 years was in 5 cases (FIGO Ⅱ stage 2 cases,Ⅲ stage 2 cases,Ⅳ stage 1 case),of which 4 cases died within 5 years (FIGO Ⅱ stage 1 case,Ⅲ stage 2 cases,Ⅳ stage 1 case);lost to follow-up was in 6 cases (FIGO Ⅰ stage 5 cases,FIGO Ⅱ stage 1 case).Conclusions Primary ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma is rare,and it has no specific clinical symptoms.It is mainly characterized by fusion infiltration.Immunohistochemical result shows that CK7 is always positive,the expressions of CK20 and CDX2 are different degree,and SATB2 and PAX-8 are mostly negative.Prognosis is closely related with FIGO stage,and the patients with FIGO Ⅰ stage have good prognoses,Ⅲ and Ⅳ stage have poor prognoses.It should be distinguished from ovarian metastatic mucinous tumor.

COVID-19 patient firstly visiting eye doctor due to tarsadenitis and subconjunctival hemorrhage: A case report / 中华实验眼科杂志

A 35-year-old female patient with a history of significant epidemiological exposure firstly visited eye doctor due to acute tarsadenitis in the right eye.Subsequently, she developed subconjunctival hemorrhage, fever and cough and received topical administration of antibiotics and systemic treatment of antiviral drug.Shortly thereafter, both his mother and father, who denied COVID-19 associated epidemiological history, appeared fever, fatigue and other symptoms and diagnosed as COVID-19.This female patient was diagnosed as COVID-19 by CT image of lung and COVID-19 RNA detection 17 days and 24 days after firstly visited eye doctor, respectively, and received specialized isolation treatment.The symptoms of COVID-19 are very varied, eye doctors should keep alert and pay attention to personal protection.