[Manufacturing classification system for oral solid dosage forms of traditional Chinese medicines(â ): classification of processing routes].

Oral solid dosage(OSD) occupies a key position in the market of Chinese patent medicines and new traditional Chinese medicines. Processing route is the foundation for the research and development of traditional Chinese medicine OSDs. On the basis of prescriptions and preparation methods of 1 308 traditional Chinese medicine OSDs recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, we summarized the patterns of processing routes of both modern dosage forms(tablets, granules, and capsules) and traditional dosage forms(pills and powder) and constructed a manufacturing classification system(MCS) based on the processing routes. Based on the MCS, statistical analyses were conducted respectively on medicinal materials, pharmaceutical excipients, extraction solvents in the pretreatment process, crushed medicinal materials, methods of concentration and purification, and methods of drying and granulation, aiming to uncover the process features. The results showed that each dosage form can be prepared via different routes with different processing methods of decoction pieces and raw materials for dosage preparation. The raw materials for dosage form preparation of traditional Chinese medicine OSDs included total extract, semi-extract, and total crushed powder, which accounted for different proportions. The raw materials for traditional dosage forms are mainly decoction pieces powder. Semi-extracts are the main raw materials for tablets and capsules, which account for 64.8% and 56.3%, respectively. Total extracts are the main raw materials for granules, with a proportion of 77.8%. Compared with tablets and capsules, traditional Chinese medicine granules with dissolubility requirements had a larger proportion of water extraction process, a higher proportion of refining process(34.7%), and a lower proportion of crushed medicinal mate-rials in semi-extract granules. There are four ways to add volatile oil to the modern dosage forms of traditional Chinese medicine. In addition, some new technologies and processes have been used in concentration, filtration, and granulation processes of traditional Chinese medicine OSDs, and the application of pharmaceutical excipients is diversified. The results of this study are expected to provide reference for the processing route design and upgrading of OSDs for new traditional Chinese medicines.

[Manufacturing classification system for oral solid dosage forms of traditional Chinese medicines (â ¡): classification of tablets disintegration behavior].

In this paper, 50 batches of representative traditional Chinese medicine tablets were selected and the disintegration time was examined with the method in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The disintegration time and disintegration phenomenon were recorded, and the dissolution behaviors of water-soluble and ultraviolet-absorbent components during the disintegration process of tablets were characterized by self-control method. The results revealed that coating type and raw material type influenced the disintegration time of tablets. It was found that only 4% of traditional Chinese medicine tablets had obvious fragmentation during the disintegration process, while 96% of traditional Chinese medicine tablets showed gradual dissolution or dispersion. Furthermore, according to the disintegration speed, disintegration phenomenon, and whether the cumulative dissolution of measured components was > 90% at complete disintegration, a disintegration behavior classification system(DBCS) was created for the regular-release traditional Chinese medicine tablets. As a result, the disintegration behaviors of 50 batches of traditional Chinese medicine tablets were classified into four categories, i.e. ⅠA_2, ⅠB_1, ⅡB_1, and ⅡB_2. traditional Chinese medicine tablets(Class I) with disintegration time ≤ 30 min were defined to be rapid in disintegration, which can be the objective of optimization or improvement of Chinese herbal extract(semi extract) tablets. Different drug release models were used to fit the dissolution curve of traditional Chinese medicine tablets with gradual dissolution or dispersion phenomenon(i.e. Type B tablets). The results showed that the dissolution curves of water-soluble components in the disintegration process conformed to the zero order kinetics and the Ritger-Peppas model. It could be inferred that the disintegration mechanisms of type B tablets were a combination of dissolution controlled and swelling controlled mechanisms. This study contributes to understanding the disintegration behavior of traditional Chinese medicine tablets, and provides a reference for the design and improvement of disintegration performance of traditional Chinese medicine tablets.

Effect of Xuebijing injection on myocardium during cardiopulmonary bypass: A prospective, randomized, double blind trial.

