Abnormal Prefrontal Brain Activation During a Verbal Fluency Task in Treatment-Resistant Depression Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Objective@#The study investigated cognitive performance and brain function between treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and non- TRD patients to find potential neurobiological markers associated with refractoriness in depression patients. @*Methods@#Fourteen TRD patients, 26 non-TRD patients and 23 healthy controls (HC) were included in the present study. The neural function of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and cognitive performance among the three group were examined using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during verbal fluency task (VFT). @*Results@#Both TRD and non-TRD groups exhibited significantly worse VFT performance and lower activation of oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) changes in the bilateral dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) compared to the HC group. Within the TRD and non-TRD groups, VFT performance was no significant difference, but activation of oxy-Hb changes in dorsomedial PFC (DMPFC) in TRD patients was significantly lower than non-TRD patients. In addition, activation of oxy-Hb changes in right DLPFC were negatively correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms in depression patients. @*Conclusion@#Both TRD patients and non-TRD patients exhibited lower oxy-Hb activation in DLPFC. TRD patients exhibit lower oxy- Hb activation in DMPFC than non-TRD patients. fNIRS maybe a useful tool for predict depressive patients with or without treatment resistant.

Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody predicts the development of rheumatoid arthritis in patients with undifferentiated arthritis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Clinical outcomes of undifferentiated arthritis (UA) are diverse, and only 40% of patients with UA develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after 3 years. Discovering predictive markers at disease onset for further intervention is critical. Therefore, our objective was to analyze the clinical outcomes of UA and ascertain the predictors for RA development.@*METHODS@#We performed a prospective, multi-center study from January 2013 to October 2016 among Chinese patients diagnosed with UA in 22 tertiary-care hospitals. Clinical and serological parameters were obtained at recruitment. Follow-up was undertaken in all patients every 12 weeks for 2 years. Predictive factors of disease progression were identified using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression.@*RESULTS@#A total of 234 patients were recruited in this study, and 17 (7.3%) patients failed to follow up during the study. Among the 217 patients who completed the study, 83 (38.2%) patients went into remission. UA patients who developed RA had a higher rheumatoid factor (RF)-positivity (42.9% vs. 16.8%, χ = 8.228, P = 0.008), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody-positivity (66.7% vs. 10.7%, χ = 43.897, P < 0.001), and double-positivity rate of RF and anti-CCP antibody (38.1% vs. 4.1%, χ = 32.131, P < 0.001) than those who did not. Anti-CCP antibody but not RF was an independent predictor for RA development (hazard ratio 18.017, 95% confidence interval: 5.803-55.938; P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#As an independent predictor of RA, anti-CCP antibody should be tested at disease onset in all patients with UA.

Water extracts of Astragali Radix prevent lung carcinogenesis via inhibiting PI3K/Akt pathway / 中草药