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is an essential procedure for maintaining the blood supply to vital organs in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, perioperative cardiac injury related to CPB remains a severe complication in these patients. Cardiac protection is important for patients undergoing CPB. AIM: To evaluate the potential cardioprotective efficacy of the Chinese medicine preparation Xuebijing injection (XBJ) in patients undergoing CPB. METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB were randomly allocated to the XBJ and control groups (saline). XBJ was administered intravenously three times: 12 h prior to surgery, at the beginning of the surgery, and 12 h after the second injection. Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography 48 h after surgery. Circulating inflammation- and oxidative-stress-related markers were measured. Clinical outcomes related to intensive care unit (ICU) stay were recorded. RESULTS: Compared to control treatment, XBJ was associated with improved PaO2/FiO2 and cardiac systolic function, but reduced troponin I and creatine kinase fraction after surgery (all P < 0.05). The circulating concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-8 in the XBJ group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P < 0.05), whereas the circulating concentration of IL-10 was significantly higher in the XBJ group (P < 0.05). In addition, the lengths of ICU stay and hospitalization after surgery tended to be shorter in the XBJ group than in the control group, although the differences were not significant. CONCLUSION: Perioperative administration of XBJ was associated with attenuated cardiac injury during CPB, likely via anti-inflammatory and antioxidative mechanisms.

Dl-3-N-Butylphthalide Presents Anti-Cancer Activity in Lung Cancer by Targeting PD-1/PD-L1 Signaling.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer serves as one of the most malignant cancer types. Immunotherapy targeting PD-1/PD-L1 axis is a promising strategy for cancer treatment. Dl-3-N-butylphthalide (NBP), a small molecule compound extracted from the seeds of Apium graveolens, possesses a large range of biological effects and demonstrates anti-cancer activities. However, the role of NBP in the modulation of lung cancer remains obscure. METHODS: In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of NBP on PD-L1 signaling and the progression of lung cancer. RESULTS: Significantly, the treatment of NBP repressed the proliferation of lung cancer cells in vitro. Tumorigenicity analysis in nude mice showed that the tumor volume and tumor weight were attenuated by the treatment of NBP in the mice. Meanwhile, the levels of Ki-67 and PD-L1 were reduced by the treatment of NBP in the tumor tissues of the mice. NBP suppressed IFN-γ-induced PD-L1 enhancement in lung cancer cells. The treatment of NBP inhibited PD-L1 expression in lung cancer cells co-cultured with unstimulated PBMCs or activated T cell. NBP inhibited PD-1 expression in activated T cells co-cultured with lung cancer cells. Conditioned medium from activated T cells increased PD-L1 expression, and NBP reversed this effect. Co-culture with A549 and H1975 cells reduced T cell proliferation and activity, while the treatment of NBP reversed the reduction. Consistently, the treatment of NBP caused notably decreased apoptosis of co-cultured T cells. Mechanically, KAT7 was able to bind to PD-L1 promoter and epigenetically induce PD-L1 expression by promoting the enrichment of histone H3 lysine 14 acetylation (H3K14ac) and RNA polymerase II on PD-L1 promoter. DISCUSSION: Thus, we concluded that NBP repressed PD-L1 expression by targeting KAT7 and attenuated PD-1/PD-L1 axis to relieve lung cancer progression. NBP may be applied as the potential therapeutic strategy in immunotherapy of lung cancer.

[Spatial-temporal variations and influencing factors of eco-environment vulnerability in the karst region of Southeast Yunnan, China]. / æ»‡ä¸œå—å–€æ–¯ç‰¹åŒºåŸŸç”Ÿæ€è„†å¼±æ€§çš„æ—¶ç©ºæ¼”å˜åŠå ¶å½±å“å› ç´ .

Due to its vulnerability and anthropogenic disturbance, ecological problems in karst areas are prominent, such as vegetation destruction, soil erosion, and rocky desertification. Comprehensive analysis of ecological vulnerability and influencing factors in karst areas can provide scientific support for regional ecological restoration and environmental governance. With Guangnan County, a typical karst region in southeastern Yunnan, as an example, we constructed a karst regional eco-environmental vulnerability assessment index system from the perspective of natural and factitious factors. We used SPCA to assess the ecological vulnerability in 2000, 2010 and 2018. We further analyzed the temporal and spatial variations and explored its influencing factors by using geographic detectors. From 2000 to 2018, the changes of overall fragility were small, but the degree of fragility had been intensifying. The grade of ecological vulnerability was mainly slight fragile. The area with mild, moderate and severe fragility was increasing, while the area of extremely fragile showed no change. Guangnan County had a higher ecological vulnerability in the south of "Zhetu-Liancheng-Yangliujing-Banbang", and lower in the north. The spatial agglomeration effect of vulnerability was strong in this county. The north part of Guangnan was vulnerable low-low agglomeration areas, while the southwest and southeast parts were in high-fragility-high agglomeration areas. The implementation of ecological engineering was conducive to the improvement of regional ecological fragility, while the disturbance of human activities further deteriorated ecological fragility. The area proportion of rocky desertification and stratum lithology had stronger influence on ecological fragility of the karst area. The most important influencing factor of the karst ecological fragility was the development of karst carbonate rocks.

Diannexin Can Ameliorate Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Rats by Promoting Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression.

BACKGROUND: The recombinant protein diannexin can inhibit platelet-mediated events, which contribute to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Here, we investigated the effect of diannexin and its effect on heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in ARDS. METHODS: A total of 32 rats were randomized into sham, ARDS, diannexin (D), and diannexin+HO-1 inhibitor (DH) groups. Alveolar-capillary permeability was evaluated by testing the partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) ratio, lung wet/dry weight ratio, and protein levels in the lung. Inflammation was assessed by measuring cytokine levels in the bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in the lung tissue. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured to evaluate the oxidative stress response. Lung tissue pathology and apoptosis were also evaluated. We measured HO-1 expression in the lung tissue to investigate the effect of diannexin on HO-1 in ARDS. RESULTS: Compared with the ARDS group, diannexin improved PaO2/FiO2, lung wet/dry weight ratio, and protein levels in the BALF and decreased levels of cytokines and NF-κB in the lung and serum. Diannexin inhibited the oxidative stress response and significantly ameliorated pathological lung injury and apoptosis. The partial reversal of diannexin effects by a HO-1 inhibitor suggests that diannexin may promote HO-1 expression to ameliorate ARDS. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that diannexin can improve alveolar-capillary permeability, inhibit the oxidative stress response and inflammation, and protect against ARDS-induced lung injury and apoptosis.

Ac2-26 Alleviates Brain Injury after Cardiac Arrest and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Rats via the eNOS Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Brain injury is the leading cause of death following cardiac arrest (CA) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Ac2-26 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) have been shown to reduce neuroinflammation. This study is aimed at determining the mechanism by which Ac2-26 protects against inflammation during brain injury following CA and CPR. METHODS: Sixty-four rats were randomized into sham, saline, Ac2-26, and Ac2-26+L-NIO (endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) inhibitor) groups. Rats received Ac2-26, Ac2-26+L-NIO, or saline after CPR. Neurologic function was assessed at baseline, 24, and 72 hours after CPR. At 72 hours after resuscitation, serum and brain tissues were collected. RESULTS: Blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability increased, and the number of surviving neurons and neurological function decreased in the saline group compared to the sham group. Anti-inflammatory and proinflammatory factors, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels, and the expression of eNOS, phosphorylated (p)-eNOS, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and oxidative stress-related factors in the three CA groups significantly increased (P < 0.05). BBB permeability decreased, and the number of surviving neurons and neurological function increased in the Ac2-26 group compared to the saline group (P < 0.05). Ac2-26 increased anti-inflammatory and reduced proinflammatory markers, raised NSE levels, increased the expression of eNOS and p-eNOS, and reduced the expression of iNOS and oxidative stress-related factors compared to the saline group (P < 0.05). The effect of Ac2-26 on brain injury was reversed by L-NIO (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ac2-26 reduced brain injury after CPR by inhibiting oxidative stress and neuroinflammation and protecting the BBB. The therapeutic effect of Ac2-26 on brain injury was largely dependent on the eNOS pathway.

Correlation between Clinical Factors and Prognosis in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between clinical factors and the prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM). STUDY DESIGN: A cohort study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: At the Third Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Mongolia from January 2014 to December 2018. METHODOLOGY: The clinical data of 81 patients with newly diagnosed MM were collected retrospectively. The correlation of prognosis with immunophenotype and (FISH) Fluorescence in situ hybridization was subjected to univariate and multivariate analyses. Overall and progression-free survival was determined. RESULTS: The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with CD200+, CD81+, and CD27- were significantly shortened. CD200+ and CD27- were independent prognostic factors for OS and PFS in MM patients. The prognosis-related abnormal genes were analyzed, and univariate analysis revealed that OS and PFS were significantly shortened in patients with RB-1 deletion, CDKN2C deletion, and IGH rearrangement. CDKN2C deletion was an independent prognostic factor for OS and PFS in MM patients. CONCLUSION: CDKN2C deletion is an independent prognostic factor of MM. CD200+ is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis of MM. Key Words: Multiple myeloma, Prognostic analysis, Fluorescence in situ hybridization, Immunity, Immunophenotype.