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect and mechanism of the water extracts of Astragali Radix on lung cancer. Methods The effects of Astragali Radix water extracts on cell viability, cell proliferation and cell migration of A549 and H1299 cells were detected by MTT assay, EdU assay and wound healing assay, respectively. The effect of Astragali Radix water extracts on cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry. Western blotting assay was used to study the expression of related proteins in PI3K/Akt pathway. Finally, the effect of Astragali Radix water extracts on lung cancer in vivo was observed by benzopyrene-induced lung cancer model. Results From the result of MTT assay, the activity of A549 and H1299 cells was inhibited after treated with Astragali Radix water extracts after 48 h. In the EdU experiment, the proliferation ability of A549 and H1299 cells was significantly inhibited by Astragali Radix water extracts in a concentration dependent manner. The study of propidium iodide staining assay result showed that the cell cycle of A549 and H1299 cells was arrested in S phase. In addition, the study of wound healing assay revealed that the migration ability of A549 and H1299 cells was significantly suppressed after 24 h and 48 h treatment by Astragali Radix water extracts. And Western blotting assay revealed that, in drug treatment group, the protein expressions of PI3K, p-PDK1, and p-Akt were down-regulated. Finally, in vivo experiment showed that Astragali Radix water extracts significantly inhibited the number and size of lung tumor nodules in mice. Conclusion It is concluded that Astragali Radix water extracts can inhibit lung cancer. And the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Clinicopathological Features of Nondiabetic Renal Diseases from Different Age Groups: An Observational Cross-sectional Study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#Diabetes mellitus (DM) has become the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Nondiabetic renal diseases (NDRDs) have different clinicopathological features and prognosis from those of diabetic nephropathy. Our study sought to analyze the clinical and pathological features of NDRDs, in different age groups through a cross-sectional study.@*Methods@#All patients with type 2 DM at our center who underwent renal biopsy between March 1997 and March 2017 were screened and divided into three groups by age: Group 1 (youth group), 18-44 years old; Group 2 (middle-aged group), 45-59 years old; and Group 3 (elderly group), ≥60 years old. We analyzed the clinicopathological data and risk factors by univariate and multivariate logistic regression for NDRD of the patients to identify the features of NDRD in different age groups.@*Results@#We included 982 patients in the final analysis. Patients with NDRD accounted for 64.4% of all patients. IgA nephropathy (IgAN) was the most common pathological pattern in young patients with NDRD, accounting for 26.3%. In the middle-aged group, the two most common pathological patterns were IgAN and membranous nephropathy. Membranous nephropathy was the most common pathological pattern in elderly patients with NDRD, accounting for 29.3%. Consistent with pathological features, glomerular hematuria is a risk factor for NDRD in Group 1 (odds ratio [OR], 26.514; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.503-280.910; P = 0.006). On the other hand, rapidly increasing proteinuria or nephrotic syndrome is a risk factor for NDRD in Group 2 (OR, 5.921; 95% CI, 2.061-17.013; P = 0.001) and Group 3 (OR, 90.409; 95% CI, 6.198-1318.826; P = 0.001).@*Conclusions@#This single-center study showed that the proportion and composition of NDRD differ among different age groups. Consistent with pathological features, some clinical indices such as hematuria and proteinuria showed different features among different age groups.

Decreased gastric body mucosa obestatin expression in abdominal obesity patients with normal body mass index / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

The aim of the study was to investigate whether the expression of obestatin in gastric body mucosa in abdominal obesity patients with normal body mass index (BMI) is different compared with healthy controls. Twenty abdominal obesity patients with normal BMI and twenty healthy controls were included in the study. The number of obestatin-positive cells in gastric body mucosa was significantly lower in abdominal obesity patients with normal BMI than that in healthy subjects. There was a positive correlation between the numbers of obestatin-positive cells in the gastric body mucosa and plasma obestatin levels in abdominal obesity subjects and control group.

Prevalence of Anaplasma spp. infection in a desert landscape region of Heshuo, Xinjiang / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To study the prevalence ot Anaptasmosts among human,domestic sheep and tick population in Heshuo area,southern Xinjiang and to investigate the diversity of Anaplasma species.Methods Ticks were captured from wild field and blood samples were collected from healthy residents and their domestic sheep.Indirect fluorescent assay was carried out to determine the presence of Anaplasma specific IgG antibodies in blood sample of human and goats,respectively.Nested PCR and sequence alignment of Anaplasma partial 16S rDNA were used to investigate the diversity of Anaplasma species.Results 43.31％ (55/127) of human beings and 27.50％ (55/200) of the goats were found positive forAnaplasma specific IgG.In total,367 ticks were captured,including 3 genus and 4 species,which mainly consisting of dominate Hyalomma (H.)asiaticum (47.41％) and Rhipicephalus (R.)pumilio (37.60％).5.00％ (18/360) of the questing ticks and 4.49％ (7/156) of the goat blood samples were found to have had 16S rDNA,representing Anaplasma sp.by nested PCR,but none was found from human beings.Results from sequencial alignment revealed that the positive amplicons were identified to be Anaplasma phagocytophilum (99.2％ GU046565,99.5％ GU064897 and 99.5％ AB196721)and Anaplasma central (99.2％GU064903).Conclusion Human and zoonotic anaplasmosis,which were probably transmitted by H.asiaticum and R.pumilio,were co-circulating in the desert landscape of Heshuo area,Xinjiang.