The combination of transversus abdominis plane block and rectus sheath block reduced postoperative pain after splenectomy: a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Splenectomy performed with a curved incision results in severe postoperative pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of transversus abdominis plane block and rectus sheath block on postoperative pain relief and recovery. METHODS: A total of 150 patients were randomized into the control (C), levobupivacaine (L) and levobupivacaine/morphine (LM) groups. The patients in the C group received only patient-controlled analgesia. The patients in the L and LM groups received transversus abdominis plane block and rectus sheath block with levobupivacaine or levobupivacaine plus morphine. The intraoperative opioid consumption; postoperative pain score; time to first analgesic use; postoperative recovery data, including the times of first exhaust, defecation, oral intake and off-bed activity; the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and antiemetics use; and the satisfaction score were recorded. RESULTS: Transversus abdominis plane block and rectus sheath block reduced intraoperative opioid consumption. The patients in the LM group showed lower postoperative pain scores, opioid consumption, postoperative nausea and vomiting incidence and antiemetic use and presented shorter recovery times and higher satisfaction scores. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of transversus abdominis plane block and rectus sheath block with levobupivacaine and morphine can improve postoperative pain relief, reduce the consumption of analgesics, and partly accelerate postoperative recovery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR 1,800,015,141, 10 March 2018.

Magnetic Nature of the CrIII-LnIII Interactions in [CrIII2LnIII3] Clusters with Slow Magnetic Relaxation.

Two 3d-4f hetero-metal pentanuclear complexes with the formula {[CrIII2LnIII3L10(OH)6(H2O)2]Et3NH} [Ln=Tb (1), Dy (2); HL=pivalic acid, Et3N=triethylamine] have been produced. The metal core of each cluster is made up of a trigonal bipyramid with three LnIII ions (plane) and two CrIII ions (above and below) held together by six µ3-OH bridges. Also reported with this series is the diamagnetic CrIII-YIII analogue (3). Fortunately, we successfully prepared AlIII-LnIII analogues with the formula {[AlIII2LnIII3L10(OH)6(H2O)2]Et3NH⋅H2O} [Ln=Tb (4), Dy (5)], containing diamagnetic AlIII ions, which can be used to evaluate the CrIII-LnIII magnetic nature through a diamagnetic substitution method. Subsequently, static (dc) magnetic susceptibility studies reveal dominant ferromagnetic interactions between CrIII and LnIII ions. Dynamic (ac) magnetic susceptibility studies show frequency-dependent out-of-phase (χ'') signals for [CrIII2TbIII3] (1), [CrIII2DyIII3] (2), and [AlIII2DyIII3] (5), which are derived from the single-ion behavior of LnIII ions and/or the CrIII-LnIII ferromagnetic interactions.

Characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in PM2.5 emitted from different cooking activities in China.

Nineteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 emitted from five different cooking activities were characterized, and their influencing factors were determined. The total quantified particle-bounded PAH concentrations (ΣPAHs) in the airs from the cooking activities were 4.2-36.5-fold higher than those in corresponding backgrounds. The highest ΣPAHs were seen in cafeteria frying (783 ± 499 ng/m3), followed by meat roasting (420 ± 191 ng/m3), fish roasting (210 ± 105 ng/m3), snack-street boiling (202 ± 230 ng/m3), and cafeteria boiling (150 ± 65 ng/m3). The main influencing factors on the PAH emissions were cooking methods, fat contents in raw materials, and oil consumptions. Four- to six-ringed PAHs had the highest contributions to the ΣPAHs (avg. 87.5%). Diagnostic ratios of individual PAH were similar between the two charbroiling and other three conventional Chinese cooking methods, respectively, demonstrating the dominance of cooking methods in the PAH emissions. Remarkably high benzo(b)fluoranthene/benzo(k)fluoranthene (BbF/BkF) ratio (8.31) was seen in the snack-street boiling, attributed to the coal combustion as cooking fuel. Both fluoranthene/(fluoranthene + pyrene) [FLT/(FLT + PYR)] and benzo(a)anthracene/(benzo(a)anthracene + chrysene) [BaA/(BaA + CHR)] ratios were higher for the oil-based cooking than those from the water-based ones. In addition, two ratios of indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene/(indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene + benzo(g,h,i)perylene) [IPY/(IPY + BPE)] and benzo(a)pyrene/(benzo(a)pyrene + benzo(g,h,i)perylene) [BaP/(BaP + BPE)] were higher for two charbroiling than the three conventional Chinese cooking methods. The characterization work in this study is particularly important since cooking is a potential contributor of atmospheric PAHs in urban China. Carcinogenic potencies of PAHs were assessed by comparison with the air quality guideline and health risk estimation. The BaP and BaP equivalent were higher for the oil-based than the water-based cooking activities.