Analysis of multiple cephalosporins in blood and urine by HPLC / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To establish a new high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for determining the concentration of cefazolin, cefradine, cefoperazone and cefotaxime in blood and urine, as well as to investigate its applicability.@*METHODS@#Protein in blood and urine was precipitated directly by acetonitrile with acetanilide was used as the internal standard using Agilent Zorbax SB-Aq column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm). The mixed solvents of water (triethylamine 0.12%, acetic acid 0.12%) and acetonitrile were used as the mobile phase to separate cephalosporins using gradient elution method at 1 mL/min (flow rate) and 254 nm (detection wavelength).@*RESULTS@#The working curve of four cephalosporins showed a good correlation (r = 0.9993), with the detection limit up to 0.01 microg/mL. The recovery rate was more than 81.2%.@*CONCLUSION@#This method is fast, easy and accurate. It is suitable for biological analysis of the 4 cephalosporins of the blood and urine in practical cases.

The clinical characteristics of a pedigree with incompletely penetrated autosomal dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia and its exclusion analysis of genetic loci / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To describe the clinical features of a big family with incompletely penetrated autosomal dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG) and perform the exclusion analysis of genetic loci.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical information of this SPG family was analyzed retrospectively. Exclusion analysis of the known autosomal dominant SPG loci was performed by using multiplex fluorescence PCR, capillary electrophoresis and Linkage package.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were eleven affected members available in this SPG family and the age at onset ranged from 2 to 10 years. The first symptoms were a bilateral, symmetrical, progressive lower limb weakness and spasticity. Patients presented with spasticity and hyperreflexia, positive Babinski sign and scissors gait, and the upper limbs were involved more severely than the lower limbs. No urinary inconsistence, sensory impairment, nystagmus and dementia were found. Genetic analysis showed that this family was consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. The linkage analysis and mutation analysis revealed this family was not linked to the known autosomal dominant loci.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This SPG family had typical "pure" clinical symptoms. The age at onset was early and the signs in the upper limbs were more obvious than those in the lower limbs. The result of linkage analysis shows that this family represents a new SPG subtype.</p>

A novel candidate locus on chromosome 11p14.1-p11.2 for autosomal dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders with the shared characteristics of slowly progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs. Thirteen loci for autosomal dominant HSP have been mapped.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A Chinese family with HSP was found in the Shandong province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China and genomic DNA of all 19 family members was isolated. After exclusion of known autosomal dominant loci, a genome wide scan and linkage analysis were performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The known autosomal dominant loci of SPG3A, SPG4, SPG6, SPG8, SPG9, SPG10, SPG12, SPG13, SPG17, SPG19, SPG29, SPG31 and SPG33 were excluded by linkage analysis. The results of a genome wide scan demonstrated candidate linkage to a locus on chromosome 11p14.1-p11.2, over an 18.88 cM interval between markers D11S1324 and D11S1933. A maximal, two point LOD score of 2.36 for marker D11S935 at a recombination fraction (theta) of 0 and a multipoint LOD score of 2.36 for markers D11S1776, D11S1751, D11S1392, D11S4203, D11S935, D11S4083, and D11S4148 at theta=0, suggest linkage to this locus.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The HSP neuropathy in this family may represent a novel genetic entity, which will facilitate discovery of this causative gene.</p>

Gene screening in five Chinese families with hereditary spastic paraplegia with thin corpus callosum / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To screen all ten genes between D15S971 and D15S1012 in five Chinese families with hereditary spastic paraplegia with thin corpus callosum (HSP-TCC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>DNA samples from 5 HSP-TCC families were screened for mutations in AK128197, MGC14798, HH114, MEIS2, MGC35118, SPRED1, AK128458, FLJ38426, RASGRP1 and AK093014 on chromosome 15q13-15 between microsatellites D15S971 and D15S1012 by polymerase chain reaction, direct sequencing and cosegreagation analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No disease-causing mutations were found in the 10 genes, but 13 polymorphisms were identified in which two were novel.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This study did not support the ten genes between D15S971 and D15S1012 were the disease-causing genes of the 5 HSP-TCC families.</p>