The ferromagnetic [Ln2Co6] heterometallic complexes.

Four 3d-4f heterometallic complexes with the formula, {[Ln2Co6(OH)4(L1)6(L2)8(CH3CN)2]·nCH2Cl2} (Ln = Dy (1), n = 0.5; Ho (2), n = 1; Gd (3), n = 1; Y (4), n = 1; HL1 = 6-chloro-2-pyridinol, HL2 = pivalic acid), were synthesized. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that complexes 1-4 consisted of a [Ln2Co6] core, featuring a Ln-Ln edge-sharing double-trigonal-bipyramid configuration. The magnetic susceptibilities revealed ferromagnetic coupling within complexes 1 and 2, and complex 1 displayed slow relaxation of magnetization.

The evolution mechanism of intron length.

Within two years of their discovery in 1977, introns were found to have a positive effect on gene expression. Our result shows that introns can achieve gene expression and regulation through interaction with corresponding mRNA sequences. On the base of Smith-Waterman method, local comparing helps us get the optimal matched segments between intron sequences and mRNA sequences. Studying the distribution regulation of the optimal matching region on intron sequences of ribosomal protein genes about 27 species, we find that the intron length evolution processes beginning from 5' end to 3' end and increasing one by one structural unit, which comes up with a possible mechanism for the intron length evolution. The intron of structure units is conservative with about 60bp length, but the length of linker sequence between structure units changes a lot. Interestingly, distributions of the length and matching rate of optimal matched segments are consistent with sequence features of miRNA and siRNA. These results indicate that the interaction between intron sequences and mRNA sequences is a kind of functional RNA-RNA interaction. Meanwhile, the two kinds of sequences above are co-evolved and interactive to play their functions.

Chemical characteristics of rainwater in Sichuan basin, a case study of Ya'an.

Rainwater chemistry was investigated at a semi-rural site in Ya'an, Sichuan basin with rain samples collected from May 2013 to July 2014. The rainwater pH values ranged from 3.25 to 6.86, with an annual volume-weighted mean (VWM) of 4.38, and the acid rain frequency was 74 %. Such severe acidification, 15 % of the total events showed a pH below 4.0, attributed to the deficiency of Ca(2+), significant anthropogenic pollution contribution, and rainy pattern to this area. The annual VWM of total ions concentration was 477.19 µeq/L. NH4 (+) was the most abundant ionic species, followed by SO4 (2-), NO3 (-), Ca(2+), Cl(-), Na(+), K(+), Mg(2+), and F(-) in a descending order. The total ionic concentrations presented a seasonal trend of lower values in autumn and summer but higher ones in winter and spring. Based on enrichment factor, correlation analysis and principle component analysis, three factors were identified: factor 1 (NH4 (+), SO4 (2-), NO3 (-), K(+), and Cl(-), 47.45 % of the total variance) related to anthropogenic sources (coal/fuel combustion, biomass burning and agriculture), factor 2 (Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Na(+), and Cl(-), 34.01 % of the total variance) associated with natural sources, and factor 3 (H(+), 11.78 % of the total variance) related to free acidity. Back trajectory analysis indicates that the rainwater chemistry in Ya'an was mainly affected by regional air masses from Sichuan basin. Long-range transported air masses from southwest with heavy anthropogenic pollution increased the total ion concentration and acidity of rainwater. Considering its special topography, anthropogenic emissions from regional and long-range transport (especially from southwest) must be controlled effectively to improve the acid rain condition of non-urban areas in Sichuan basin.

Self-assembly of heterometallic Ln(III)-Co(II) coordination polymers: syntheses, structures, and magnetic studies.

A family of heterometallic 4f-3d coordination polymers with the common formula [LnCo1.5(L)2(H2O)5]n (Ln = Pr(1), Eu(2), Gd(3), Tb(4), Dy(5), Ho(6), and Er(7), and H3L = 4-(carboxymethoxy)isophthalic acid) was obtained under solvothermal conditions with the effect of NaN3, which was involved in the reactions but not in the final structure. All of the compounds were isostructural, and had a two-dimensional wave-like structure based on centrosymmetric [LnO2Co]-Co-[LnO2Co] motifs. The results of the magnetic measurements displayed that ferromagnetic interactions occurred in the frameworks (3-7) containing "heavy" lanthanide ions (Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er), which should be ascribed to the coupling between the Ln(III) and Co(II) ions. Furthermore, compound 5, containing Dy(III) ions, displayed field-induced slow magnetic relaxation.

The imbalance of Th17 and regulatory T cells in pemphigus patients.

UNLABELLED: Pemphigus is a complex dermatologic autoimmune bullous disease whose pathogenic mechanism is not fully understood. Anti-desmoglein-1 (Dsg1) and anti- Dsg3 autoantibodies play an important role in the pathogenesis of pemphigus. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of T-helper17 (Th17) and regulatory T (Treg) cells in the pathogenesis of pemphigus in fifty-one patients and twenty-six healthy individuals (control group). METHODS: Levels of CD3(+)CD8(-) IL-17 expressing Th cells and CD4(+)CD25(hi)Foxp3(+) Treg cells were determined by FACS in both groups, along with anti-Dsg1 and Dsg3 antibody titers. An analysis of the correlation between Th17 and Treg cells was performed. RESULTS: Th17 cell numbers were significantly higher in pemphigus patients than in normal controls (P = 0.014), especially in the acute onset and chronic active stages (P = 0.004 and 0.022). Conversely, Treg cells in pemphigus patients were significantly fewer than in the control group (P<0.001). The same trend was observed between the acute onset and the remittent stage patients (P = 0.006). We found a negative correlation between Th17 and Treg cell populations (r = -0.532, P<0.001). Anti-Dsg1 and Dsg3 antibody titers were higher in patients in the active stage than in the remittent stage, with an increased IgG4/IgG1 subclass ratio. There was no statistically significant correlation between Th17/Treg ratios and anti-Dsg1 or Dsg3 antibody titers. CONCLUSION: These findings show an imbalance of Th17 and Treg cell populations in pemphigus patients, which might result in the activation and proliferation of effector T cells, further up-regulating B cell activity and antibody production.

Several (4,4)- and (5,6,8)-connected lanthanide-organic frameworks: structures, luminescence and magnetic properties.

A series of lanthanide-based organic frameworks with formulas of {[PrL(H2O)2]·2H2O}n () and {[Ln3L3(H2O)2]·2H2O}n (Ln = Eu (), Gd (), Tb (), Dy (), Ho (), Er (); H3L = 4-(carboxymethoxy)isophthalic acid), were hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. It is the first time that 4-(carboxymethoxy)isophthalic acid is employed in producing lanthanide compounds. The seven compounds exhibit two types of structures with the decreasing radius of the lanthanide ions, representing the lanthanide contraction effect. Compound with the large Pr(3+) ion displays a 2D layered structure with a binodal (4,4)-connected topology with the Schläfli symbol of (3(3)6(3))2, whereas compounds with small Ln(3+) ions feature a 3D framework constructed from carboxyl groups with a (5,6,8)-connected topology with the Schläfli symbol of (3(2)4(4)5(4))·(3(4)4(4)5(4)6(3))·(3(4)4(8)5(6)6(9)8). The luminescence and magnetic properties were investigated, and the results indicate that the H3L ligand can sensitize the lanthanide luminescence in compounds , and and makes a contribution to the antiferromagnetic interactions in compound or the uncertain magnetic interactions in compounds . Additionally, the thermal analyses suggest the high thermal stability of compounds .