Mutation analysis of small heat-shock protein 22 gene in Chinese patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the characteristics of the mutation of small heat-shock protein 22 (HSP22) gene in Chinese patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A CMT2L proband with 423(G--> T) mutation in HSP22 gene had been studied and reported by the present authors. In this study, mutation analysis of HSP22 gene was performed using polymerase chain reaction and DNA direct sequencing in 114 CMT probands.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the 114 CMT probands, a 582(C--> T)(T194T)samesense mutation was found in two unrelated families.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The rate of HSP22 gene mutation in Chinese patients with CMT is as low as 0.87%(1/115).</p>

Mutation analysis of small heat shock protein 27 gene in Chinese patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the features of small heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) gene mutation in Chinese patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>DNA samples from 114 CMT probands were screened for mutations in HSP27 gene by polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing, and haplotype analysis was further carried out on the mutation detected families.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>One missense mutation C379T was detected in 4 autosomal dominant CMT2 families. Haplotype analysis indicated that the 4 families probably had a common ancestor.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of HSP27 gene mutation in Chinese patients with CMT, but it may be not common(0.90%). The C379T mutation in HSP27 gene also causes CMT2 except for distal hereditary motor neuropathy, thus providing further evidence that even the same mutation in the same gene may lead to distinct phenotypes.</p>

Detection of duplications or deletions of the PMP22 gene using real-time quantitative PCR / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the duplication or deletion of peripheral myelin protein 22(PMP22) gene in Chinese patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease(CMT) or hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies(HNPP) using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Duplications or deletions of PMP22 gene were detected in 113 CMT cases, 4 HNPP cases and 50 normal controls by using real-time quantitative PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thirty-six of 113 CMT cases had the PMP22 duplication, 4 HNPP cases had the PMP22 deletion. No duplication or deletion was found in 50 normal controls.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The PMP22 duplication rate in Chinese patients with CMT is 31.9%(36/113). PMP22 deletion is the common cause of HNPP.</p>

Association between rheumatoid arthritis and shared epitope of HLA-DRB1 gene in Han nationality Neimenggu population / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective To investigate the assoiation between rheumatoid arthritis(RA)and the pres- ence of the shared epitope(SE)of HLA-DRBI gene in Han nationality of Neimenggu population.Methods The method of DNA amplification with sequence-specific primers(PCR-SSP)was used to determine 17 alleles of HLA-DRB1*01,*04,*10 genotypes in 80 RA patients and 110 healthy controls from the Han nationality population in Neimenggu.Results The frequencies of SE were significantly increased in RA patiens com- pared with controls(48.8%:20%,P＜0.01).Epitope analysis revealed that the most predominant allele subtype of DR4(*0405)was usceptible sequence in Neimenggu patients with RA(28.8%:12%,P＜0.01).No statisticall significant difference of other subtypes of DR1,DR4 nd DR10 was noted including DRB1*0101(2.5%:0.9%), *0102(2.5%:0),*0103(1.25%:0.9%),*0104(2.5%:0),*0401(6.25:1.8%),*0402(3.75%:0.9%),*0403 (1.25%:1.8%),*0404(2.5%:1.8%),*0406(2.5%:2.7%),*0407(1.25%:0.9%),*0408(3.75 %:0.9%),*0409 (1.25%:0),*0410(2.5%:0.9%),*0411(0:0)and *1001(8.75%:4.5%)respectively.Logistic regression analy- sis showed that the disease of patients with SE homozgote was more severe than that of patients with heterozy- gote(P＜0.01).Conclusion The results suggest that there is an association between SE of HLA-DRBI gene and susceptibility and severity of RA,especially,HLA-DR4 subtypes are strongly associated with RA in Han nationality in Neimenggu population.